COMMUNITY NEWS

USA: Catholic Indians celebrate faith and heritage
	8 Dec: Wilmington Advocate, MA (USA). Revelers gathered after Mass Sunday at the parish hall of St. Margaret's Catholic Church, where carolers tall and small chimed in on renditions of "Holly Jolly Christmas" and "Silver Bells." … a buffet that included the likes of bite-sized hot dogs and chocolate chip cookies - along with baklava and curried couscous … The event was organized by the Indian Catholic Association of New England.
The association has about 140 families as members from throughout Massachusetts as well as New Hampshire, Connecticut and other New England states … the celebration also marked the feast day of St. Francis Xavier, the patron saint of Goa … "I think we are a growing population," said Brian R.S. Santhumayor. His family was part of Uganda's large Indian community that was expelled during the 1970s regime of the late president Idi Amin. 986 words. Click here.

Book Review by Cornel DaCosta: Blood and Nemesis. A Novel by Ben Antao.
	9 Dec: GoaNet. Excerpts: …We get a vivid account of many antagonisms and actions centred mainly in Goa, over a relatively short historical period, up to, and soon after December 1961. The Indian military action is presented in considerable detail and the many characters involved are very real in terms of the actual events of the time …
we can have accurate historical accounts of actual events, but so too, the literary novel of the kind presented by Ben Antao, that stretches the reader’s imagination in a way that a historical text may also do, but rather differently … Antao lived in Goa and Bombay for much of his life before eventually settling in Toronto. For the full text, 1342 words click here. Blood & Nemesis. By Ben Antao. 318 pages, Rs. 250 ($25 CN). For inquiries contact: Gustav Fernandes at Tel (Goa) 246-5882, 246-5615; Ben Antao (Toronto) 416 250 8885 or send an email to: goanobserver@yahoo.co.uk or ben.antao@rogers.com

The oldest person in the UK has died at the age of 113.
	9 Dec: BBC. Lucy d'Abreu, who was born in India in 1892, passed away peacefully at a nursing home in Stirling on Wednesday. … She attributed her long life to the grace of God and a "customary sun-downer of brandy and dry ginger ale". Click here. [Lucy D’Abreu was born in Dharwar and attended St Joseph’s Convent in Belgaum]

Indian art prices go through the roof
10 Dec: Times of India. The star of the show was clearly Francis Newton Souza, that famous and irascible son of Saligao, Goa, who is probably chuckling with mirth in heaven or wherever it is dead painters who poke fun at the religious establishment go. His massive 6x4 foot work, Lovers, the largest Souza to ever come up for auction, was painted in 1955 and fetched $1.5 million. Click here.

Canada: Hockey: Five from Fernandes as Canada wins

10 Dec. Mississauga's Wayne Fernandes scored five goals to lead the Canadian men's field. Fernandes was also a member of the Canadian club that won a silver medal at the 2003 Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic … Fernandes, who has been playing for 16 years, has extensive international experience and was also a member of the 2002 gold medal squad. Click here. For the Wayne D'Souza pedigree see GVUK 2005-40.

Tuning Mumbai into Mozart
10 Dec: Business Standard. The Sangat musical festival, to be held between December 11-17 this year, has earned itself a sizeable reputation … The festival was conceived by brothers Harvey and Ralph De Souza to fill the void left by declining interest and create the kind of environment that enabled talented young Indians to study Western classical music and perform it professionally in their country. As kids of middle-class parents in Mazgaon docks, with little more than a familial appreciation for quality music to back them up, the brothers went on to study at the Yehudi Menuhin school and achieve great recognition, but always harboured a desire to play to a home crowd. Click here.

