Goan Voice UK: Newsletter. Issue 2005-32. Aug. 25, 2005

This message has been inserted only in the web edition of the weekly newsletter. This will be that last issue to be made available at the website. In future you will be able to read the daily newsletter without charge by going to the website but you may prefer to support the service by subscribing (£20 p.a.) and having it delivered directly to you by email. Subscription details are: http://www.goanvoice.org.uk/submit_req/subscribe.php
If you value the Goan Voice UK service, now is the time to show it!

Keith Vaz and Family are Targets of Hate-Mail
18 Aug. Leicester Mercury. Keith Vaz receives "at least 50" items of hate-mail every time he appears on television or radio. He revealed that some of the writers pen "the most horrible stuff about me and my family". He also revealed that he was greatly affected by watching racially inflammatory speeches by Enoch Powell when he was a boy … it was his main regret that Britain had not made greater progress in tackling racism … he feared that ethnic minority communities - rather than guilty individuals - were being blamed for the terror attacks on London. For text click here.
See also “Dangerous Dreaming,” the Keith Vaz letter in the Guardian of 18 Aug. Click here.

Amy D'Sa: A-Levels: Teenagers who put in that little bit extra
19 Aug: Peterborough Evening Telegraph (UK). Hundreds of A-level pupils across the Peterborough area received their results yesterday. Among the many celebrating their success were three exceptional students, who have put in that little bit extra to achieve their grades … Amy D'Sa achieved two A and two B grades and will be going to Lincoln University to read psychology. She said: "It has taken a lot of hard work to get here and we are all proud of what we have achieved."
[Amy is the daughter of Caroline and late Cecil D’Sa; granddaughter of Julie and late Joe D’Sa, ex-Nairobi, of Voice of Kenya fame]. For full text click here.

The Hazards of Being a Reporter.
20 Aug: The Nation (Kenya). Back in 1969, Polly Fernandes, a Daily Nation sports reporter paid the price for exposing police brutality on a Kenyan footballer during an incident in a Gossage Cup match in Uganda … a Kenya player hit the referee in the face with the ball and was instantly given his marching orders. As he left the pitch, Ugandan police set up on him with batons, blows and kicks to "teach him a lesson". As he filed his report little did Polly Fernandes realise that he would find himself in trouble with the authorities by highlighting the incident. The following day the security in Uganda was so incensed that it got the Kenyan-born British citizen deported to England. Why? Because the story was provocative and written by a "foreigner." However, Polly's deportation was short-lived as the Kenya Government intervened immediately and got him retrieved within the following day. http://allafrica.com/stories/200508190918.html

Susie Coelho: Affordable elegance, by design
20 Aug: Sacramento Bee. Some might describe Susie Coelho as a middle-class domestic diva. Author of two design books, "Susie Coelho's Everyday Styling" and "Susie Coelho's Styling for Entertaining," she now is host of HGTV's "Outer Spaces." Born in England of East Indian parents, her careers include fashion model, entertainment reporter and actress. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Bobby, son, Hutton, and daughter, Hailey Dior. 765 words. http://www.sacbee.com/content/lifestyle/home_garden/q_a/
Check out the Susie Coelho scrapbook at:
http://www.susiecoelho.com/scrapbook.html

From: Nancy Mendes, 94 Alexandra Road, Croydon, CR0 6EW
The family of Jose David Mendes would like to thank all those who sent messages of sympathy, Mass cards, floral tributes and attended the funeral on 14 July at St Mary’s R.C. Church, Croydon.
Jose David Mendes (ex Moira, Goa) Husband of Nancy (nee Noronha, ex-Mombasa). Brother of Sebastian (Paris) and Priscilla Soares (Ilford, UK) died on 4 July 2005.

24 Aug: Toronto. ROSA (Rosie) FERNANDES. Loving mother of Alex, Bosco (Bandleader), Mario, Loy, and the late Cyril. Friends may call at the Ogden Funeral Home. 25 Aug. Funeral on Friday, Aug. 26 at St. Aidan's Roman Catholic Church, 3501 Finch Ave. East at 10:00 a.m. Interment Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery. For full details click here.

24 Aug: Toronto. FRANCIS LULU ROQUE (Lou) D'SOUZA (age 73 years). Husband of Gladys. Father of Christine/Bill West, Sharon /Paul Knapp and Nigel D'Souza. Brother of Edwin, Elliott and late Eric. Visitation will take place at The Northcutt Elliott Funeral Home, Fri, 26 Aug. Funeral: St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, Bowmanville, 11 a.m. Sat. 27 Aug. For full details click here.

