Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela

The Amazon Rainforest, also known as Amazonia, the Amazon jungle or the Amazon Basin, encompasses seven million square kilometers (1.7 billion acres), though the forest itself occupies some 5.5 million square kilometers (1.4 billion acres), located within nine nations. The Amazon represents over half of the planet’s remaining rainforests and comprises the largest and most species-rich tract of tropical rainforest in the world. The Amazon River is the largest river in the world by volume, with a total flow greater than the top ten rivers worldwide combined. It accounts for approximately one-fifth of the total world river flow and has the biggest drainage basin on the planet. Not a single bridge crosses the Amazon.

Viet Nam

Halong Bay

Halong Bay is located in Quáng Ninh province, Vietnam. The bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes. The bay has a 120 kilometre long coastline and is approximately 1,553 square kilometres in size with 1969 islets. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves, other support floating villages of fishermen, who ply the shallow waters for 200 species of fish and 450 different kinds of mollusks. Another specific feature of Halong Bay is the abundance of lakes inside the limestone islands, for example, Dau Be island has six enclosed lakes. All these island lakes occupy drowned dolines within fengcong karst.

Argentina, Brazil

Iguazu Falls

guazu Falls, in Iguazu River, are one of the world’s largest waterfalls. They extend over 2,700 m (nearly 2 miles)  in a semi-circular shape.  Of the 275 falls that collectively make up Iguassu Falls, “Devil’s Throat” is the tallest at 80 m in height. Iguazu Falls are on the border between the Brazilian state of Paraná and the Argentine province of Misiones, and are surrounded by two National Parks (BR/ARG). Both are subtropical rainforests that are host to hundreds of rare and endangered species of flora and fauna.

Korea (south)

Jeju Island

Jejudo is a volcanic island, 130 km from the southern coast of Korea. The largest island and smallest province in Korea, the island has a surface area of 1,846 sqkm. A central feature of Jeju is Hallasan, the tallest mountain in South Korea and a dormant volcano, which rises 1,950 m above sea level. 360 satellite volcanoes are around the main volcano.

Indonesia

Komodo

Indonesia’s Komodo National Park includes the three larger islands Komodo, Rinca and Padar, as well as numerous smaller ones, for a total area of 1,817 square kilometers (603 square kilometers of it land). The national park was founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon. Later, it was also dedicated to protecting other species, including marine animals. The islands of the national park are of volcanic origin.

Philippines

PP Underground River
South Africa
Table Mountain
Table Mountain is a South African icon and the only natural site on the planet to have a constellation of stars named after it – Mensa, meaning “the table.” The flat-topped mountain has withstood six million years of erosion and hosts the richest, yet smallest floral kingdom on earth with over 1,470 floral species. Table Mountain boasts numerous rare and endangered species. It is the most recognized site in Cape Town, the gateway to Africa, owing to its unique flat-topped peaks which reach 1,086 m above sea level.

Prior to becoming independent, Guyana was called British Guiana.  Since its independence on May 26, 1966, many Guyanese were still grappling with British and American influences.  In many ways, these were standards set for them to emulate.  The model presented by these foreign powers was to have a sound education, and to experience economic, social, cultural, and political reform.  On the other hand, the British and American media projected standards that caused some Guyanese to aim for the sky, while it made others feel inadequate.

Many were exposed initially to the outside world through radio, films and books, that gave a negative impression that Guyanese culture did not matter much.  They could easily tell this from their local media [TV did not exist in the 1950s-1960s] that theirs was lacking when they listened to the news and entertainment programs from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the Voice of America (VOA), as compared to their own.  

Locally, their media lacked qualified and experienced professionals.  Most locals were amateurs that only had a high school education.  Their newspapers like the Daily Graphic and Daily Chronicle would carry some stories that were taken verbatim from overseas publications and there was much to be desired of the photography.  There was no national magazine to speak of, and locals looked abroad for their news, information and entertainment.  Radio Demerara was still developing as an electronic medium, and some of the people had wireless radio sets through which they received BBC and VOA transmissions.

These foreign presentations shaped and continued to shape Guyanese perceptions.  The British image of presenting accurate stories, an impeccable accent of BBC reporters, great books, and magazines from the local British and American libraries from their embassies, served as the basis of much learning.  News, information, and entertainment were generally current from these sources that had newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, books, newsreels, and other documents flown in the same day of their publication from abroad.

This was why many Guyanese came to make comparisons in the way they saw the world with their British and American counterparts.  As a result, they decided to import many amenities and their clothes from overseas.  They viewed these desirable fashions in foreign films, newspapers, and in magazine ads.

