Harnaam has learned to love and embrace her “lady beard” and she has transformed it into one of her biggest calling cards. While my own personal experiences aren’t nearly as tumultuous as Harnaam’s, my own childhood labels of being “too chatty”, I assume was meant to help me be a better student by talking less, even though I always came first in my class tests! Go figure, right! My report books would have the expected “she is a great student, a hard worker” blah blah blah but they would always include “but she talks too much”. So the “hushes” began, from my teachers and at home, all in an effort for me to “control” my voice.

But a loud voice can never be quieted for too long, especially a loud voice that belongs to a writer.

Somehow, I found a way and the writer in me emerged. If I couldn’t be vocally loud in class, I could make my written words shout from the top of San Fernando Hill if that’s what I wanted to do – on paper.

Of course, in my adult years, the progression of my career naturally led me to broadcast media where my voice was now heard by tens of thousands of people, while getting paid actual money to yup, talk! The Girlfriends this week focus on inspiring you to find strength among your own perceived flaws or weaknesses.

Staci: What are some flaws” people may have ever pointed out to you in your life that you turned around and made into an asset? I think we need something positive and inspirational for the women of TT this week, something that can motivate them to find their strengths among their own perceived “weaknesses”. Like Barbara Streisand (yes meh age showing) always talks about Hollywood big wigs wanting her to “fix” her nose, and her in turn refusing. Now her nose is probably just as legendary as she is! Katherine: Love this topic!

Mel: For me, it was knowing the answer to everything and it’s funny that we have this topic because last weekend I finally cleared out my Mummy’s stuff from her house. Two things I took – my writing desk where I did all my work and my set of encyclopaedias. In south, we had no cable, no phone; TV service was mostly crap, so all I had was my books; dolls yeah but books. I wanted to play with the boys but always got told that I needed to be more of a girl. I refused and turned to my books.
If you read encyclopaedias like novels, you will get a grasp of, well, everything and that’s what I loved to do. But my teachers never nurtured my curiosity.

And it’s not that I’m smarter than anyone else, I just sought the information. Fast forward to today, that curiosity and know-it-all attitude, has manifested itself in me being able to find any answer on my own – come what may. I feel unstoppable because they tried to stop me when instead my teachers should have nurtured me. But I nurtured it on its own…

Tats: You mean like when I was little everyone used to tease me about my big bamcee and now decades later everyone wants one like it and paying plastic surgeon big money for it? Like that you mean?

Staci: Umm Tats, I guess we could take that as an example too, lol.

Tamz: Hmmm, flaws. Well I got teased about my big boobs, my height, my hair, you name it. I guess tease is a stretch because I never cared what people had to say, even growing up. As far as I’m concerned I’m perfectly imperfect. I’ve gained a lot of weight, I have stretch marks over my entire stomach and I’ve embraced everything that people consider flaws. They’re mine and I love them. I think I’m pretty and I’m a good friend, a great girlfriend, a present and loving mother, a daughter that makes my parents proud and I own my own beauty spa which I love. My nose big but it’s mine. I’m armpit level tall and it isn’t fun in a fete but it’s me and if people have a problem and feel the need to point out flaws, then they just need to realise nobody is perfect to anybody else… unless you are Justin Bieber of course.

Ronz: I was typically – as in every report cardtold that I was bright, capable, could do so much more if I applied myself, that I was too talkative and that I socialised too much during work times.
I probably could apply myself more today but being chatty, social and generally interested in other people led me straight into my counselling career and has made talking to people and facilitating groups quite comfortable and effortless.
“Flaws” are so subjective and often end up being the characteristics that helps us find our way in life. Teachers should definitely do more to direct kids towards productive outlets for their “flawed” behaviours. Give “bossy” kids opportunities to lead and learn about leadership. Let “chatty” kids help with lessons and things like that. Whatever positive outlet they can find to harness and develop some of these “flaws”. That approach seems way more effective and affirming than telling children something about them is wrong.