20 Aug: Toronto. ANNIE BRAGANZA. (Aged 95, ex-Belgaum, Goa, Zanzibar) Mother of Sylvie (Ivor), Marina (Eddie), Lance (Ann) and Elfrida (Irineu). Grandmother of Keith, Melanie, David, Jacqui (Greg), Jonathan (Natalia), late Jeni, Bruce (Lesley), Michelle, Damian (Antoinette), Nicole (Wesley) and Alethea (Vijay). Great-grandmother to 8.
Visitation at the Ogden Funeral Home, Thu. 25 Aug. from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Funeral Mass at St. Barnabas Roman Catholic Church, 10 Washburn Way, Scarborough on Friday at 11 a.m. Condolences to michelle.colaco@tel.tdsb.on.ca . For full details click here.

Arabs on Holiday in Goa Say, `Rain, Rain Don't Go Away'
22 Aug: The Wall Street Journal. Haya Bin Hammad's smile faded as she stepped off the plane in Goa to start a family vacation from the UAE. Her Barbie umbrella was already open, but there wasn't a drop of rain in sight … Goa first started marketing itself as a monsoon destination about five years ago. After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks many Gulf Arabs began vacationing closer to home. Goa, says it attracted 55,000 Arab visitors during last year's monsoon season, nearly three times as many as two years earlier. "We've seen steady growth in business from them, all of it during the monsoon months," between June and early September, says Pamela Mascarenhas, deputy director of Goa's state department of tourism …Hoteliers on the Goan coast say they found the Arab fascination with rain strange at first, but now they're used to it … "All the other parents worry about their children being in the rain," says Elizabeth Shackleton, guest-relations manager at the Goa Marriott Resort. "Our guests from the Emirates are the opposite." 1017 words. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05235/558052.stm

U.S. Department of State Travel Warnings for India
24 Aug: CommunityDispatch.com. Excerpts: Visitors should exercise caution when swimming in open waters along the Indian coastline, particularly during the monsoon season. Every year, several people in Goa, Mumbai and other areas drown due to the unusually strong undertow … Travelers should be aware of a number of other scams that have been perpetrated against foreign travelers, particularly in Goa and the Jaipur area. The scams generally target younger travelers and involve suggestions that money can be made by privately transporting gems or gold (both of which can result in arrest) or by taking delivery abroad of expensive carpets.
http://communitydispatch.com/artman/publish/article_1754.shtml

India is urged to reduce costs for visitors
25 Aug: International Herald Tribune. High costs for hotels and air travel and poor transportation are hurting the growth of tourism in India, which competes with China to draw more overseas business and leisure travelers, India's minister of tourism said.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/08/24/bloomberg/sxindia.php

Going, Goan, Gone: Buying Property in Goa
21 Aug. 2005. 50Connect (UK). Claire Sutton offers advice on buying in Goa. Summary: A mixture of cultures, excellent climate and a laid-back lifestyle, Goa could be the next big overseas property destination … you can have a maid for £24 a month… Cheap property is also a major draw as well as the friendly people … the crime rate of Goa is also considerably lower than most places in Britain … Property prices have risen dramatically this year. I think they will double in the next 2 years. In five years I really wouldn't like to guess how much they could increase by … If you are buying simply as a holiday home or investment, go for it sooner rather than later. 640 words.For full text click here

Indian investment is a Goa
	By 24 Aug. 2005. The Daily Express (UK). Roman Heindorff offers advice on buying in Goa. For more than three decades, property in Goa has attracted westerners with a taste for low-risk investments and the tantalising oriental lifestyle that it offers. Second-home buyers looking for a holiday home with good rental value should take note of the rapid growth of the Indian economy … Goa's popularity among British and German buyers … The Goans enjoy themselves - they like a relaxed life …Older properties are hard to come. 724 words. For text and photos click here and use the magnifying facility (bottom of the screen).
Check out the Goan Voice Special Supplement on Property – see: http://www.goanvoice.org.uk/supplement/PropertySummary.htm

Goa: Immigration changes demographic set up
19 Aug: Herald. It’s official now. From the final figures on Goa’s demography of the 2001 Census show it is quite obvious that the high rate of migration into Goa has changed the demographic set up of this State which is 65.79 percent Hindus, 26.68 percent Christians, 6.84 percent Muslims and 0.69 percent other religions. http://oheraldo.in/node/3199