Sad to say, local talent was not promoted the way it should, and was lacking.  It was thought that in order for a Guyanese to succeed, he had to leave the local shores to make a name for himself in America or England.  Most believed that the streets in America were paved with gold, all Americans lived in fabulous homes, and drove expensive cars.  It was a great opportunity if a Guyanese obtained a visa to emigrate abroad.  This was especially true, if he had passed the General Certificate of Education (GCE) from the universities of Cambridge, or London, and was accepted to pursue studies at a university.

Guyanese enjoyed music of all genres, especially those indigenous to the region, like the calypso and reggae.  A small percentage of the privileged in the society embraced the music of European masters like Handel and Beethoven, and raved about the art of Michelangelo and Picasso.  The younger genration liked the pop music popular in the United States.

During the 1950s to the 1960s, it seemed as though there was never a black nor brown Santa Claus in this land of predominantly black and brown peoples.  Guyanese were still putting up artificial Christmas trees with snow, and imported decorations to

Image by Holidayextras via Flickr

their tropical land.  Some of the locals even felt that that foreign fruits were more desirable and delicious than local ones.  Most males could be seen enjoying a game of cricket around the countryside, and took breaks for tea, just like the British did.           

Its capital city is Georgetown with 160,000. Other cities include Linden with a population of 30,000, and New Amsterdam 20,000.  The ethnic break down of Guyana are as follows:  East Indians 51%, African Guyanese and African mixed 43%, and others (Chinese, European and Amerindian, the indigenous population, 6%.  57% of the population are Christian, including Anglican and Catholic, 28% Hindu, and 9% Muslim.

Guyana, formerly British Guiana, became independent on May 26, 1966.  It is mainly an agrarian society that depended on rice and sugar.  Bauxite ore was mined at McKenzie and exported for smelting overseas.  Its present president is an East Indian, Bharrat Jadeo, and the prime minister Samuel Hinds, an African Guyanese.

Guyana is remembered most for the events which occurred at Jonestown in 1978.  When Jim Jones with his Peoples Temple, murdered many of his followers, and forced others to commit suicide.  Some 918 persons were killed, 300 of whom, were children, including Congressman Leo Ryan, that was shot.

History of Broadcasting to the 1940s

In 1927, the British Guiana government introduced a telephone subscription service for radio programs.  It was a wired system, owned, and operated by the government.  Subscribers rented earphones or loudspeakers and paid a small fee.  This venture was soon abandoned a year later, as being unsatisfactory.  This service was soon replaced by station VRY of the government telecommunications service, ran by an Englishman, A.E. Gagan, to provide a wider and better service.  It was government owned, but this time it was wireless, and broadcast mainly foreign programs on the average of three evenings each week.  It lasted until March, 1931, not long after a period of financial crisis because of a slump in the price of sugar.

From 1931 to 1934, there was no broadcasting service in British Guiana.  But in 1935, there was a renewed interest when VP3BG – Cyrstas Broadcasting Company, was developed by James Rowe, Charles Kellman and Louis Kerr.  Rowe was an African Guyanese origin.  This privately owned station was temporary approved by the government.  The service was followed by VP3MR .  Both stations operated commercially, developed during the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) tour, and broadcast the cricket matches with commentaries.  VP3MR became the British Guiana Broadcasting Company’s (BGBC) station, and was initiated by A.E. Gagan with Gerald de Freitas.  Both stations were wireless and only received temporary licenses. 

In 1938, there was a development in the broadcasting field.  The Wireless Telegraphy Regulations came into being that addressed the rules about regulating local broadcasting and telegraphy.  

Image by The Field Museum Library via Flickr

Image via Wikipedia

Image by The Field Museum Library via Flickr

Image by The Field Museum Library via Flickr

Image by The Field Museum Library via Flickr

The British Guiana United Broadcasting Company (BGUBC) was established in May, by the merger of the two former broadcasting stations.  Kellam became the general manager, de Freitas, the announcer, and Rowe, the engineer.  The station used VP3BG as its call letters.  This was because the government had made the decision that only one license would be issued.

In 1941, VP3BG, became ZFY.  Its board of directors fired Kellman, and hired de Freitas as the manager, who lasted until 1945.  The Bureau of Public Information was opened, and it used ZFY quite a bit to provide government news to the public.  Rowe was fired in 1948.  Since 1941, Roy Thomson of Canada, had offered to buy into BGUBC but his proposal was not acted upon in time.  However, it was not until 1946, that the Colonial Secretary of State, advised the company against the Thomson proposal because it was not Caribbean-wide in nature.

During WW11, local broadcasting was filled with vivid accounts of the war raging in Europe.  ZFY grew in stature, and more and more British Guianese, purchased radio sets to listen to news, and entertainment programming.  It was the beginning of transmissions that were not interrupted by static.  

Little is known about Bussa or his life before being captured and brought by slavers to Barbados. It is known he was born in Africa and after his capture by African slave merchants he was sold to the British and brought across the Atlantic to the island in the late 18th century. No records were kept on slaves at this time, they were considered property and no information about them was stored or recorded.

