She is at present the secretary of her football club at Holy Faith Convent where she is a student pursuing her ‘A’ Levels, and she is a finalist of the much anticipated, Miss Fem India TT pageant. The charming Synara Seeram of Perseverance Road, Carapichaima, is preparing to compete against eleven beautiful women as she aims for the Miss Fem India TT pageant on May 31 at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya.

While People’s interview was centred around the Miss Fem India TT pageant, Synara was all excited to talk about great footballers. She lists her favourite footballer as Italy’s Roberto Baggio and her favourite clubs as Inter Milan, Roma and Real Madrid. “I love sports and football is really a sport that calls for a lot of stamina and I love it,” she spoke with excitement in her voice. Under it all, Synara is a very open and warm-hearted person who looks toward comforting others rather than looking for her own comfort in any situation. She has a smile that is ready and waiting for anyone who speaks to her.  Comfortably seated in the front porch of her home, she said that having come from a small family (she has one younger brother, Yansil Seeram), it was her parents who looked after her progress every step of the way. “My mother and father, Kamla and Barraj Seeram, would be here for me every day of the week. “Their only agenda being to ensure that my brother and I have success in life. This to me is very important. I realise that I should explore all my opportunities in life and bring forth the success that is necessary for one’s own development,” she said. She tosses her long straight hair as she spoke about herself. Like a true philosopher in the making, she gestured with her hands as she spoke words of wisdom. “Hard work yields great rewards. This is my life’s motto and it has motivated me into being the best I can. I believe that nothing is gained without a struggle. And it is through the struggle that we learn to appreciate all that we have gained in life,” she said.

Unlike many teenagers, Synara has a clear-cut plan for her future. After she completes her ‘A’ Level exams, she would like to do her degree in Business Management and hopes to secure a well paying job. She intends to open a football club of her own and push the sport so that other female footballers would have the opportunity of advancing themselves. Her participation in the Miss Fem India TT came by chance. “I thought it would be a challenge to go out there and model the East Indian fashions.  “I am enjoying the grooming process as well as meeting people of status in the country. I also enjoy seeing myself in such elaborate make-up and hairstyles. It is an interesting twist to life’s journey and I am enjoying every bit of it,” she said. Speaking about her village, she said that Carapichaima has developed tremendously in recent years. She noted that the once quiet Perseverance Road is now filled with a flow of traffic and also business places. She noted that the entire central area of TT has been developing at a fast pace. “I am happy that there is growth and development but I miss the quiet countryside atmosphere that we enjoyed when I was five years old,” she said. This all-rounded individual is a devout Hindu and never misses weekly services at the Dattatreya Temple in Waterloo. This very historic temple is known for the constructing of the 84feet Hanuman Murti.

Synara and her family have been instrumental in raising funds to complete the temple structure as well as the temple. “I feel fulfilled to be doing religious work as well. I believe every young person hungers after fulfillment and happiness and being able to be a part of something that is so great is more than fulfilling for me,” she said. She finds a lot of peace at the temple. “In order for you to be happy, you must be contented with who you are and where you come from, instead of trying to be someone else. Count your blessings and not your problems and remember that life is not what you have done or whom you have kept company with but about who you are inside. “Everyone is special. In search of happiness, you must first look within your heart. And I have to add this, the secret to being young is being vibrant while alive, laugh a lot, be yourself and never let the brain idle, just enjoy life’s simple pleasures.”

Among the beautiful who will be vying for the title of Fem Miss India TnT are Ameerah Aziz who is from Champs Fleurs, Nadia Deonarine from Princes Town, Rianna Kavita Persad from D’Abadie, and Geeta Beepath from Tarouba.

The organisers of this event have chosen to explore the history of India by giving the girls assignments researching the various rivers so that they can give a brief background on the respective rivers. The four beauties will represent the rivers, Indus, Yamuna, Govadari, and Betwa. Each girl has already compiled notes about these water courses to be read on the night of the competition. Ameerah Aziz, 18, is presently pursuing her goal of becoming a mechanical engineer. While many may think that this is a job for a man, Ameera thinks that with the rise in technology and computers, she’s heading in the right direction. “The whole concept of understanding the way machinery operates is very interesting. “Being able to repair or invent a part that can make it work better is another topic that one can consider in this field,” she said. Apart from studying hard to get her diploma in mechanical engineering Ameerah also loves to get all dressed up in the East Indian fashion for special occasions.

