Goan Voice UK: Newsletter. Issue 2006-06. Feb.09, 2006

UK: Leicester: Michelle Lobo in Charity Concert 5 Feb.
2 Feb. Leicester Mercury. Music-lovers are invited for An Afternoon at the Musicals, with Leicester singer Michelle Lobo and her friends. The concert will feature songs from musicals and takes place at 3pm, on 2 Feb. at St Joseph's Church, in Uppingham Road, Leicester. Michelle said: "I have friends and family who have cancer so I am really committed to helping Cancer Research UK beat cancer." To book tickets, call 07759 418661.
Michelle grew up in St. Joseph's Parish and studied music in Cardiff. For photographs of Michelle click here.
The Concert raised over £2000 for Cancer Research UK.

Keith Vaz to award British scholarship to Goan teacher
5 Feb: Herald. The longest serving British Asian MP, Keith Vaz, will be visiting Goa in April 2006 to award a teacher from Goa, a scholarship to teach in the United Kingdom with all expenses paid. The scholarship is in memory of Vaz’s mother, Merlyn Verona Vaz, who died in October 2003. Merlyn Vaz was a teacher and the first Goan to be elected councillor of Leicester. Her family lived in Calangute … The deadline for applications is Feb. 28 … Keith Vaz said “My mother loved Goa. She was a great teacher … If it is successful the scholarship will be awarded every year.” 232 words. See http://oheraldo.in/node/9446
For a GVUK profile of Merlyn Verona Vaz click here.

Caji DeSouza: Grand Gesture
7 Feb: The Courier-Mail (Australia). Excerpts: Caji DeSouza, Metway Bank's chief finance man when it merged with Suncorp, has spent a bit of time lately completing some unfinished business …Caji left Uganda in 1972 but he didn't come empty handed, however. He brought with him the perpetual Ugandan Open Squash trophy. … when former Ugandan hockey and tennis international Al Mathias visited in September, he suggested it should go to Austin Malcolm … Caji passed the trophy on to Austin's grandson Zak, nine. [For a photo of Caji see last week’s issue].

Melbourne: Goan Carnival Dinner Dance
9 Feb: Herald Sun ( Melbourne). Book tickets for cultural event. Kingston City Hall, 985 Nepean Highway, Moorabbin. Feb 25. $18/$32. Ph: 0404 848 345.

8 Feb: Socorro, Goa. MARGARET D'SOUZA (Born 1916, Ex-Mombasa). Relict of late Jules D'Souza, MBE. Sister of Domnic/Mary, Hortencia/late Otholino and Peter/Romana (UK).

7 Feb: Toronto. ANNA (BERTHA) DeCOSTA. (ex Dar-es-Salaam). Wife of the late Joseph DeCosta. Partner of Milburn D'Silva. Loving mother of Michelle, Jesse/Sandra. Cherished grandmother of Sabrina and Robin. Sister of Tony/Dora D'Silva (U.K.), Joe (Sanu) D'Silva (U.K.) and Nello D'Silva (U.K.). Condolences to milburndsilva@rogers.com [Info from Brendan Abreu]
For a photograph and details of the Visitations on 9 Feb & Funeral at Scarborough on Fri.10 Feb click here.

6 Feb: Mombasa. LUCY REGINA D'SOUZA (age 79). Mother of Jacinta/late Peter George, (Mombasa), Francisco/Delilah (Canada), Cedric/Suzanne (Sweden) and late Dominic. Grandmother of Georgina, Lucia & Ryan, Stephanie & Candice, and Rebecca & Alex. The funeral mass will be held on Thu. 9 Feb. at 4 pm at The Little Sisters of the Poor. The cortege will then proceed to the Mbaraki Cemetery. Condolences to jacinta@ffkgrp.com [Info from Oscar Lobo, Mombasa]

6 Feb: Siridao, Goa. INACIO RODRIGUES. Husband of Eugenia. Father of Mathias/Ana (UK), Jose/Lucia (UK), Duarte/Romaldina (UK), Eusebio/Daisy (UK), Clarina/Anthony (UK).

5 Feb: Velim, Goa. FELICIA D'COSTA (FELIZMIN) (Born 1929, ex-Mombasa/Tanga/Nairobi). Wife of late Napoleon. Mother of late Winston, Nelson, Noella/Ayesha, Ramesh/Greta, Joe/Sunia, Bruno/Vesta and Frankie.

5 Feb: Navelim: MARIA ROSINHA COLACO (ROSY). ( Born 1929, ex-East Africa [Nairobi?]) Wife of late Carmo, mother of Flavio/Aurora, Wilson/Cheryl and Joana.

5 Feb: Goa Velha: BERNARDO DE SOUZA. Husband of Juana. Father of Isabel/Inacio (UK), Vincent/Julia (UK), Victor/Lydia (UK), Angela/Rumaldo.