Life below decks: Andrew Rodrigues (ex-Nairobi)
	11 Dec: Florida Today. Special reports on cruise ship workers focuses on Andrew Rodrigues who works for about 84 hours a week, waiting tables aboard the Carnival Fantasy cruise ship. His wife and 4 children are in Goa. Andrew was born in Nairobi, Kenya because his father went there for work … Goa, he says, is very much like Florida. There are beaches, tourists and palm trees …
A reporter and photographer investigated cruise company employment practices, interviewed workers and traveled to India to learn more about their lives and families. What they found was a profoundly human story, one in which sacrifice and hope go hand in hand with exploitation and despair. Some of the sections: Photos: Follow cruise workers on the job and back home in India Video: Video updates about the cruise industry and workers Graphics: Interactive facts, figures and diagrams Q&A Cruise-industry leader Carnival Corp. responds to questions Indians clamor for cruise ship jobs Ministry offers solace and support to weary U.S. citizenship hard to come by For links to the reports click here. Note free access to the site is valid to 17 Dec. 2005 only.

Virginia: Executive Chef Llewellyn Correia (ex-Tanzania)
	12 Dec: The Washington Post. Excerpts: Soon after he arrived at the upscale Wegmans Food Markets store in Dulles last year, executive chef Llewellyn Correia discovered that many of the 120 employees he supervised had not been attending the company's mandatory safety and sanitation classes …
Correia speaks a smattering of Spanish and Portuguese and is fluent in Hindi, Kiswahili, Konkani and, of course, English. "I've traveled the world and I understand people's ethnicity and how they react to things," Correia said as lunch-hour customers eyed his Ultimate Crab Cakes ($9.99 each) … For text, 1636 words, click here. Llewellyn was born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the son of Lancelot and Theresa Correia. He attended St Joseph’s School there and emigrated to the US in 1986. He traces his Goan roots to Velim. He was one of the team of Wegmans chefs that prepared a Sunday Brunch at the James Beard House. For a GVUK profile of him and more photographs, Click here.

DEATHS

8 Dec: Cortalim, Goa. BERNARDO D'MELLO. Husband of Julieta D'Mello. Father of Maria/Socorro Pinto, Philip (London)/Elena, Rosario/Antonetta, late Veronica/Anthony.

6 Dec: Calangute, Goa. JOSEPH, ALCANTRA LOBO (born 1921, ex Parra, Goa and Uganda). Husband of Alrina and late Sylvia. Father of Marjorie (London), Herman (Canada) and Leslie (London). Brother of Andrew Lobo and Philo Peckett. Funeral took place on the 7th Dec at St. Alex Church, Calangute Goa. Condolences to mariatalbutt17@yahoo.com

Late Fr. Tony Pinto sdb
The family members of the late Fr. Tony Pinto sdb. wish to express our deepest appreciation for the support and help received on our recent bereavement. Your prayers, messages of sympathy, floral tributes, your presence at the church and at the interment have been a great source of comfort and consolation to us. Thank you for sharing in our grief during this difficult time.
We also like to acknowledge and thank His Lordship Martin Kivuva, Bishop of Machakos, His Grace Raphael Ndingi Mwana ' a Nzeki, the Archbishop of Nairobi, the Salesians of Don Bosco and the parishioners for their spiritual support and celebration of the Eucharist. The holy sacrifice of the mass will be offered for your intentions.

Late Cheryl Braganza
Oscar, Gemma and Carl Braganza wish to thank relatives and friends for their support and prayers during Cheryl's illness and death. A novena of masses will be offered by them for friends and relatives.

HOLIDAY INFORMATION

Jettisoned holidays
10 Dec: Indian Express. As many as 1,400 private jets have requested for landing or parking slots on Goa’s solitary airport for the year-end holiday season, lasting barely a week. Last year the number was a relatively paltry 400 private jets, a majority of which were anyway last-minute rebookings after the tsunami. Even then Goa’s airport was stretched to handle so much traffic. But no lesson seems to have been learnt and this month chaos and diversions appear inevitable. Goa boasts of a large population of foreigners, who have purchased flats and villas in the state and are responsible for the booming real estate market. However, the state offers inadequate infrastructure, its airport being just one example. Click here.

Sunset Boulevard
10 Dec: Indian Express. Designer Malini Ramani has her hands full these days. Congo, her night-club in Goa has just got a makeover, and the new place is apparently a show-stopper. The two year old night-club has now moved to the popular Baga beach. “Now people can create as much noise as they want, dance till the wee hours of the morning,’’ says Ramani. Click here.

