Goan Voice UK: Newsletter. Issue 2006-16. Apr. 20, 2006

Confer voting rights on NRIs at the earliest'
14 Apr: The Hindu. Eduardo Faleiro, Commissioner for NRI Affairs, Goa, has written to Union Law Minister H.R. Bharadwaj urging him to expedite the process of conferring voting rights on non-resident Indians (NRIs). Click here.

Vote For 'Teacher Idol'
14 Apr: Leicester Mercury. An initiative set up by Leicester East MP Keith Vaz, will enable a teacher from Goa to spend a term teaching at Scared Heart Catholic Primary School, in Spinney Hills, Leicester. Vaz said, "We have had three short-listed candidates … we want members of the public to ask them questions and to vote for them, like a "teacher idol". We also want to make an exchange, with a teacher from Leicester going to Goa at the same time." The scholarship is worth around £2,500 … To ask a question or to vote, e-mail: mvscholarship@hotmail.co.uk . Click here.

Family urges Keith Vaz to ensure return of kin’s body to Goa
14 Apr: The family members of deceased Carmo Dias — who had died on the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean over a month ago — has appealed to British MP of Asian origin, Keith Vaz to use his good offices and ensure that the Government of Cayman Islands send Carmo’s mortal remains to Goa for its last rites. http://oheraldo.in/node/12345

A freshet of Francis Souza
16 Apr: Bahrain Tribune. The London auction house of Bonhams has now honoured FN Souza by deciding to hold an entire sale solely featuring his works - the first Indian artist to be honoured thus. The auction on May 3 will feature no less than 40 works on paper by the master … when he arrived in London for some years he was compelled to hawk his paintings for £5 and £10 sitting on footpaths … Click here.
For the details of the 3 May Bonham sale click here.

Tanzania: Vernon Fernandes caught in broadcast row.
17 Apr: Arusha Times. The Dar-es salaam- based, Agape Television Network (ATN), made an official launch for its Arusha transmission station last week … their director, Vernon Fernandes, who goes by the title of 'Apostle' cut short the opening show. Some of the performers pleaded with 'Apostle' Fernandes to let them record their numbers on the following day but he told them that the program had to move on. Apparently on the following day, Fernandes who is also a pastor intended to conduct a special mass at the same venue. 591 words. Click here.

NZ: Ruth DeSouza: Spotlight on Migrant Mothers
19 Apr: Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. Migrant new mothers in New Zealand are the focus of a study being conducted by AUT University researcher Ruth DeSouza. … “Families often lose their support networks and rituals when they migrate and their strengths and resilience in managing the transition to parenthood can disappear,” she says. Ms DeSouza has a longstanding interest in migrant mothers. She did her Masters of Arts thesis on mothers from New Zealand’s Goan (India) community and will focus on migrant mothers for her PhD this year. http://www.aut.ac.nz/corp/newsrelease/?438
Ruth DeSouza, (andy@wairua.co.nz) was born in Tabora, Tanzania and is the daughter of Edwin and Ivy DeSouza (ex Dar & Nairobi). Check her website at www.wairua.com/ruth

Nairobi: Da Gama Rose retires as NSE Chairman
19 Apr: East African Standard. Mirabeau Da Gama Rose has retired as Chairman of the Nairobi Stock Exchange. http://allafrica.com/stories/200604180865.html

Texas: Rena D'Souza appointed Professor at Baylor College of Dentistry
19 Apr: The Dallas Morning News. Dr. Rena D'Souza, who received her bachelor of dental surgery degree from the University of Bomba has joined the faculty of the Baylor College of Dentistry. A star in her discipline, Dr. D'Souza has discovered a gene and has received millions of dollars in research funding from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. D'Souza will be the new professor and chair of the college's Department of Biomedical Sciences. For a photograph and bio see http://www.txcbme.org/Links/DSouza.htm

From Eddie Fernandes: I will be on holidays from 29 Apr – 13 May in Mombasa and Zanzibar and from 30 May to 11 Jun in Malaysia. A skeleton newsletter service will operate during these periods but it will help if requests for event announcements, subscriptions, etc are sent in the next few days.