This shows the soft side of the girl who wants to handle the tough machines. The charming beauty, Nadia Deonarine, 21, is an employee of TOSL. She is head of the inventory department. Having taken the titles of Miss Princes Town and also first runners up to Miss St Stephen College, this ambitious young lady is now aiming for the Miss India title. She spends her spare time learning kick boxing, Latin dancing, cooking and swimming. Nadia is well respected in her community for her efforts to educate the youths on the dreaded AIDS disease. She noted that the best advice she ever got was: ‘Failure is success in disguise’.

Rianna Kavita Persad, 19, is into beauty culture. She is presently pursuing a number of courses dealing with skin, hair, nails and make-up. She noted that everyone should strive to maintain a good appearance. “The way you look on the outside really says a lot about what you think about yourself on the inside. “If you can’t love your body and your soul then you are in for a lot of mishaps in life,” she said with an air of authority about her. Already, she is learning how to speak to crowds so that she can educate those interesting on the topic of beauty culture. Rianna always seems to have an advice for her friends and relatives on the issue. She is quick to admit that she would like everyone to look beautiful and healthy. Geeta Beepath, 24, is also employed with TOSL in the engineering department. This intelligent young lady loves children. Spending a day at the Kindergarten reading stories and singing rhymes to the kids is very fulfilling for the lovely Geeta. She told People that her heart goes out to the children who are victims of physical abuse and those who are homeless. She noted that the government should put special plans in place to deal with these problems. “While a lot is done, there is still a lot more that can be done to help the innocent ones,” she said.

The Fem Miss India TnT pageant comes off at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya, on May 31 at 8pm. Among those carded to perform are Raymond Ramnarine, Nadia Madoo, Indar Kanhai, Andy Singh, Nazimool Khan, Ruby Khan Gupta, Nisah and Ravi Bissembhar ‘D’ Ma Pau’s Vikash Dancers and Molly Bridgelalsingh. The show is being sponsored by, The Island Club, Newsday, Sital, MTV, Mega Insurance, Radio 90.5, and Universal Jewellers.

Devon Garraway was not going to back down from his 14-day strike. Though his fellow protesters outside NFM’s (National Flour Mills) gates numbered just a handful, the support from taxi drivers and other road users who honked their horns as they drove past the group huddled under a tent, was encouraging.

But the real reason for Devon’s “stick-to-itiveness”, his optimism that he “will” obtain a job in the field of his choice at that establishment is a case of “self telling self”. He’s a motivational speaker and has lived by his own dose of medicine. It was a hobby he developed when he came to terms with his debilitating sickness — brittle bone disease. More precisely, Devon is a victim of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) — a genetic disorder characterised by bones that break easily, often from little or no apparent cause. A person with OI can break a rib while coughing, or a leg by rolling over in their sleep. From three years of age Devon had been significantly affected by the disease. That was the last time he remembered walking without assistance. He’s now 29 years old and wheelchair-bound.

“I spent most of my life at Ward 41 of the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. I got a lot of broken limbs, fractures.” He explained: “I might get a simple fall, ah might bounce meh hand on a table, get a broken arm and spend three weeks in the hospital and every time I went there the nurses used to bawl ‘you again’ because they used to see me so regular. I just remember being in pain. “I remember having my two feet and two arms sling up in a traction. I fell off the bed. I could’ve been about five or six years,” Devon recalled. To compound matters, it wasn’t easy living apart from his mother who left the three-year-old in the care of his grandmother who lived in Laventille. His mother, Grenadian-born Ivar Roberts migrated to Trinidad with her firstborn in the late 70s. As Devon explained it, Roberts later migrated to the US Virgin Islands since “she always had the opinion that Trinidad was too slow and realising that I had a disability she probably thought I would’ve been a keep back.”