Konkani film fest later this year
20 Aug: Herald. The Goa government will hold Konkani Film Festival later this year, the Chief Minister Pratapsing Rane told the Goa assembly. He said that Konkani films have not profit-motive and hence the government would support such ventures. http://oheraldo.in/node/3252

Resurrection Song revives Gospel spirit in GenX
23 Aug. Hindustan Times. A Biblical play acted out in Goa by a group of youngsters has given a totally new dimension to the different aspects of Christ's life. http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1470186,0047.htm

The Age of Shangri-La
25 Aug. Navhind Times. By Marc de Souza. Excerpts: I was living in God’s beautiful place, fairy-tale perfect, pure and fresh, clean and bright with all things nice, which has since fallen in the category of a trashy neighbourhood. I’m reddened with shame and my life is going to the dogs … It’s Goa of the future generation we are plundering and ravaging in our greed, violating nature’s laws. How can the old crocks, like me, remind their grand children of the kinder, gentler age of Shangri-la that existed? Truly, sorrowful lies my Goa.
http://www.navhindtimes.com/stories.php?part=news&Story_ID=08252

Law to protect NRI land
25 Aug. Herald. Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane said that the government is thinking of getting a legislation for the protection of lands of people living abroad. http://oheraldo.in/node/3455

Amidst the hype and excitement about World Goa Day and about its origins, Ancy S. D'Souza Paladka provides a brief but interesting article on Konkani Day celebrations held in Mumbai. In several related articles there is a very full discussion on the relative merits of using the Devanagari, other Indian, and Roman scripts for Konkani usage.

Two further interesting articles which also provide websites, and are drawn from available literature, relate to:
a) Portugal's history and its impact on Goa, and
b) the Anglicisation of Portuguese names.
Both articles provide many insights.

A debate on the advantages, or not, of medical tourism in India receives some very informed thought. Goan Voice (UK) readers may wish to pay particular attention to this theme.

Likewise, GV(UK) readers and Goanet readers are urged to comment on a repeated theme that, "Goa has all the ingredients to become the Internet hotspot in India. Sadly, the state has become yet another victim of bureaucratic indifference."

Finally, matters such as property ownership, tourism, community problem solving etc, in Goa, receive some useful comments from Francis Lobo by way of a reply to an earlier article by Ms Couto.

More details can be found at the Goanet archives at http://www.goanet.org Or to subscribe to Goanet, send an email to subscribe@goanet.org

Why we won't buy British
19 Aug: Market Research Bulletin. Enduring consumer perceptions about the quality and exclusivity offered by foreign brands have resulted in their UK counterparts losing ground … Waitrose’s (UK Supermarket chain) oriental range now extends to Goan and Keralan meals. Click here.

Early closure for Far Pavilions musical
19 Aug: BBC. West End musical The Far Pavilions is closing early after audiences fell and its leading lady Gayatri Iyer had to return to India … the £4m musical's five-month run at Shaftesbury Theatre will end on 17 September, not January 2006 as planned.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/4167360.stm

On the baring of breasts...
20 Aug: Cyprus Mail. By Lauren O’Hara. Excerpt: I recall an incident on a beach in Goa, where a group of my women friends went topless in a place where the modest local women still wore saris in the water. My friends were soon surrounded by a group of local young men who did exactly what was natural when aroused by the beauty and unfamiliarity of such a sight. The women I was with were disgusted and horrified at the boys’ reaction, but it was an inevitable consequence of their behaviour. If we flaunt local custom and are cavalier about our effects on others what can we expect? http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=21453&cat_id=1

The Peri-Peri Conundrum
20 Aug: Hindustan Times. By Vir Sanghvi. Peri-peri is the name the Goans give to the masala that is the basis of many of the region's most famous dishes … some years ago when I came across a Western fast-food chain called Nando's, I was startled to discover that though it claimed to base its dishes on peri-peri, there was nothing remotely Indian about the food. The signature dish, the Nando's chicken, was vaguely spicy, but none of the flavours were recognisably Goan … most people in the West regarded peri-peri as an African phenomenon … the Portuguese, having discovered the great African chilli, brought it to India and Goans adapted it to their own taste … according to Lizzie Collingham (in Curry - A Biography), 30 years after Vasco da Gama first arrived, at least three different kinds of chilli plant were growing in Goa … the Portuguese had a huge influence on Goan food … Many of the dishes we regard as being uniquely Goan have distinctly Portuguese origins … the Portuguese took Goan cooks back to Portugal with them. When the British left Goa in 1813, they also kept their Goan cooks … There is no comparison between the great Goan peri-peri masala and the peri-peri sauces of Africa, which now turn up on fast-food menus. 1,326 words.