17 Apr: London & Edmonton, Canada. (JULIA) ASSUMPTION SILVEIRA (nee Collaco, ex-Nairobi). Wife of the late Roland Silveira (ex-Mombasa). Mother of Caroline. Daughter of Peter and Mercy Collaco (San Diego, California). Sister of Bernadette. Condolences to rsilveira@compusmart.ab.ca Death was in London, the result of a car accident. [Info from Celia Mascarenhas].

15 Apr. Toronto. NETTIE SOARES. (Ex Baveja Bldg., Karachi). Mother of Judy (Patrick), Everard and Leon. Grandmother to Jo-Ann and Jason Correa. Funeral Mass on Wednesday, April 19 at Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church at 10 a.m. Interment to follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.

15 Apr: Cortalim, Goa. CAJETAN GOMES (ex-Kampala, Uganda). Husband of Christanelle. Father of Theresa, Michael and Prisca Gomes. Brother of late Marian Gomes (see below), late Anthony Jose Gomes (Mombasa/London) and Lawrence Gomes (London)

10 Apr: Cortalim, Goa. MARIAN GOMES (ex-Mombasa, Kenya). Brother of late Cajetan Gomes (see above), late Anthony Jose Gomes (Mombasa/ London) and Lawrence Gomes (London)

Goa Tourism Meet
Apr. 2006. Express TravelWorld. The second edition of the Goa Tourism Meet in Panjim for the travel and hospitality industry delved on a cohesive strategy to establish Goa as a 365 days destination, with a special emphasis on the state as a summertime holiday destination. Neeti Mehra, reports on the deliberations and how Goa can go the whole hog to lure in tourists to this picturesque locale. 1387 words. Click here.

Consume - Great campsites of the world
12 Apr: Time Out (London). Asvem Beach, Goa, India On Asvem beach near Goa, you can stay in a luxury tent with a double four-poster bed from £29 per night. www.responsibletravel.com

Touring India's beaches
13 Apr: TravelBite.co.uk. India has been a favourite backpacking destination for students for a long time, with many making the almost obligatory trip to Goa to 'find themselves'. One of the reasons for Goa's enduring popularity is its beautiful beaches and affordable lifestyle … Click here.

Leela group will develop 18-hole golf course in Goa. By Pamela d’ Mello
14 Apr: Asian Age. Luxury resort chain, Leela Hotels has put in proposals for a multi-crore international championship standard golf green near Goa’s beach resort lined southern coast. Click here.

Judy Cardoza: 'Ignore the recipe, cook with your heart'

16 Apr: The Observer (UK). Rachel Foster visits a cookery school in Goa. Judy is a quietly imposing figure … It sounds like cooking boot camp: "vegetables must be chopped into perfect neat slices; vessels need to be HOT! before anything enters the pan; timing is everything," but instinctive and from the heart at the same time … 'Indian cooking in the west is often very artificial,' says Judy. 1026 words. Click here.

Now, theme malls gear up to woo foreign tourists
15 Apr. Economic Times. The first two malls targeting foreign tourists are slated to come up at tourist hotspots — Goa and Udaipur — with the cost projected at around Rs 100 crore apiece … In Goa it will be a Portuguese-style mall with old colonial European architecture, the theme will be based on the holiday-maker celebrating life in the relaxed environs of Goa … the mall will showcase several international and premium brands … International brands can be 20-30% cheaper in India as compared to that in US and Europe. That generates a lot of interest among foreign tourists. 410 words. Click here.

Goa is where the home is
15 Apr: Economic Times. If you’re planning to invest in property or purchase a holiday home, then consider Goa. Nature is sending land prices rocketing through the roof! The past year has seen land value in the capital Panaji rise from Rs 14k per sq mt to Rs 21k per sq mt. Other places across the state are not far behind with a 20% increase in land prices which is expected to further rise at an increasing rate for the next ten years … A significant reason for this price hike is the trend of buying a second home that’s meant only for use during vacations. 416 words. Click here.

Goa celebrates Easter
16 Apr: Goa celebrates Easter today ending the austerity of the 46-day-long penitential season of Lent. Midnight masses were celebrated in all the churches of Goa to celebrate Easter, known as the greatest feast in the Christian calendar. Click here.