In all of his lifetime, he said, he’s perhaps seen his mother on three occasions. He never knew his father. Life was “very difficult”. He obtained his elementary education at Princess Elizabeth Special School and subsequently, secured a place at Malick Secondary Comprehensive. “To get to school was very costly on my grandmother. She spent $80 a day in transport hiring a taxi. Added to that she had four other kids to take care of,” Devon told People. He was the only wheelchair-bound student at the school, then. “At first the children were surprised seeing someone with a disability but after the first term I was able to get a lot of support from the students. When they could have, they used to pull me up to the Science block. One day I slipped out of their hands,” but no damage was done, he said. “I remember they carried me up for a class and I stayed back to finish some work and they went for lunch and forgot me there. I had to drag myself down and bring the chair down too… I was always a slow writer,” he grinned. He had the support of an MTS security official at the school lobbying on his behalf for the installation of a ramp for easy access to his classes. “That never worked out,” Devon revealed. So at the end of his five years at secondary school, he walked away with not a CXC pass in hand. He was unable to gain access to exams rooms since, none of them were at ground level. Not a damper on his drive to receive his reward, Devon did continuation classes the following year at Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive and obtained passes in English and Social Studies. “The classes for those two subjects were on ground floor,” he said.

Devon looked at his watch. It was late evening and the group was planning their strategy for the next day. Devon then waved to a carload of women who had pulled up alongside the tent to offer their support. He turned to me: “I have confidence that once you’re persistent at something, failure will not be the payment for my struggle.” He had applied for the post of clerical assistant in the Inventory and Labelling Departments at NFM five years ago. He refused to give up since “it became apparent that I was denied employment because I am wheelchair-bound. They gave us reasons that the forklifts might damage us. They said that when they built the company they didn’t take into consideration someone wheelchair-bound working there.” What if a job at NFM never comes through, I asked. He answered: “I haven’t looked at that possibility.”  Devon’s belief is now confirmed that there exists “employment discrimination” in Trinidad and Tobago. “Just sit in a wheelchair and go on a tour with us,” his wheelchair-bound friend George Daniel (also spokesperson for Disabled People International (DPI) of which Devon is a member) told me, “and only then you will understand the difficulties we go through everyday.” That was the first time Devon ever applied to any institution for a job. The Princess Elizabeth Centre absorbed his skills in electronics acquired at Goodwill Industries and International Correspondence School distance learning programme. He also did a “train the trainee” course at Metal Industries Co Ltd (MIC).

He worked two weeks for five years at Princess Elizabeth Centre as a part-time tutor. He was referred to Peakes Industries Ltd, where he secured a job in the Window unit line. But after two years, when the fumes at the company posed “a problem” and his salary no longer covered all his bills which now included mortgage on an apartment in Morvant, he was forced to go job hunting. In an attempt to increase his marketability, Devon grabbed the chance to become computer literate when DPI ran the course. Three months and counting, he’s been jobless. He receives a monthly social welfare cheque for $320. He told People: “It’s a struggle to live by the pittance the government gives us… The government needs to put the disabled people as priority, bring them to the mainstream of society. We need legislation in place. The Policy on Persons with Disabilities under the Ministry of Community Empowerment Sport and Consumer Affairs just sitting down there taking dust while we see all the hardships.” Devon added: “If we want development it doesn’t mean development of one section of the population but the disabled as well.” A week ago, Daniel met with the Minister responsible for social services Christine Kangaloo and discussed measures to bring “immediate relief” to disabled persons “in the area of transportation, housing and employment”.

It took me two tries to get an interview with Anura Devapura, Trinidad Hilton’s Director of Food and Beverage operations.

My first attempts saw him in the throes of preparations for the upcoming Indian Food Festival which takes place from May 30th to June 6th. A series of meetings, followed by inventory checks, staff updates, beverage checks… “Could you come see me tomorrow?” he said in a lilting Sri Lankan accent. Day two, and there were yet more meetings, but he was ready. “The minute I walk in the door, work begins,” he said, taking occasional puffs from a Benson and Hedges cigarette. “From 8 am, it is a lot of meetings. I meet with the General Manager and discuss the day-to-day operational issues and so, then I meet with my department heads (individually on Thursday). “We talk about planning events and operational issues. Holiday events like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day,  and even this upcoming Indian food festival are planned by me and my staff. It is a great team effort on all our parts. I look at myself as being on the bottom, you know? My staff are really the ones who make it happen, I just guide them. They make the magic happen.”