Train monkeys to cut coconuts from trees, suggests Goa CM
10 Dec: WebIndia123.com. Cutting tender coconuts from tall trees being a tedious task for farmers, and also involving risk, Goa Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane today asked scientists to train monkeys, who could do the job with ease. Click here.

Bring On the Bikini
11 Dec: The Asian Age. Malini Ramani has launched ‘Bikinistan’, which is being touted as India’s first bikini line. She and her mother Bina are virtually the first citizens of Goa, having discovered the sun and sand paradise for the bling bling crowd about two decades ago. "We are finally beginning to wear the right sort of beachwear," said Malini. "Imagine, for years, we wore salwar kameezes to the beach, rolled up to show hairy legs.” Click here.

Guirim identified as site for cricket stadium
11 Dec. The Hindu. BCCI President and Union Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar, has proposed Guirim in North Goa as the site to build an International cricket stadium in the State. Click here.

Tender coconut water packets launched in Goa
11 Dec: Manorama Online. The Jain Agro Food Products Limited has packed coconut water in sachets and also pet bottles which can remain worth drinking for more than six months, without losing the quality. Each packet containing 200 ml of coconut water is priced at Rs 15. Click here.

‘Tourists or terrorists, Goa will be ready’
12 Dec: Mumbai Mirror. The Goa police is planning a special advertisement campaign during the tourist season to educate people, especially tourists, on how to pre-empt any terrorist attack. Click here.

Goa to Broad-base Broadband
12 Dec: CIO India. Goa is planning to provide a broadband facility to each home in the state, over the next two years. Click here.

Row over Goa's new international airport
13 Dec: NDTV. Goa's new international airport has run into problems with the Goa Congress deeply divided over the proposal. The opposition has come from several cabinet ministers. Some ministers have even threatened to bring down the Pratapsingh Rane government if it scraps the existing airport at Dabolim for the new one at Mopa. Click here.

Dead, but no morgue to lay. By Guilherme Almeida
14 Dec: Herald. … newly-installed mortuary cabinets are lying dormant … three bodies decomposed last July but little has been done to repair or replace the cabinets. http://oheraldo.in/node/7477

RECENT ITEMS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST ON GOANET. BY CORNEL DACOSTA

IN THE NEWS

UK: Black people three times as likely to be in mental hospital
7 Dec: The Guardian. Black people are three times more likely than the rest of the population to be admitted to mental hospitals in England and Wales. They are twice as likely to be sent there by the police or the courts, and 50% more likely to be placed in seclusion, according to the first ethnic census of inpatients, published today by the health inspectorate. Click here.

Book review: Notes Across the Years - Anecdotes from a Musical Life
8 Dec. Today (Singapore). … The book is essentially a personal chronicle of how music progressed in Singapore from the contributions of Goan musicians in the early 20th century and performing for the Japanese during the Occupation, to the resurgence of musical activity after the British Military Administration in 1946 and the emergence of the Ministry of Culture …

Adrian Duggan Appeal Hearing Set for Early 2006
9 Dec: South Wales Argus. Steve Duggan, the brother of Adrian Duggan, 37, jailed for murdering his girlfriend during a `dream holiday' to Goa, is hoping to celebrate the new year with his release. Steve Duggan said yesterday: "It is looking like the appeal will be heard either in January or early February. "Our mother is out in Goa and is allowed to visit him once a month and has told us he is coping all right." Their mother, Doreen Duggan, makes sure Adrian, who has only one kidney, receives a regular supply of food and vitamins and keeps in touch with her son's lawyer. Adrian Duggan claims the couple were the victim of a violent robbery. Click here.

Sachin appoints a ‘runner’ for the Mumbai Marathon
9 Dec: Indian Express. Sachin Tendulkar has pledged city’s long-distance runner Godfrey D’Souza (48) to raise funds for city NGO that works with urban poor. D’Souza has been running an average of 15 km every day for the last 25 years. He has always been involved with fund-raising for charities through his running. Click here.

