FORTHCOMING

27 Mar. ITV. 19:00 -19:30 Wish You Were Here. Mary Nightingale visits the popular Indian resort of Goa.

31 Mar. 18:30-20:00 Goan Association (UK) Public Relations Dept. India Club, 143 Strand, London WC2. Speakeasy brainstorming evening. £1 (optional). Open to all. Melvyn Fernandes 020-8378 5600 melrose@dial.pipex.com

1 Apr. 19:00 - 24:00. Mothers Day Social. Botwell Social Centre, Botwell Lane, Hayes, Middlesex. £6. Food for sale. Licensed Bar. Music by Velvet Orchid. Tel. Greg 020- 8579 8154, Tessy, 01784-433 302 or Irene 020-8567 9155.

9 Apr. 12:30. Bastora Union Meeting. URGENT meeting at Club Jasmine (formerly Palm Springs), 202 Upper Tooting Road, SW17 7TG, to elect a committee and discuss the next social. (From Conrad Monteiro).

9 Apr. 15:00 Moira Assoc. Asian Chaplaincy, St. Augustine's Priory, 55 Fulham Palace Road London W6 Mass offered for the repose of the soul of Robert D'Souza. Lloyd D'Souza 0181 301 5242.

23 Apr. 19:00 Goan Association UK & Dark Star Social Club. Grand Easter Ball. Lola Jones Hall London SW17. Edna Moraes-de Souza 0181-672 1973, Savio Pereira 0181-679 4331, Hazel Rodrigues 0181-357 6776 or Flavio Gracias 0181-723 1322.

23 Apr. 19:00-0100 Music Mania Dinner Dance Thamesmere Leisure Suite, Woolwich. Breakthru Band and Music Mania Disco. Tony/Roseline Joanes 0181 265 9644, Vincent/Sabina 0181 244 5598 or Paul/Veronica Barretto 0181 311 1195

23 Apr. 15:00-23:00 Mapuca Union Easter Dance. Bishop Thomas Grant School, Beltrees Grove, Streatham, London SW16. Eusebio Pinto 0208-802 6373 or Matthew D'Souza 0208-304 9089.

30 Apr. 12:00-19:45. Cortalim Union Feast. White Hart Lane School, Wood Green, N 22. Mass followed by dance. Tickets: Rita, 0181- 800 5413; Manu, 0181-809 1128; Maria, 0181-803 5146 or Assumption, 0181-641 5995. Please book in advance.

1 May 13:00-19:30 Uganda Reunion Social. Wandsworth Town Hall, SW18. Open to all. Apply for tickets by 8th April, none will be sold at the door. Joe Mendes 020-8303 3974.

14 May 13:00- Annual Assolna, Velim, Cuncolim (AVC) Union Social. Bishop Thomas Grant School , Streatham, London SW16. Book early to avoid disappointment. Eunice Barros 0181 672 0807 or Nico Antao 0181 560 6559.

21 May. 13:45 - Asian Chaplaincy. Festival of Patron Saints. Mass followed by cultural programme. Tel. 020-8563 9102

COMMUNITY NEWS

India Club was packed to capacity to welcome Prof. Peter D'Souza of Goa Univ., David Futers who had flown in especially from Newcastle and George Pinto from San Francisco. Marie Pereira and Flavio Gracias also addressed us. Dinner was at the Palms of Goa restaurant in Meard Street, Soho that is owned by Eugene Dias. He also owns the other branch in Charlotte Street W.1.

Keith Vaz announced that plans had been dropped to test a controversial bond scheme on visitors from the Indian subcontinent.

From Neville Fernandes nevilleaf@hotmail.com For the current Bahrain duty-free prices, see: www.bdutyfree.com

Resources of interest to senior citizens covering organisations such as Age Concern and Help the Aged, aches and pains, medicine and health, holiday and travel, and hobbies and interests are at:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/SMilne6/silv.htm

DEATHS

15 Mar. Altinho-Panjim: PAIXAO JOSE CARDOZ, husband of Helen, father of Esperanca /Baltazar, Sabina/Oscar (London), Dairy/Anthony.