Tamz: In school I was always doing somebody’s hair, nails, waxing, anything beauty related really. I used to get into trouble for having my nails done. Sometimes in our free periods there would be a waxing line where everybody that wanted to wax would bring a Sally Henson wax strip kit and I’ll be in the middle waxing legs and eyebrows and upper lips in the nun’s and dem classroom… to think that I would make a successful career doing the same things that got me detention in high school, wow, look at me now! The Girlfriends is a group of 15 women between the ages of 26 – 45 who are willing to give an unadulterated look into their own experiences.

Some names have been changed for privacy.

Just to recap, there are trillions of non-human organisms within you, a couple pounds in total and they play key roles in ways that science and medicine are only now beginning to understand.

In the Caribbean, we have a tacit understanding of this microbiome: it’s why we have been up to a few years ago, a healthy and resilient people. Our children generally played outdoors, in the dirt or with the neighbour’s dog, we fed them breastmilk primarily and then raised them on produce from a friendly neighborhood vendor or livestock culled and prepared freshly for us on a Sunday morning.

There are vast swathes of our country that still live like this, but the trend ever increasingly is towards factory-raised animals and livestock, large-scale agriculture and a huge input of American-led ‘food’ via franchises and similar operations locally.

Given that the ‘gut’ where most of the microbiome resides, is the the engine of the human body, let’s look at what’s really in there. Firstly, there are between 500-1000 different species of bacteria with more than 3 million genes in your gut. You would be familiar with some such as Bi_ dobacterium bi_ dum or Lactobacillus as these commonly appear as supplements as well. One third of our gut is common to most people, but two-thirds is unique to us. That is the alarming part – that we are not just unique in looks or attributes but unique even in the non-human entities that live within us.

Professor Eran Segal of the Weizmann Institute in Israel, conducted a study of 800 different persons who consumed identical meals while also tracking their physical activity, sleep habits, and bathroom activity. The results were interesting to say the least: people’s bodies react vastly differently to the same food input. So, while one person may be able to consume a large portion of French fries with no adverse glycemic (sugar) response, another person can’t. One possible explanation is the vast difference in our gut microbiome! It’s also important to remember that apart from the gut microbes that live within us, you also have microbes that live on us. The majority live on our skin, with the rest living in cavities like our outer ear and mucous membranes as well as on our eyes, scalp and other areas of the body. Have you ever wondered why you are more prone to eye infections with contact lenses? The American Society for or Microbiology’s 2015 meeting revealed this: “Speci_ cally, contact-wearers had higher numbers of four species: Lactobacillus, Acinetobacter, Methylobacterium, and Pseudomonas. This microbiome disruption could explain why people who wear contacts are more likely to get some kinds of eye infections, including corneal ulcers, which, incidentally, have been linked to Pseudomonas bacteria… Infections often come when people don’t take proper care of their lenses — sleeping in them overnight, or not cleaning them well or often enough.” While bacteria make up 60% of the dry mass of your stool (which shows exactly how much of that bacteria is in you!) and most of the components of the colon, it’s not the only thing that lives with you.

You would be alarmed to know that some things within you have already decided the diseases you will have in a few years, or the length of time you may be alive. So, we really should get to know them.

Next week, we look deeper at that world, within us.

This advice is culled from dozens of books, medical studies, discussions with professionals and experience. Always consult your doctor, your nutritionist or preferred health advisor before starting any health changes. Most of all, listen to your body.

Immediately, however, the Government should mandate the Government Information Services Ltd (GISL ) — the best kept secret — to broadcast “live” the finals of all the pre-Carnival competitions funded by taxpayers.

GISL has multimillion outside- broadcast equipment sitting idle in Morvant (TV4, our station) while the line minister fiddles and wonders.

There are thousands of senior citizens who love Carnival but cannot attend these shows for whatever reason. Therefore, the Government must understand and respond to the country’s elderly.

Wages for freelance staff at GISL for this Carnival’s 17 projects may be an issue, so in order to cover some of those costs the NCC should be mandated to drop the extreme hospitality spending on VIPs and VVIPs and redirect that money to GISL to pay staff in this “guava” season.

All VIPs and VVIPs should be encouraged to purchase tickets from their allowances. There is too much wastage and freeness at these events.

Also, taxpayers’ money funds all regional Carnival events but no broadcast media coverage exists. Why have all these media houses neglected this aspect of Carnival? The Government must step up to the plate or else the Telecommunications Authority may have to get involved with renewed legislation.