Goa: Realty Trends - a world of opportunity
17 Apr: The Economic Times. Excerpts: "We started looking at Goa some years ago and waited until it became a booming market for real estate, with NRI demand high for posh residential property and the boost in tourism helping open a good real estate market," said Rohit Gera, of Gera Developments (P) Ltd. "Today Goa is essentially an economy driven by its IT policy and IT Parks. Goa has tremendous opportunity for there is an element of acceptance for the kind of product that we do - intelligent buildings," he explains. Gera's entry into Goa also means that for the first time, a real estate developer is bringing in the international practice of offering a warranty in the real estate sector. Gera's Imperium, like all other Gera projects, will have a five-year warranty to ensure that it stays in premium condition. 891 words. Click here.

Goa: Public debate likely on pre-marital HIV test
17 Apr: The Hindu. Goa will generate public opinion on its proposal to make pre-marital HIV/AIDS testing mandatory. Sources in State's Health Services said that the Government wanted to hold programmes of public interaction on the issue … The State Government seemed to have taken recourse to this route following opposition to the proposed legislation from some quarters, including officials of United Nations' AIDS Programme. 157 words.

Goa: Mopa Airport Congress Rift.
17 Apr. The Statesman (India). The rift in the Goa Congress has come to the fore with party leaders taking divergent stands on the proposed international airport at Mopa in the state. North Goa Congress leaders would hold demonstrations, on 18 April in support of the project, while south Goa Congress leaders would address a mammoth rally to oppose it.

Goan footballers need to change diet
18 Apr: Navhind Times. Salgaocar coach Savio Medeira recently attended the workshop on “Eat to Win” by Portuguese expert Dr Jose Augusto dos Santos dealing with nutritional requirements for footballers … He noted, “Goan footballers love their fish curry rice, which is their staple diet, but they need to change their food habits a bit to improve as footballers by starting to consume more of noodles, pasta, fruits and vegetables to raise their levels of glycogen in muscles and liver.” 681 words. Click here.

‘Goan football has amazing potential’
18 Apr: Herald. If a day is a long time in politics, six months is eternity in football. No one exemplifies this better than Joao Brito, the Portuguese coach who during his six-month deputation stint in Goa provided much more than plain hope for Goan football. 536 words. http://oheraldo.in/node/12471

Football: English Club Pudsey Juniors adopts Chicalim SC
19 Apr. Herald. First time in the history of Goan Football an English Club Pudsey Juniors AFC have adopted a Third division Goan club Chicalim Sports Club in an effort not just to promote soccer in the State but also to provide necessary infrastructure and technical support to the club, which is considered to be a nursery of Goan soccer. 604 words. http://oheraldo.in/node/12532

Mormugao Port invites bids to build Rs 185-crore berth
19 Apr: Economic Times. Goa’s Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) has invited tenders to set up a Rs 185-crore worth cruise-cum-container berth off the Baina Bay at Vasco in south Goa … Many international cruises have shown interest, including Queen Mary II based on the Mediterranean coast that will call on Goa by March ‘07 and a UK-based cruise that wants to make Goa its home port. Other cruises include Indian Cruise Liners, Costa Cruise Liners and Carnival Lines. Click here.

Demons among lotus eaters
19 Apr: Daily News & Analysis. … Nothing seems to irk the Goans more nowadays than the presence of ‘outsiders’. Or so you think until they begin to speak about non-Goans who are buying apartments and bungalows by the scores every year. The real estate boom generates fears that Goa will soon lose its identity and, by and by, render Goans strangers in their own state … Goans who have come back to settle down in the state after working in cities like Mumbai or overseas are more resentful than the locals … 772 words. Click here.