FLIGHT CORNER

Gatwick -Goa rtn. 25 Mar. 2w £169. Bargain Holdidays, http://www.bargainholidays.com/
Gatwick Goa rtn. Dep 30 Mar £199; 1 Apr £209. Dep 15 or 29 Apr rtn Nov. £199. Travelpack 0870 128 8000

NEWS HEADLINES
( mainly from Joel D'Souza in Goa, courtesy of GOACOM, e-mail: goanow@sancharnet.in )

Tar balls have appeared on beaches from Sinquerim to Vagator. No one knows how the tar balls develop and what can be done to prevent their appearance.

A 24-hour Konkani music station has been set up by the Kuwait at
www.live365.com/cgi-bin/directory.cgi?autostat=konkani.

Goa Weather on 22 Mar: max. 36.0 C; min. 25.1 deg C; Relative Humidty 74% For photographs of the Toronto G.O.A Carnival 2000: http://www.goacom.com/community/associations/goaont/carnival2000/

The Saligao Parish Bulletin called "Maiecho Ulo" (Mother's Call) is at:
www.goacom.com/community/motherscall

Campaign Against Paedophilia. Meeting 30 Apri 17:00-18.30 Piedade Institute, opposite Fisheries Dept., Panjim.

Visit Goanet at www.goacom.com/goanet. Some of the highlights:

10766 Meeting in Rome re. Blessed Joseph Vaz with Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints. George Pinto
10756 Computer for Schools Project - help required for Divar School. Emmanuel D'Silva.
10732 Caste war in a Goa church hots up again. Pamelo D'Mello.
10686 The CM Fiddles Whilst Goa Burns! Aires Rodrigues.
10685 Gone to Goa without heavy suitcases of chocolates and cheese (because they are now available there). Arnold Pinto.

IN THE NEWS
(e-mail eddie@fernandes.u-net.com for the full text of items marked *) .

*Kenya newspaper reports accuse Kenyatta and Moi of complicity in the 1965 murder of Pio Gama Pinto in Nairobi.

*17 Mar Leicester Mercury. Family fear alleged killer may be freed. (Edgar Fernandes update). 392 words

*17 Mar Herald (Goa). Double-Barrel Surnames. Text at:
http://www.goacom.com/news/news2000/mar/msg00107.html

*18 Mar. Times of India . Feature on Tagore Almeida, 31-year old computer nerd turned poet and film script-writer who lived in London 1986-93. 692 words. More at: www.goacom.com/tagore

*18 Mar. Daily Telegraph. Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull reveals that the best hotel he had ever stayed at was the Aguada Hermitage villas, part of the Fort Aguada Beach Resort in Goa. 683 words.

19 Mar. Herald (Goa).Lino Leitao, ex-Uganda, author of The Gift of the Holy Cross, 1999) is interviewed by Fred Noronha. Text is at: http://www.goacom.com/news/news2000/mar/msg00119.html

*19 Mar. The Observer. India Supplement. Goa featured prominently. Dean Nelson took his wife and three young children to Goa. Quote: " We feasted on king prawn xacuti, tandoori chicken from the family's clay oven, spiced fried pomfret and even braved the Goan chorizo." 1860 words. Full text at: http://www.newsunlimited.co.uk/observer/travel/0,3883,,00.html

*19 Mar. The Washington Post. John Auchard writes about Shiva the Newspaper Seller, Colva Beach, Goa. 3128 words.

20 Mar. Navhind Times. Internet, a magic wand for India's educational sector.
http://www.goacom.com/news/news2000/mar/msg00134.html

*20 Mar. Times of India. "Goans do not know how to demand adequate salaries, commensurate with their qualifications and job suitability" 248 words.

21 Mar. Belfast Telegraph extols the virtue of Nando's sauces (available at Sainsburys etc.) for the taste of Goa, Portugal …

*22Mar. Guardian. Work permits now easier for IT Professionals from abroad. Budget announcement. 463 words.

*22 Mar. Business Line Taj Exotica of Benaulim hopes to corner Goa's upscale tourist traffic. 661 words

*23 Mar. Navhind Times. The British Deputy High Commission has requested the Government to drop the charge against Elias Paul, of raping a British deaf-mute girl recently. "She initiated the encounter, and enjoyed the event." 465 words