Lancelot Mc Donald St James

I grew up, over the hill, at the back of it:
* dairy and orchards bust, pangola grass overrun with bush and trees, cows gone;
* the tanks and pipes grown rusty;
* the oil spills in the Guaracara River, the Gulf, the Oropouche Lagoon;
* the inordinate pay increases for staff;
* the big-busting bad investments;
* theft, of oil or tools or equipment;
* the square pegs in round holes;
* the declining morale and work ethic;
* the sabotages by “wutless” crooks, seafarers and land-farers;
* the declining efficiencies;
* the politicisation of the company – interference and party hacks;
* the contradiction: post-colonial man snatching economic defeat from the jaws of economic victory. Caroni (1975) Ltd all over again, which I also lived through.

The lands and other assets of Petrotrin and the former Caroni (1975) Ltd stretch all the way from the east-west corridor to the Columbus Channel, our southern coast. They say that WASA owns the water of the land. And that T&TEC and other companies own the power grid.

The Petrotrin, Caroni, T&TEC and WASA story has a clear moral. We must move from the Petrotrin money economy to the social asset economy. Our system of constituency and polling division are designed for mobilisation for elections, the ascendancy of the party, not for participatory politics and economic development.

After Parliament is deconstructed, fragmented, into 41 municipalities, these lands should be divested into municipality commons, for the people to own and boost production.

The following national laws would make ordinary families more reliant on their commons and municipalities – that is they would save money on land, mortgages, energy, water, food, communications and litigation – and less dependent on wages and salaries from the Corporation Sole, that is Government and companies such as Petrotrin and the defunct Caroni Ltd:

* An affordable Land Act – the biggest beneficiaries of any land sale are government, real estate and bank.

* An affordable Finance Act – to curb agglomeration of lowpriced, high-cost (loans and mortgages) money.

* An affordable Energy Act – universal solar and other renewables, less reliant on T&TEC’s grid.

* An affordable Water Act – water collection systems, less reliant on the WASA grid.

* An affordable Food Act – flagship farming economies in all constituencies.

* An affordable Communications Act – a universal system of Internet connectivity.

* An affordable Judicial Protection Act – local 24-hour courts in all municipalities.

Our citizens must be given affordable prices for their national assets. Not only must Government devolve into our hands, but so too must our social and economic national assets. Thus, when Petrotrin and its money go the way of all flesh, we would still survive. In a sustainable way.

Wayne Kublalsingh via email

I hear people say, “I will never forgive you or this is unforgivable.” We live in a world where people hurt each other in different ways.

Some hurt with words, others hurt with deeds.

Some of the disputes between husbands and wives, among friends, neighbours, family and co-workers have resulted in divorce, murder, loss of friendship, pain and bitterness. On many occasions we hear of murders being referred to by the police as revenge killings.

I am convinced that if we forgive one another in spite of the pain and hurt, we would see a reduction in divorce, murders, hatred and revenge.

Yes, I know forgiving someone for all the pain and hurt they caused is not an easy thing to do, but it is not impossible. With the help of God we can do it.

It is proven that forgiveness is good for one’s health. Holding on to hurts can cause sickness. So let us forgive each other.

Andre Roberts via em

The dead man has been identified as 23-year-old Richard Olivierre, of Valencia, while the names of his two other accomplices have not been released but they are a 23-year-old from D’Abadie and a 26 year-old from Valencia.

According to police, at about 6.30 pm three men, one armed with a pistol, got out from a silver Lancer, entered the Kool Breeze Bar in Paramin and announced a hold-up, ordering everyone on the ground. One of the bandits made his way to the roulette room at the rear of the establishment.

According to a relative of the proprietor, he drew his firearm and shot the two bandits in the main bar area and then they ran out of the bar. He then exchanged fire with the third in the roulette room and then the third bandit escaped.

According to police sources, however, the proprietor refused to hand over any valuables and the bandits became enraged and then the shootout occurred with the proprietor shooting and injuring all three. A bar patron was shot in the leg as the three bandits attempted to flee the scene empty-handed.

The proprietor then used his cellphone and alerted Paramin villagers who placed a concrete slab across the roadway; there is only way in and one way out of Paramin.