First Vasco da Gama Yacht Rally
10 Dec: AME Info. The first Vasco da Gama Yacht Rally starts in Turkey on October 31st and finishes in Goa, in India, taking about 6 months. It will include 35 sailing yachts from Holland, France, the Americas, UK, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden and Australia. The boats vary in size from 9 metres to 17 metres, and will cover 4,266 nautical miles.
http://www.ameinfo.com/73643.html

Charity mission
10 Dec: South Wales Echo. A Welsh water worker will swap Wales for Goa this Christmas to help children. Shari Finch, 30, will help out children's charity Walking Tall for two weeks over the festive season. Shari, from Grangetown, Cardiff, will hand out food and play with the children. She will also help to build a child's shelter. http://www.childrenwalkingtall.com/

Pakistan: Christian families evicted
12 Dec: AsiaNews (Italy). About 100 Christian families live under the threat of an eviction order,” Mgr Evarist Pinto, archbishop of Karachi, told AsiaNews. “They live near Karachi. Now the army intends to move into the area of St Thomas Parish Church despite the fact that many people have been long time residents and have a stay order from the court allowing them to remain”. Click here.

Flaws in murder case which could bring Adrian Duggan home
13 Dec: South Wales Argus. Adrian Duggan, 37, is in his second year of imprisonment in Goa since being charged, and then convicted, of the Christmas Day 2003 murder of his lover Catherine Campbell. Ms Campbell, 43, was found in a pool of blood in the bedroom of their guest house with a pair of scissors near her body. 492 words. Click here.

Govt considers voting rights for NRIs
13 Dec: NDTV. The Indian government is considering a proposal that would allow Non-Resident Indians (NRI) to vote in the country's elections. "The Prime Minister will issue the dual citizenship cards to the NRIs," Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs, Oscar Fernandes said. There are an estimated 25 million NRIs spread around the world and the move will produce a new vote bank for politicians. Click here.

Long-term tensions behind Sydney riots
13 Dec: BBC. Residents, police and politicians are all asking what has fuelled the violence which has swept Sydney's suburbs in the last few days. Was it racism, revenge or simply alcohol-induced aggression? Click here.

Sydney: Restaurant Review: Joint's a real Goa
14 Dec: Daily Telegraph (Australia). … Specialising in the cuisine of India's former Portuguese colony, Road To Goa offers greater diversity and more subtle flavours than your average Indian noshery … crab cakes … prawn patties … samosas … Goan fish curry, chicken xacuti, lamb feijoada and beef "Vasco-da-Gama" Road To Goa is a touch more expensive than your average neighbourhood Indian but is fairly priced … Owner Paul Birk says, "When I came to Australia I found too many Indian restaurants serving the same food. I wanted to open a restaurant with more refined flavours and by taking the Portuguese influence on Goa on board I was given a wide choice." 634 words. For text and photo click here.

NJ, USA: Vas puts his ethnic background forward in campaign
14 Dec: The Star-Ledger. At the Ironbound Senior Center in Newark yesterday, Perth Amboy Mayor Joseph Vas greeted the audience first in Portuguese, then in Spanish, and finally in English … Vas' father, Jose, was Portuguese, born and raised in Goa, then a Portuguese colony in the Arabian Sea, and his mother, Rebecca, was from Puerto Rico. Click here.

Grandpa tale
15 Dec: The Telegraph ( Calcutta). Sai Paranjpye is planning to start her next feature film, Xapai (meaning grandfather in colloquial Konkani), sometime in March. Sai will write and direct the English-Hindi-Konkani film set in Goa. "It's about a Goan Christian family with a very strong Portuguese hangover. There's this old man living in a beautiful crumbling building, with his maid, cook and driver. He is approaching 90 and so his children gather around him. There's a lot of family intrigue… Click here.

UK: TV HIGHLIGHTS By Mafalda de’Sa

Television

Sat. 18/12: BBC 2: 5.30pm (40mins) Bill Oddie in Tiger Country
Bill embarks on a personal pilgrimage to Corbett National Park in India, where a close friend of his was killed by a tiger. How will he react when faced with the elusive big cat?

Mon. 19/12: Discovery Channel: 8.00pm (60mins) Moguls of the Taj Mahal
The remarkable story of the Moghuls who reigned over India for nearly 200 years, including the illiterate Akbar the Great, who declared himself a god.