4 Feb. Agassaim, Goa. PAULO CAMELO. Husband of Severina. Father of Grace/Braz, Paulo Silveira (London), Leo/Nancy.

3 Feb: Navelim. JOSE REBELO. Husband of Natividade. Father of Seby/Vicentinha (Scotland), Milu/Anthony Costa (UK), Wency/Francis Fernandes (UK).

Hilton will roll out Scandic hotels chain
1 Feb. Express Hotelier & Caterer (India). US-based Hilton International Hotels is planning to launch its Scandic brand of hotels in the country. Lenny Menezes, country manager-India, Hilton Inter-national Hotels, said, "We believe there are over 50 potential cities in the country which are apt for mid-market hotels …” The group is also opening properties in Hyderabad and Goa … the Goa one is a 100-villa eco-resort. Work on both the properties has started and is expected to get operational by 2007-08. Click here.

A Passage to India's Future
4 Feb. The Wall Street Journal. … Indians, armed with more disposable income, are now discovering their own country as tourists. This is helping to reshape places like Goa … Shops offering Indian designer clothing and furnishings are springing up everywhere. … The attractions of Goa are considerable. Goans are known as some of the friendliest people in India and almost everyone speaks English. The isolated beach resorts are magnificent, and a bargain compared with many other tourist destinations in India. But Goa can be a downer at the same time. The narrow, potholed main road running along the beach towns of northern Goa is filled with horn-honking, bumper-to-bumper traffic, including beefy tattooed Europeans on motorbikes, riding past miles of schlocky souvenir shops and snack bars.

Readers' Rants
5 Dec: Sunday Times (UK). Gerry Coyle of Glasgow writes. “ My daughter flew to Goa with Monarch Airlines in November, on a honeymoon package. Although she and her new husband checked in early, they were not seated together. On the return, my daughter responded to a call for a nurse to assist with a passenger who had become ill. When she returned to her seat, she asked for a cup of tea — and was charged for it.”
Monarch Airlines replies: “Staff try to seat as many families and couples together as possible. Inevitably, this becomes increasingly difficult as check-in nears completion. This couple travelled with Thomas Cook, which offers the facility to prebook seats. If they had taken advantage of this service, they would have been together. With regard to refreshments, two meals are offered in the ticket price to Goa, including complimentary tea or coffee.”

Overseas Property. Where are the Next Hot Spots?
5 Feb: The Sunday Times (UK). Goa: Ageing baby-boomers are heading back to their Swinging Sixties haunt -and they are snapping up big new-build villas for between £ 40,000 and £ 100,000 while they are there. "You can get all the comforts of home, for a fraction of the price," says Stuart Law, managing director of property investment specialist Assetz. "It's early retirees in particular who are buying there. And for that price, these properties are also lock-up-and-leave." It's that winter sun again: temperatures from October to February are between 25C-30C. And the more adventurous people become, the less irritating a 10-hour flight to this jewel on India's west coast becomes.

World’s Best Train Journey: Konkan Railway
5 Feb: The Observer. Built in 1998, the Konkan travels from Bombay to Cochin. In the days of empire, the British had considered, and rejected, the idea of running a railway down the Konkan coast - too wild, too hilly, too many rivers. But the Indians thought otherwise. The 760km route took seven years to build and includes 92 tunnels and 1,998 bridges. Click here.

Celebs put 'Behind Bars' for drinking
7 Feb: IBN Live. Goa was the place to be last weekend as Mumbai's Page 3 descended here for the launch of two new watering holes. A quite cheekily 'Behind Bars,' the latest discotheque in south Goa, flew in some of Bollywood's well-known faces to endorse the new place … The launch of On the Rocks’ at Baga witnessed an impromptu fashion show … Click here.

World's Most Luxurious Villas
8 Feb The Evening Standard (London). Hippy happy in India. Sleeps 6. … The traditional Portuguese villa, with shuttered windows and period furniture … Eat breakfast under an ancient Banyan and listen to jazz with a glass of wine under the stars. It's the ultimate stress reliever. Costs: from £550 per person a week, excluding flights. Contact: i-escape (020 7652 4625, www.i-escape.com).

Great Indian wedding heads to Goa
9 Feb: Times of India. Goa is now proving to be one of the hottest wedding destinations in the country with the rich and famous celebrating in one of the many five star resorts in the state for an "exclusive" wedding affair. "The trend of having a small, exclusive wedding for close family and friends is slowly picking up. People prefer to come to a holiday destination and get married, a trend that is already popular in the west. It saves the hassle of organizing a huge event and guests can also combine a holiday with it," says Neeraj Chaddha, General Manager of the Goa Marriott Resort. 612 words. Click here.

Kenya Airways Safari for Two
Volcanoes and Kenya Airways have partnered to offer a fantastic opportunity for a visit Rwanda and Uganda on a gorilla tracking safari. Closing date Feb. 28. For details click here.

Remo Fernandes: ‘I’m a lazy Goan’
2 Feb: Daily News & Analysis. Music guru talks on his new album, returning to Bollywood and jamming with Jethro Tull! Click here.