The only mention of him was that a slave named Bussa worked on a plantation as a ranger in St. Philip. The position he held at Bayley’s plantation gave him some privileges, one of which was his freedom to move from one plantation to another during the course of his day. This would have allowed him to plan and coordinate events leading up to the rebellion.

Bussa’s Rebellion began on the 14th of April 1816, it was the first of three such rebellions by slaves in the British West Indies. The rebellion on Barbados was followed by another in Demerara in Guyana that took place in 1823 followed by an even larger one to take place in Jamaica in 1831-32. Together they became known as the ‘late slave rebellions.’ Their predecessors the ‘early slave rebellions’ were usually smaller in scale and comprised mostly of slaves born in Africa. The later rebellions were predominantly held by creoles, or slaves born on the plantations where they lived and often died. Although Bussa was an African born slave he was mostly amongst creoles. Bussa had the assistance of many collaborators and the rebellion began on the Bayley Plantation. Planning had begun after the Imperial Registry Bill had been rejected in November 1815, the plan had been decided in February 1816 to begin the revolt at Easter, in April of that year.

Bussa was seen to lead his fellow slaves into battle on the plantation, he led around 400 freedom fighters and once Bussa was killed the remainder continued to fight until they were overpowered by their opponents. The rebellion had failed but it left an impact that would lead to significant changes to Barbados in the future.

169 years after the rebellion, a statue was unveiled and was to be known as the Bussa Emancipation Statue. The 1985 unveiling was at Haggett Hill in the parish of St. Michael on the island. In 1999, Bussa became the first national hero of the country of Barbados, as well as the monument there is also a roundabout that bears his name.

1.  Wages, and salaries

2. Corporate profits

3. Interest and millascenous income

4.  Farmer’s income

5. Income from non-far businesses.

Another way of measuring the GDP of a country is measuring the expenditure of money which is used to buy things.  So to clarify, the only things that are counted towards the GDP of a country are things that are sold.  If you make yourself something, or knit yourself a pair of gloves that is not counted towards the GDP because it is never sold. The formula for GDP is Y=C+I+G+(X-M) where: Y is GDP, C is consumption, I is investment, G is government spending and X is exports and M are imports of goods into a country.  Never mix GDP with GNP, because GNP is the gross national income.  Gross national income is the total value produced in a country, with income received from other countries minus the similar payments made to other countries.

Here is a list of countries with a very high GDP per capita:

North America

1. USA – $47, 400

2. Canada – $ 39,300

3. Bahamas – 30, 500

while 3 poorest countries in North America are:

1. Haiti – $ 1020

2. Nicaragua – $ 3350

3. Honduras – $ 4600

Highest GDP in South America:

1. Chile – $15,000

2. Argentina -$ 14, 600

3. Venezuela – $ 12,800

lowest GDP in South America:

1. Bolivia – $4,600

2. Paraguay – $ 4,930

3. Guyana – $ 5,500

According to some if she were to be looking for some meaning than she would not be just believing. There is a wide circle of people who will say if you believe, there is no need for proof. If there is no need for proof, then there is no need for any scientific or philosophical reasoning . That would include the need to find the reason for ones existence. Cynics out there will say what is the point to continue looking for a reason when they are well aware that they will never find a satisfactory reason in their lifetimes. And do those people wanting to give up on the hunt just have to be cynics? That is also a question to be answered.

Some people are comforted by having tokens of their spirituality around with them that remind us of the idolatry we were swept into years before organized religion took off. Some find solace in the crystals they carry saying that they are the embodiment of friendly spirits that are there to guide them. Others relate that to the occult and stay clear of anything that they are not advised to believe in. Maybe of they beieved in themselves there would less anxiety in finding an external solution.

There must be many people out who have dual natures. I believe a psychological term this reminds people of this is dual personality and I think that this is often confused with a split personality where a person has a limited sense of his other self or no sense at all. It is natural for people to exhibit different sides of their personality especially when under stress and asked to perform under extreme circumstances. This does not define the person as being outside himself or acting as another person which are attributes with a split or multiple personality. In the above case the person could very well be happy to have a private and public image as do so many other religious people needing to get through their day to day existence.

Going to places like Guyana in the late eighties and finding spiritual leaders that will ask you to take your lives in the name of a common good is to be avoided. Naturally there will always be people who will be swept aware by those that are so full of being ’superior’ to the average person that they fail to see their inferiorty. No one has the right to subjugate another human being in the name of one holiness or another.

Christmas morning meets freshly baked black-cake, bread, chicken, duck, turkey, hot and delicious pepper-pot,garlic-pork,ham and pickled onions and much more.

Most of the floors and steps were wooden. Definitely no wall to wall carpets. The steps were scraped with a metal scraper and washed down with soapy water, sometimes on Christmas eve day or the first thing early Christmas morning. The floors were scrubbed,scraped and polished. Some families who had linoleum on their floors would replace same.