Blame Canada (for multiculturalism)?
20 Aug: Globe & Mail (Toronto). As Britain searches its soul for the factors that led to this summer's terrorist attacks, Joe Friesen reports, the concept of racial integration it imported from the colonies is coming under fire. But the deeper issue raised is what being 'British' really means. Click here.

21 Aug: Sunday Mirror has a Photo feature of model Myleene Klass, 27, in Goa. Her official website is http://www.myleeneofficial.co.uk/

East meets West at this call centre
21 Aug: Call it outsourcing of another kind. When telecom infrastructure company GTL decided to hire British citizens for its BPO here, it didn’t know whether the experiment would be successful … For Adrian Vaz, it was a homecoming of sorts. ‘‘My family is from Goa. I was born in the UK but I went to a Pune school for two years.’’ The best thing for Vaz, who has been around for seven months, are the people, who are warm and friendly. 443 words.
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=144791

Karachi: Tributes paid to Ian Fyfe
24 Aug: Dawn. Glowing tributes were paid by the speakers to late Ian Fyfe for his contribution and dedicated services to sports journalism at a condolence meeting held at Karachi Club on Tuesday. Fyfe, a senior daily Dawn reporter died on Aug 5 after an accident on June 30. He was one of the pioneer members of Karachi Goan’s Association (KGA) cricket team. http://www.dawn.com/2005/08/24/spt17.htm

India: Biometric national identity cards soon
24 Aug: The Peninsula (Qatar). The Indian government is planning to issue national identity cards to people living in select areas spread across 13 states [including Goa] to kick-start a mammoth project that will eventually involve the entire country … The National Citizen Card, as it will be called, will be a multi-purpose one that will also provide details about the holder’s medical and financial details including. The card is expected to take recourse to biometric devices such as digitised thumbprint and retina scans. It will contain data of the holder in an info-chip that lists out 20 strands. For full text, click here.

Brainwaves That Bit The Dust.
25 Aug. Scottish Daily Record. … Ford had to change the name of their Pinto car when it was launched in Brazil. In Portuguese, pinto means small male genitalia … For full text click here.

Left high and dry? The lives of women married to seafarers in Goa and Mumbai
Ethnography, Vol. 6, No. 1, 61-85 (2005). By Helen Sampson, Cardiff University, UK, Summary: Drawing on fieldwork conducted in India, this article explores the lives of women married to seafarers from Mumbai and Goa, charting the changes in attitudes, values and daily life that can be seen as resulting from their husbands’ occupations. Using their own words and accounts and working through their own grounded experiences and changed circumstances, the article describes how despite, and sometimes because of, the isolation imposed upon seafarers’ wives, many have developed an independence that is recognized and often celebrated by family members but is also regarded as unusual within their local contexts. Additionally, access to higher incomes allows many seafarers and their partners to make significant choices about their domestic living arrangements which are not available to others working in the local economy.
Full text at: http://eth.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/6/1/61

Television.
Sat. 27/8: Discovery Channel: 7pm (60mins) Civilisations: Vasco Da Gama
The tale of the journey of Vasco da Gama, the first known person to reach India from Europe. Investigating a voyage that changed the world.

Sat. 27/8: Sky Travel: 7.30pm (90mins) Rough Guide to Kenya
In Nairobi, Magenta DeVine and Simon O'Brien investigate the reason why the capital has been renamed 'Nairobbery'. Whilst Magenta finds out that stealing a purse can cost you your life, Simon catches up with the world class Kenyan athletes and spends a day at the races with the expats. In Mombasa, Kenya's tourist capital, they meet the beach boys with a bad name and villagers who go witch hunting.

Sat. 27/8: Travel Channel Plus: 8:30pm (30 mins). Yatra - Indian Travels: Agra, Kerala, Goa and Melas.
Leisure Zone explores Goa, famous for its wonderful beaches and Portuguese-inspired culture.