A villager spotted the suspect’s vehicle. The car reportedly crashed into a barrier, causing the car to explode in flames.

There were reports that a single shot was fired at the engine of the car which prompted the car to burst into flames but patrons report that there was no shooting outside the establishment.

According to patrons, the injured bandit who sat in the driver’s seat attempted to turn the car but slumped over and crashed into the barrier. With his foot on the gas but the car not moving the vehicle burst into flames.

As the fire raged, two of the three suspects managed to run out of the vehicle. However, the third suspect, Olivierre, was pulled out of the car by residents but had died already from gunshot wounds.

Police were called to the scene and found one of the suspects in bushes with the pistol. The second admitted himself to the Port-of- Spain General Hospital and was held there by police.

According to police, both men were currently hospitalised with gunshot wounds, one of the men critical and the second in a stable condition.

The body of Olivierre was viewed by a DMO and the charred remains were ordered removed to the Forensic Sciences Centre, St James together with the vehicle.

The proprietor of the bar said yesterday he was too shaken up to speak about the incident but Paramin villagers said that under no condition would they allow outsiders to come into the community and commit crimes against any of the villagers.

When Sunday Newsday visited Kool Breeze bar yesterday afternoon it was business as usual with patrons drinking and sitting and chatting. The burnt remains of the car on the street and the broken glass leading to the roulette room were the only signs of the incident. Patrons reported that, to their knowledge, the bar had not been robbed in the past and that Paramin is a close knit community.

The relative said the proprietor had no remorse for shooting the bandits and that he would “do it again”. The also relative called on the State to give citizens guns.

“Give us guns, let us help the police,” the relative pleaded.

Corporal Hunte and Constable Joseph of the Maraval CID are continuing investigations.

According to reports, the exercise was conducted from 4 am to 3 pm in the Plymouth area and houses and vehicles were searched.

Of the five detained there was a 66 year-old man who was arrested for possession of narcotics and outstanding warrants; a 37 yearold female labourer of Plymouth arrested and charged for the possession of .02 grammes of marijuana; a 35-year-old fisherman and an unemployed 27-year-old were charged 9370 grammes of marijuana $150,000 street value and 860 grammes of cocaine for purpose of trafficking valued at $500,000.

More than $120,000 of TT currency and $2,000 US currency were also seized.

ACP Tobago Garfield Moore and Senior Supt Joanne Archie and spearheaded by ASP Sterling Roberts.

The exercise involved a party of officers from all police stations in Tobago, Scarborough CID, Criminal Gang and Intelligence Unit, K9 Unit and Organised Crime, Narcotics and Firearm Unit and TT Regiment.

The five people charged are scheduled to appear in court tomorrow.

He was speaking yesterday at the post-PNM general council media conference at Balisier House, Port-of-Spain He reported the issue of the party’s strategy on FATCA was spoken of and the membership informed of the status. FATCA is a US tax law which became effective on July 1, 2014 and was designed to combat offshore tax evasion by US citizens with accounts and/or investments with both foreign and non-financial entities.

After failing to meet a September 30 deadline this country received an extension to February 2017. The legislation to make this country FATCA compliant, the Tax Information and Exchange Agreement Bill 2016, was sent to the JSC upon the insistence of the Opposition.

Also in the briefing yesterday, Young reported that the Prime Minister announced that he would be resuming his “conversations with the people of Trinidad and Tobago” which he had done as Opposition Leader in September 2015 prior to the general election. The conversations will commence in February this year.

Asked whether the conversations were being resumed due to a fall in party support Young said that party support had continued and analytics did not support claims of the decrease in support.

He said the next election will be in 2019 and Rowley felt it was an appropriate time to “get back out there” during a non-election period.

Young also reported that at the general council meeting the Finance Minister and Labour Minister were congratulated for their efforts towards dealing with the recent threats a strike at Petrotrin.

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi was also congratulated on his handling of the amendments to the marriage law which increased the legal marriage age to 18.

There was also congratulations to the PNM membership in Tobago for the 10-2 victory in the recent Tobago House of Assembly elections.

Newly sworn in Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles was present yesterday and spoke about the victory.