Couple touched by Goa orphans' desperate plight.
12 Apr: Albert & Logan News (Australia). Lloyd Duggan and Kathy Kavanagh will set sail for the Indian state of Goa to help house and educate the large number of needy children there … Ms Kavanagh said many children had been left behind in Goa by families that had moved from the area looking for work … The couple have bought a house in Goa and plan to leave in early January 2007 with a 40-foot container of building materials, clothing and toys to start an orphanage which they said would eventually house about 25 orphaned children … The couple are collecting clothing, particularly for boys and children under 10

Phillip Knightley: The Pink Panther
14 Apr. The Sydney Morning Herald. Stopping off in Goa, on my way back to London, I noticed in the local newspaper that a resident in Miramar, the next suburb from my wife's house, on hearing a scratching noise at her front door in the middle of the night, opened it to find a panther on her doormat. Wildlife officers were called. They tranquilised the panther, diagnosed a disease and are treating it in a veterinary hospital before returning it to the wild. In its first weekend in hospital, the panther had nearly 200 human visitors. Ordinary Indians are as soppy about their animals as Australians are about their dogs.
[An Australian by birth, Phillip became part of the celebrated Sunday Times Insight team from the 1950s to the 1970s, breaking such famous stories as the Kim Philby spy scandal, the Profumo sex scandal and exposing the effects of thalidomide on new-born babies. His site is at http://www.phillipknightley.com/]

The Charter Curse. By V. M. de Malar
14 Apr: herald. It seems so long ago when Goa received its first charter flight from Europe … By 1989, Brits started pouring into Goa, it is that contingent that threw the floodgates completely open, they still outnumber other foreigners in Goa by six to one … the rape of Baga has taken place primarily at the hands of its own people, the horrific destruction of Candolim occurred only because its own children became corrupted by the promise of easy money … Charter tourists care not about atmosphere, and are especially allergic to culture … we’ve concentrated on selling ourselves to ignorant chumps, rather than attracting the discerning travelers that our magnificent destination deserves … 708 words. http://oheraldo.in/node/12313

Luxury getaway villas for mini-breaks
15 Apr: Rediff. Amar J Britto of Acron Developers has been building luxurious holiday homes in Goa for the past 18 years … it's mostly high net-worth individuals and NRIs who scout for plots and luxury villas in getaway destinations to retreat to on weekends and holidays. 1223 words. Click here.

Local flavour, global nature
16 Apr: Financial Express. Think of Goan food and the image that comes to mind with the accompanying saliva in the mouth is of sorpotel, pork vindaloo and feni. Wait, there is a whole range of Goan cuisine as well … 448 words. Click here.

Bar charge is a no-Goa
16 Apr. The Sunday Sun (Newcastle). Michael Wood of Newcastle complained that he was charged for drinks he did not have - and even his own bottle of water - by staff at a hotel in Goa. The tour operator has offered him a refund of £75 by way of apology. Click here.

Maggie gives up hols to help Goa orphans
18 Apr: News & Star (Carlisle, UK). Maggie May, a social worker with the Civic Centre in Carlisle for Cumbria County Council is taking all of her three weeks’ holidays and a week’s unpaid leave to volunteer in Goa. Maggie, 41, has been to Goa once before to visit a man whom she sponsors. While out there she saw the poverty first-hand and pledged she would return. Maggie will spend a month in Goa and hopes to return later in the year for longer. 351 words. Click here.

The Eco-Guide
24 Apr: Time. Profile of The Green Groomer, Joshua Onysko 28, Boulder, Colo. Excerpts: Onysko, founder and CEO of Pangea Organics Ecocentric Bodycare got started by making a small batch of soap. It wasn't until he used a spare bar from his backpack to take a memorable outdoor shower in Goa, India, that the inspiration for Pangea struck. Back in the U.S., he started a business that has expanded to a 10,000- sq.-ft. factory and sales at Whole Foods Markets across the country.

A debate on the benefits of a Portuguese passport for travel within the EU and USA has been ongoing. The comparison being the shortcomings of traveling with an Indian passport.

George Pinto recounts his meeting with Prof. Amartya Sen (Nobel Prize in Economics 1998) at Stanford University, California , last week.

With Eduardo Faleiro being nominated as Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Commissioner, the expected decision to fold-up the NRI Facilitation Center in Goa was expected. Besides these events, there were two announcements of the creation of NRI organizations in Goa. One of them put in place by UK-based Goan, Rene Barretto. Goanetters expressed several opinions on the pros and cons of these sprouting NRI organizations. There is also a movement afoot to create another NRI association in Kuwait.