Those who can afford it, bought a brand new stove, dinette set, bedroom set,radiogram, stereo set,refrigerator, re-polish chairs and tables, redo their entire kitchen, home extension, or renovation and in many instances moved into  their new house. If homes did not sparkle during the year they surly did at Christmas. Christmas trees with fairly lights and gifts laid at its roots.

Each table was laden with several dishes, including snacks of apples, grapes, walnuts, peanuts,sweets, and chocolate bites, and more. Close friends and neighbors were invited over after Christmas and allowed to partake.Whisky ,rum, gin, champagne, wines, local and foreign, sodas, ginger-beer, banks-beer,Heineken,calsburg, and many other beverages. Words of “What would you like to drink” ? Is a constant refrain. All of a sudden, you can almost get whatever you like; from the poor or the rich.

During the days before Christmas the Masquerade bands would perform and the carol singers frequented a few neighborhoods. Beautiful, blinking fairy lights are strung up on houses and business places. The Christmas mood was immensely enhanced and shoppers and sellers

Image via Wikipedia

got very excited.

My mother was a master at getting rid all old stuff, clothes, blinds, utensils, chairs or whatever was worn out, discolored, or broken. I find it hard to part with things that I once cherished. Nonetheless I have learned how to let go. Christmas is and will remain the best time in Guyana.

Not many people in the West knew where Guyana was. In fact, not many Westerners knew that there was even such a place. Whereas, on the other side of the Atlantic, just above the equator in the north of the South American continent, not many Guyanese people had heard of Jim Jones. No one knew, without being told that is, where Jonestown was. But this is a different story with countless political implications.

I was at my friend’s house having lunch before heading back to school. I was a primary school pupil, in what is called fourth standard in that part of the world. My friend’s mother had the radio tuned to the lunch-time Calypso programme when there was a sudden break in the steel drum rhythm and the news reader came on. “Breaking news,” he had said. And then told of the peculiar story of how more than nine hundred people lined up and willingly drank Kool-aid which they knew was laced with deadly poison.

Of course, as a little child – a sensible one – I thought that it was most absurd. Why would any one stand in a queue to volunteer to be killed? My life as a physically and emotionally abused child was enveloped with misery and pain so it was odd for me to feel such terror at the idea of death.

I told myself that surely, it was a mistake and that the people were unaware of the Kool-aid’s deadly ingredient. But I was wrong, there were pictures in the newspapers the next day, and the next, and the next after that. They showed hundreds of murdered people lying like mere piles of dirty laundry on the ground. In my child’s mind the pictures made dozens of photocopies and filed them neatly away under “long term” memory.

There were images of families bunched together, face down in the grass, almost giving an impression of a sinister scrum. I saw pictures of dead mothers still holding equally dead babies tightly to their hearts. Some of the newspapers printed pictures of the boundless piles of shoes collected at the site after the bodies were moved. And still more on their front pages, showed little knitted booties of babies whose mothers had spoon-fed the tainted drink to their unwitting infants before swallowing a cupful themselves.

Until attempts were made to match earlier photographs to one of the dead bodies found apart from the masses, there were speculations that Jim Jones had escaped, because only very few people had even a fleeting recollection of what he looked like.

Some Guyanese people still like to say that he didn’t die. What is certain though, is that this American preacher had, after allegedly fathering dozens of babies by various women, somehow managed to brain wash his devotees not only to give up their homes in America and follow him to a third world former British colony, but to kill themselves and their children, submitting to a whim of his putrid, devilish mind.

It was later revealed that not all of Jim Jones’ followers met their deaths by drinking the Kool-aid. Some were found shot at a nearby airstrip, apparently trying to escape the afternoon drink on offer at the People’s Temple of doom.

I followed this story with the rapt attention of a middle-aged reporter in need of a better twist to a macabre story. It naturally, didn’t help me with my personal abuse problems as they got worse and I lived every day in the hell Jim Jones might have created if he had any power at all.

Because of its use of death as an escape, this story did discover for me a bizarre outlet which – apart from in my nightmarish dreams – I never really even considered using. And though I didn’t understand it clearly at the time, it brought to my attention the fact that unlike those people whose pictures I had studied, I did not choose to be victimized.

I was only a child, and like in the case of those children whose little booties made the front page of the national paper, grown ups are the ones who make the decision to either protect or violate the lives of little angels.

When President Carter mourned for the dead, it was for the shot Congressman Ryan, the NBC news reporters and the other Americans who lost their lives at the hands of his own citizen. Our dead and that little twisted piece of history that should not have been ours, will live in multi million pixels in my mind forever. After all, my late uncle was one of the soldiers sent into Jonestown for a frenzied clean up right after the massacre.