Sun. 28/8: BBC 2: 11.40pm (50mins) NottingHill 58
The August bank holiday weekend of 1958 witnessed the worst race riots in British history – events that catalysed black activism, inspiring the first NottingHill carnival.

Mon. 29/8: Travel Channel: 6.00pm (60mins) Globe Trekker: Best Beaches.
Pilot Guides Best Beaches takes traveller Justine Shapiro on a month by month tour of the world's number one hot spots and chill out destinations. In this episode we visit the finest beaches in Costa Rica, Baja California, Brazil and Zanzibar. Whether you're an intrepid traveller, seasoned backpacker or just pleasure seeking holiday maker your dream beach awaits.

Wed. 31/8: BBC 2: 7.30pm (30mins) The World's Most Photographed: Mahatma Gandhi
Gandhi or the half naked fakir, as Churchill famously referred to him – may not immediately spring to mind as a 20th century photographic icon. An extraordinary and important figure who liberated India with protest, prayer and fasting, bringing the British Empire to its knees. There were long period sin his life when he didn’t have his picture taken at all, while at other times he refused to pose or allow flash photography. In a simple, quiet way, it seems he was the master of media manipulation. This is a very watchable documentary bordering on a history lesson – an unknown history of Gandhi’s life in front of the lens, from an 18 year old in London, through a fruitful rapport with Life magazine photographer Margaret Bourke- White, to Cartier- Bresson’s haunting images of the millions that mourned at the funeral of the Father of the Nation.

Wed. 31/8: BBC 4: 9.00pm (90mins) Holidays in the Danger Zone: Rivers
First of two series. Ben Anderson takes the Amazon, Ganges and Congo rivers in his stride. In India, Ben visits the holy city of Varanasi, where the volume of burials has turned the Ganges into a health hazard. More at the same time tomorrow.

Thurs. 1/9: Adventure One Channel: 9pm (60mins) Deadly Arts: Kalaripayattu.
Josette Normandeau visits Kerala, India, to learn from the masters. This ancient martial art combines healing and combat techniques to devastating effect.

Fri. 2/9: Channel 4: 9.30pm (30mins) Meet the Magoons: The Samosa Triangle.
Nitin’s dad is seduced by a new supplier’s samosas, leading the lads headfirst into a sticky situation and the long arm of the law. Comedy series that lacks impact.

Radio
Sun. 28.8: BBC Radio 4: 5.00pm (40mins) The Birmingham Rep Riot: Behind The Scenes
Amardeep Bassey explores how the Birmingham Repertory Theatre's attempt to reach out to an ethnic minority audience resulted in death threats, a riot and the premature closure of the play Behzti, a story about corruption and abuse in a Sikh temple. He uncovers a story of temple politics, multicultural misunderstandings and a little known network of Sikh militant groups.

Sun. 28 Aug. 5.00pm - The Asian Chaplaincy. Konkani Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady & St Christopher's Catholic Church, 32 High Street, Cranford, Middlesex

Sun. 28 Aug. G. O.A. SPORTS DAY at Archbishop Lanfranc School. Contact: Peter Rodrigues 020 - 8399 4883. For stall applications: Norma Menezes-Rahim 020 - 8771 4457

Sat. 10 Sep. G.O.A. EXCURSION TO BRUGES. Sightseeing and shopping trip to this lovely Belgian town. Planned pick-up points – Greenford, Tooting Broadway and Norbury. Further details from - Norma Menezes-Rahim 020 - 8771 4457, Bernie Gracias 020 - 8723 1322

Sun. 18 Sep. G.O.A. Trook Tournament at the ATC Hall, South Wimbledon. Contacts: Jacinto Fernandes 020 - 8542 5427. Diego Pinto 020 - 8767 0663, Lazarus Rato 020 – 8767 0342.

Sun. 25 Sep. 5.00pm - The Asian Chaplaincy. Konkani Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady & St Christopher's Catholic Church, 32 High Street, Cranford, Middlesex

Sat 1 Oct. HELP A POOR CHILD. 25th Anniversary Gala Ball - Harrow Leisure Centre, 7.00p.m. to 3.00a.m. Music by Mustang, Dark Star, Say One Do One and other entertaining artists. Visit the HAPC web site www.helpapoorchild.com for more details

Sat 8 Oct. Ballroom Dancing Bow Tie Charity Ball at Polish White Eagle Club, Balham, London SW17. Contact: Jacinto Fernandes 020 – 8542 5427