A pertinent discussion on Goanet re road accidents and the appalling Road Sense one encounters while driving in Goa. It should be noted that this discussion was brought about due to the 3 deaths that occurred on the Mapusa-Panaji Highway. Many shared their driving experiences from around the world – England, US, Down Under, Mumbai and Goa.

Being the end of the Lenten season, GoanVoice (UK) readers might find some interesting strains of thought from Catholics, Agnostics and Atheists. Some Goanetters have offered searching questions about each religion and why we have to be fearful of fanatics and fundamentalists present in all religions. Basilio Magno chimed in with his piece on Holy Week sacred floats in Spain.

A valid query was raised by Ralph Rau – "Is the Goan citizen getting a fair share, if any, from Goa's mineral wealth ?" An explanation of the taxation system was provided by Tony Correia albeit the little known fact is that mining companies in Goa are still operating under a 99-year lease that they acquired under Portuguese-rule and is still being honoured by the Indian Government.

Discussions on the benefit of going ahead with the Mopa airport have surfaced now and again. Philip Thomas has reasoned for the continuation of Dabolim while also maintaining that Mopa would eventually become a necessity to Goa's needs. He draws a comparison to the Navy's presence in Dabolim with the US Navy's presence at an airfield in San Diego.

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

Thurs. 27/4: BBC 2: 9.00pm (60mins) Drug Trials - The Dark side: This World
Thousands of poor and illiterate patients are being recruited onto clinical trials in India to test new drugs for the West. Why are Indian patients willing to take the risk? After the recent drug scare in the UK, India hopes to attract even more patient-outsourcing, but at what cost to human life? Paul Kenyon investigates and uncovers some disturbing truths.

Fri. 28/4: Channel 4: 7.35pm (25mins) Unreported World
Current affairs series visits Kenya, where Aiden Hartley discovers city slums awash with guns smuggled in from Africa's civil wars, and reports on the worrying rise in organised crime

Radio Fri. 28/4: BBC World Service Radio 865: 7.30pm (30mins) World Music.
Lucy Duran travels to Zanzibar to explore the mix of musical styles that is taarab. This distinctive style combines Swahili traditions and language with Arabic rhythm instrumentation and melody.

Sat. 22 Apr. G.O.A. RUBY HOCKEY TOURNAMENT at HSBC Sports Club, Lennard Road, Beckenham, Kent BR3 1QW. Contact: Richard Fernandes 020 – 8300 5347, Glyn Albuquerque 020 – 8680 2401

Sun. 23 Apr. Forum. Open Meeting to discuss the Future Direction of the Goan Association. Archbishop Lanfranc School, Mitcham Road, Croydon at 2.00pm

Sun. 30 Apr. G.O.A. Ruby Singles Snooker Tournament. Entries by email to: Felix Pereira malawifelix@hotmail.com

Sun. 7 May. G.O.A. RUBY GOAN NOSTALGIA - Cultural Show at Archbishop Lanfranc School at 3pm (gates will open at 2pm). Tickets: £5 adults, £2 children 8-13yrs. Food & drink will be on sale. Contact: Alfred Rebello 020 – 8337 8022

Sun. 14 May. G.O.A. RUBY SINGLES CARROM TOURNAMENT at HSBC Sports Club, Lennard Road, Beckenham, Kent BR3 1QW. Contact: Richard Fernandes 020 - 8300 5347

Sun. 21 May. G.O.A. RUBY THANKSGIVING MASS at 2.30pm at St George’s Cathedral, Southwark, followed by a Cocktail Reception in the Amigo Hall. For catering purposes, entrance to Reception by ticket only. Members – Free, Guests - £2. Contact: Norma Menezes-Rahim 020 - 8771 4457 or any member of the Social Committee

Sun. 28 May. Cortalim Union celebrate the Feast of Saints of Philip and James, and the May Queen at the Irish Centre, Pretoria Road, London N17. Mass at 12.30pm followed by a social to 10pm. Music by Nite Life. Tickets: adults £10 (inc meal and a complimentary drink) 11-18 years £5 (inc. meal and a complimentery drink) and 2-10 year olds (meal only) £2.50, call Maria-0208-803-5146