The Food and Beverage department has almost  245 staff  members in all, with 12 department heads that report to Devapura, plus other managers. His routine entails many discussions that take place constantly, besides his meetings with the department heads to discuss issues, occurrences, menu planning with the chefs, beverage planning, checking inventory… plus, Devapura must be able to do all this within a budget. “Though I have my hotel guests, I also focus on the local community, that is why I like to do these kinds of events, to have them come and patronise the hotel. Obviously the nature of the business is demanding and it’s ongoing, 24 hrs. There is so much happening.” So far, Devapura has been in Trinidad for only two years, but for him it’s just like being at home. He keeps close ties with his parents, faithfully calling them in Sri Lanka each week and going home to spend his vacation with them each year. His career path could have led him in another direction (more on that later) but presently he is on a path to love. After all, Trinidad is a beautiful land filled with beautiful women… right?

(Smiling broadly) “Getting engaged here was one of the best things that happened to me,” he enthused. “Well, she is not Trinidadian, but she works in this country. She is in the business, so we have that in common. It was also because of her that I didn’t meet my parents for my yearly vacation this year. I was in Prague meeting her parents instead!” He gave a cheeky smile. He knows he has come a long way since his childhood. Sinhalese born, he was a student of the Isipathana College in Colombo. At age 18 he left home to seek a new career path in the hotel industry. But as a college student, he was playing cricket. “Who knows, I could have been part of the touring team that is coming to Trinidad soon,” he laughed. “I played club cricket for Sri Lanka when I was 16. I thought I would play fully for them, but in my time there was no test status or any money involved. So I gave it up to go to the hotel business. When I was finishing my education, it was then Sri Lanka got test status, so now they are paid professionals. There are men I played with who are umpiring… so I must feel at home here.  cricket is one of my passions. The sport is almost like a religion over in Sri Lanka.” But getting into the hotel business however was no easy task, especially from a financial standpoint. “Ah, my mother and father just could not afford… we were not rich.” His tone was solemn.

“My father was in the navy and I am the eldest from a family of six. I saved to educate myself, you know. I had attended the Isipathana College in Colombo, that’s the capital of Sri Lanka. From there I went off to the UK at 18 to get my degree in International Hotel Management at the University of Manchester (that was my First Class Honours degree in Hotel Management). Then I also got a higher Diploma in Catering and Hotel Management from the Lausanne Hotel School in Switzerland. I started as an Executive chef at one of the well-known hotels in Europe, you can say I was one of the only ‘odd ones’, and I had to constantly prove that I was 100 times better than they were. Then I worked at other hotels in Sweden, Denmark, Spain and Australia. After that, I went into Food and Beverage.” Devapura has worked in over 14 countries before his current post to Trinidad and Tobago. He is happiest here, he admitted. Now 42, the take charge Leo strives to keep things running smoothly at the Hilton. He is all for peace, in more ways than one, and he cited that his travels as a student and as a Food and Beverage Director have taught him a lot. His many travels have given him an advantage, in that his continual exposure to so many cultures has made him more appreciative of cultures, colours and religions. Trinidad, he says, is a fitting example of this cultural diversity and harmony. “It is sad when people cannot live together because of certain issues from the past,” he began.

“The Tamils and the Sinhalese in my country had been at war for years, but things have been quiet now for the past year. I’m very optimistic that they will sort out their differences and I have heard that there have been negotiations. Now, I am Sinhalese. My sister is married to a Tamil, and it was an issue for my parents. I actually had to step in for my sister and tell my parents that they are in love, and they should marry. It took them a while for them to be open to it because of the tensions on both sides. Now I am all for racial diversity. Colour should not matter when someone is in love with another. Trinidad, I think, is a great example of this, for there is beautiful harmony and diversity here. Other countries can learn from you. “I have gone through a lot of cultures, I believe that that is my strength, being able to understand culture and diversity. To being able to deal with different cultures, people and their different ways of thinking, that’s one of the strengths. If  I  move from here to go somewhere else, I  should be able to understand the people, explain to them what we need to do, what our goals and objectives of the organisation are. That’s the plus of travelling, with respect to cultures in a management aspect within the new world. It’s not always what you know, but how you handle people. At the end of the day, one person cannot do it all. It’s like my work. I may have a lot of knowledge, but that is not enough. You must also have people skills.”