Mon. 19/12: BBC 1: 9.00pm (60mins) Chopratown
Sanjeev Bhaskar stars in the pilot for a new comedy drama. A detective series written by Richard Pinto, set in the multicultural world Chopra inhabits.

Mon. 19/12: BBC 1: 11.35pm (30mins) Geldof in Africa
The Luminous Continent: Life in Africa has always been a battle against nature, climate and geography. Bob Geldof follows the evolutionary trail of mankind from our Rift Valley origins in the Laetoli Gorge, Tanzania to the point on the north-eastern coast of Africa.

Thurs. 22/12: BBC 1: 0.00am (30mins) Geldof in Africa
Four Horsemen: Bob Geldof begins in northern Uganda where to his disgust he learns of the carnage and atrocities conducted by the Lord's Resistance Army towards children. He visits Uganda's capital Kampala, which was at the epicentre of the spread of AIDS. In Kenya, he visits the largest UN relief base in the world, Lokichiokio, then heads into the Sudan on a UN relief mission.

Thurs. 22/12: UKTV Food Channel: 5.30pm (30ins) I Do, Let's Eat
Canadian couples plan for their wedding day with the emphasis on that all important reception where everything will run like clockwork and the food is wonderful - hopefully! Seema Bhalesar is determined to raise the bar for her wedding to Navdeep. Catering is to be provided by The Host whose reputation for Indian catering in Canada is second to none. The couple's arrival at the venue is spectacular too as Bollywood comes to Canada.

Thurs. 22/12: BBC 1: 9.00pm (120mins) Bend it like Beckham.
Another chance to see the smash hit comedy drama, centering around a young, soccer mad Sikh girl. Set in West London.

Fri. 23/12: Discovery Channel: 10.00pm (30mins) Feast India: Mumbai
In Mumbai, Barry Vera has an early morning session at a 'laughter club' and enjoys some snack food at the nightly carnival-on-the-sand in Juhu.

Radio

Mon 19/12: BBC Radio 4: 8.00pm (30mins) It’s My Story: Overturning the Tide
Last Boxing Day, as a south Indian father was playing with his children on the beach on the southern tip of India, the family was overwhelmed by a deadly wave, which killed his children. Since the tragedy this father has been sustained by his decision to foster children orphaned by the Tsunami.

FORTHCOMING

See http://www.lanfranc.com/lanfranc_location_2000.pdf for help in locating Archbishop Lanfranc School, Croydon

Sat. 17 Dec. UK Konkans. Nathalache Festh 2005 at St. Chad's Church Hall, South Norwood, London. The event is an opportunity for Catholics from Mangalore, Bombay, Goa to come together and have a wonderful time, celebrate the day and truly get into the mood of Christmas. It is a family event; with konkani music, dance, plays, home made food, spot games, bingo, tombula and many other attractions. Further details can be found at http://www.ukkonkans.com or telephone Melwyn Vaz or Stella Vaz on 07985 732 837

Mon 26 Dec. 7pm till 1am. Slough Goans Christmas Dance at the Polish Association Club, Stoke Poges Lane. Music by 'Say One Do One'. Adult Tickets £10 before 8th December. Tony/Suzy Rodrigues 01753 675072, Edwin 01753 531383, Charlie 07956 536911, Paul 07956 496 190 Sold out every year so please buy your tickets early to avoid disappointment

31 Dec 7pm – 1am: South East Goans New Years Eve Dance. Mustang & Music Mania. Disco, Snacks, Licenced Bar, Secure Parking. Only £14 Members/£18 Non-members. Under 12 Free. Haberdashers College, 135 Pepys Road, Lewisham, London SE14 5SF Tickets: Ronald 020 8303 3386 Dominic 07854 490617

Sat. 31 Dec. Dark Star Social Club proudly present the New Year's Eve Gala Ball at Harrow Leisure Centre. 7.00pm to 2.00am. Music by Dark Star and Say-1-Do-1. Capacity 1,400 with New Licensed Bar. For Tickets and further details, contact Hazel Rodrigues 020-8357 6776, Bernie Gracias 020-8723 1322 or email info@dssclub.co.uk.

FOR LATER EVENTS SEE http://www.goanvoice.org.uk/