A spattering of oil and oily droplets were observed dotting the coastline by residents of Carrat Shed and Coffee beaches, La Brea on Friday morning, almost one week after pools of oil washed ashore along the same beaches.

President of the La Brea Fisherfolk Association, Alvin La Borde, told reporters he had arrived at Carrat Shed beach just after 9.30 am on Friday for a clean-up exercise when he observed oil pellets along the coastline.

“I went to Point Sable beach as well as Station beach and observed the same said oil on the shorelines…This was observed during low tide this morning and now the tide is rising so you would not see it,” La Borde said. While Petrotrin sent representatives to the shoreline when contacted the company, no one from the EMA visited the beach in response to a call from him.

There here was no visible signs of oil or pools of oil along the shoreline, nor of oil coating fishing boats at the time of a Newsday visit to the beaches.

Asked if an oil slick could be seen in the deeper waters, La Borde said, “that is the surprising thing, in the daylight, you not seeing any trace of any oil at all, but is only in the morning period that you observe this oil on the shoreline.” “I am questioning if this is something that is being done by some mischievous person or is it that it have a cause for concern with a leak that is coming from out there,” he said, adding there were conflicting reports the oil could be the result of an oil bunkering barge anchored off the La Brea coast or from an oil spill in the Trinmar area.

He said the oil was hampering tourism in La Brea area as a group of tourists stopped by Carrat Shed beach after visiting the Pitch Lake but left after venturing into the water with clumps of oil sticking to their feet.

“It is a deterrent to the development of tourism in the area, a lot of the beachgoers are also deterred from coming here to Carrat Shed beach so I keep a bottle of pitch oil in the van to assist people,” he said.

La Borde also dismissed a recent report issued by the Planning and Development Ministry which stated fish and shrimp caught in the Gulf of Paria were safe to eat.

“We have no confidence in these people at all because we had sent letters, emails, to every single one of these bodies requesting that they do the testing with the assistance of the fisherfolk to supervise what is happening because we have certain areas within the Gulf of Paria that we are questioning the operations that are taking place,” he said.

“But they went ahead on their own and they did that testing and now they are saying these tests were done in La Brea and these different areas but with whom were the tests done?” “The fish and shrimp that they took, you don’t know where it came from… no, no, they coulda take all of that from Maracas and take it and carry it for testing, we don’t know,’ he said.

First up was Belmont City Kids International with their rendition of David Rudder’s “Bahia Girl” followed by Nayal Hill SOM, performing a 2017 composition “D Journey” arranged by Tahira David.

Over on Agostini Street in Gonzales, Sheikers was awaiting the judges’ arrival.

Once they got there, the band delivered its rendition of Clive Telemaque’s arrangement of Swallow’s “Don’t Stop this Party”.

The song was well arranged but the players lacked energy in the execution.

Led by flashing blue lights from the Police escort, the judges were taken to Cascade at La Famille United, where the band was nestled under a mango tree with one bulb on a plum tree providing light. Here Triston Marcano had the players execute his arrangement of Ken “Professor” Philmore’s classic “Pan by Storm” which sounded very good.

The journey continued westward to Carenage to Stardust Steel Orchestra, the band used the premises of the Carenage RC School which was well laid out. Arranger Jason “Peanuts” Isaac pulled out a 1983 Kitchener classic “Tourist Elsie” and had his players grooving while they executed his arrangement.

This was a well rehearsed performance and the supporters showed their appreciation.

Further down in the north west on Haig Street, Carenage, Power Boat Scorpion Pan Groove had a full house. The band joined forces with the Carenage Police Youth Club and the band of youthful players performed Machel Montano’s “Epic”.

The last band on the programme was the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force Steel Orchestra and at the spacious Defence Force headquarters at Chaguaramas where players and supporters awaited the judges.

Led by Sheldon Montique with the maximum number of players they performed a Kion Robinson’s arrangement of Superblue’s “Get Something and Wave”.

The flashing blue lights of the Police vehicles then took the judges out of Chaguaramas back to Port of Spain.

Judging in the Northern Region was completed on Thursday.

The final will take place tomorrow at the Arima Velodrome from 4 pm and some 20 steelbands will vie for the Single Pan champion band title.

Arranger Clive Telemaque with Gonzales Sheikers.