AUSTRALIA: Keilor went into yesterday’s final round against Victorian Turf Cricket Association rival Old Paradians hoping to ensure a position in the top two. In the minutes before the game, Jim Willmott, a 37-year-old bowler with a big heart and eight club championship awards, made an impassioned speech about giving everything in what might be his last game at home. Then Willmott stepped back and Trinidadian recruit Darrel Brown, whose performances with bat and ball were the talk of suburban cricket before Christmas, called his team-mates into a huddle.

“OK, we’ll say a prayer,” he said. “Hats off.” The cricketers held their hats in hand and put their arms around each other’s shoulders. All heads were bowed while Brown asked God to enable the team to play to its ability. Willmott later admitted that, as a former coach and president of the cricket club, he had made a few speeches over the years. But until this season, his words were never followed by prayer. “Browny’s the first one — probably the only one,” he said. “But that’s all right.” Brown’s faith stopped him playing cricket until he was 20. A Seventh Day Adventist, he observed the Sabbath until deciding to practise under his own code, which meant allowing for cricket.

A Couva boy

The turning point was chancing across a nets session in his home town, Couva, in central Trinidad in 1994. Curiosity got the better of Brown, who knew his father, Theophilus, was a brilliant cricketer before finding God, and he asked if he could join in. Brown’s unschooled deliveries led to a few games at club level and, a few months later, a ticket to London to play with Hounslow in the Thames Valley league.

In his second season with Hounslow, the club converted a corner of its social rooms into an apartment to persuade him to stay. In 1999, Brown made his debut for Trinidad. Two years later, he made his debut for the West Indies in a limited-overs match against Zimbabwe at Kandy, in Sri Lanka. “I’m a nervous person sometimes,” the 193-centimetre all-rounder said. “But that day, from the first three balls, I felt good.” His second wicket was the prized scalp of Andy Flower, and his final figures of 3-21 suggested a healthy future. But Sri Lanka belted him for 72 runs from his 10 overs before he tore ankle ligaments against Pakistan in Sharjah early last year. Two months on the sidelines left him out of the reckoning for international cricket, so he returned to Hounslow.

A month after the English season, Keilor captain Mick Andreadis picked Brown up at Melbourne Airport and deposited him at a motel across the road from the oval at 3 am. Four hours later, Brown was running laps and measuring out his run-up. Later that day, he confirmed his class with his first boundary for his new club. Despite long grass that prevented other batsmen finding the boundary without lofting, Brown drove a ball along the ground, through the covers, to the fence. Vice-president Chris Willmott showed his delight by repeatedly hitting Andreadis on the leg. “How good is this?” Willmott said.

Later that day, Andreadis threw Brown the ball and promised free chicken from a takeaway outlet for the rest of the year if he took a wicket in his first over. Brown gained a lbw decision with his second ball. Six weeks later, Andreadis promised free fare from another outlet if Brown took a wicket in his first over. The all-rounder duly earned himself more junk food at the captain’s expense. By Christmas, Brown’s 320 runs and 24 wickets left him well within reach of achieving his goal of 600 runs and 50 wickets. But an injured back has ended his domination. Since the Christmas break, which he said upset his rhythm, he has barely bowled and his batting has been subdued. Brown’s distaste for inactivity affects his recovery. The club suggested he sit on the sidelines for a couple of games but Brown refused. “I would like to rest, but it’s not in my nature,” he said. “When I finish cricket, I will have years to rest.”

Calls Trinidad for cooking recipe

The 29-year-old admitted it was difficult to step aside because he started playing so late. He learnt by closely watching Brian Lara and accepting bowling advice from Ian Bishop and Phil Simmons, all Trinidadians. He was proud to say his nickname in his native land, Black Panther, reflected the aggression of his early career. Now, a black panther adorns a ring that he hangs around his neck on a gold chain. “It’s a symbol of me,” he said. He would like to return to play in Trinidad and, hopefully, force his way back into the West Indies team. But such dreams appear remote if he continues his recent form for Keilor.

Yesterday, he was bowled cheaply. During the Old Paradians innings, he fielded in the outfield and took 2-38 from 10 overs. During the week, he might seek comfort by ringing his mother and asking for help with a rice and beans dish, as is his wont. His distance from Trinidad must have been emphasised yesterday by the cold wind and scudding clouds. He and his club will be hoping for sunnier times in coming weeks.