Hindu fundamentalists desecrate Cross in Goa
3. Feb: Asia News (Italy). By Nirmala Carvalho. Hindu fundamentalists broke a wayside cross in Carmona, a hamlet in Aldona, a well-known tourist resort in the state of Goa. The desecration occurred overnight January 30 … 410 words. Click here.

Goan women at greater risk of breast cancer: study
4 Feb: Navhind Times. The fast changing lifestyle among young women in Goa is directly responsible for increase in women-related cancer cases such as breast cancer and cervical cancer, according to a study which showed that at least 250 women in the state were found to be suffering from cancer annually, in a total of female population of 600,000. 736 words. Click here.

Holiday poopers?
4 Feb: Business Standard. By Arati Menon Carroll. A recent trip to Goa left me with a plaguing reflection: When it comes to the conduct of kids on holiday, what is kosher and what is not? … 590 words. Click here.

Romancing food : A wonderful journey into Italian cuisine.
5 Feb: The Hindu. Book Review of Food Is Home: The Little Book of Italian Cooking. By Sarjano; Penguin, Rs.250. Excerpts: Master chef Sarjano is not only an extensively travelled photographer and journalist but he also conducts the International Academy of Italian Cooking Art at his restaurant "My Place" in Vagator, Bardez in Goa. 532 words. Click here.

Goa also wants infrastructure action
7 Feb: Economic Times. Goa, which is no doubt the most sought-after tourist destination in the country, plans to develop world-class infrastructure to attract industry. 330 words. Click here.

Cricket: Only 12,000 tickets for India vs UK match on Apr 3 in Goa
7 Feb: WebIndia123.com. The Goa Cricket Association (GCA) has decided to sell only 12,000 tickets for the second tie between India and England one-day international (ODI) to be played at Nehru stadium Fatorda though the stadium capacity is of 27,000. 358 words. Click here.

Police in all states should have anti-piracy cells
7 Feb: PTI. Every state police force should set up anti-piracy cells for audio-visual medium said former Mumbai Police Commissioner Julio Ribeiro … Ribeiro is here in Goa to educate Goa police on the issue. He heads the Intellectual Property Right (IPR) unit of Indian Music Industry (IMI), which has booked 8,000 cases of music piracy since 1998 … Indian music industry is valued at Rs 600 crore to Rs 700 crore while piracy is worth Rs 450 crore, said Savio D'souza, General Secretary, IMI … In Goa, the Association intends to take up special drive on the Valentine's Day to ensure that the music played at various function was not pirated.

The British Are Coming. By V. M. de Malar
7 Feb. Herald. Excerpts: The British are coming, the British are already here … we’ve got the Brits spilling right into the heart of our homeland … Dozens of Brit-run restaurants dot our coastal strip; there’s a couple of typical pubs, a host of fry-up joints … and mounting scores of British real estate consultants and agents, and Brit charity workers and dog rescuers and lounge singers and yoga teachers … Today, there are at least 50,000 Goans in the UK … and now we see the reverse happening, for the first time in India’s millennia of history, there are tens of thousands of Brits who have moved here as a deep-felt lifestyle choice, who are having children here and have no plans to go back. … It’s not all positives; there are plenty of things we Goans need to watch out for… The British are coming, join the party. 710 words. http://oheraldo.in/node/9494

Goa: About 40 foreigners to be deported for undesirable acts
8 Feb: Navhind Times. Some of the regular foreigners visiting Goa for the past several years are being identified for deportation as their activities were found to be “undesirable” and the state police through home department have initiated the process to ban them from being issuing fresh visas to re-enter the country through Indian missions aboard … The police are also collecting evidence of some of the foreigners who are suspected to be involved in money laundering, accumulating property, drug peddling and other illegal activities … Besides there are 2,414 registered foreigners staying in Goa for a period of over six months. Many of them are stated to be of Goan origin, holding passport of different countries. 725 words. Click here.

Roman script supporters to boycott Konkani meet
8 Feb: Navhind Times. The Dalgado Konknni Akademi (DKA) today gave a call to the “real followers” of Konkani language to boycott the silver jubilee literary conference of the Akhil Bharatiya Konkani Parishad, scheduled to be held at Kala Academy complex, here, from February 10 to 12, bringing to the fore the sharp divide between the supporters of Konkani in Devnagri and Roman scripts. Click here.

British Telecom Fights Child Porn
8 Feb. Techtree. Of late an increasing number of cases of child sexual abuse have been reported by newspapers and other information sources. A recent report is cause enough for alarm as it puts the spotlight on how the country - especially places like Goa and Kerala - is fast becoming a child sex tourism hub. Click here.

Airtel to roll out Edge service in Goa
9 Feb: Business Standard. Airtel, mobile service provider is planning to introduce the advanced Edge service in Goa and Konkan region next month. The Edge service provides customers with enhanced data download rates of up to 100 kbps. 297 words. Click here.
[On my last visit to Goa I used the Airtel service of free airtime via mobile to laptop. It proved remarkably useful]

Govt begins steps to patent Goa's Feni
9 Feb: Hindustan Times. After Basmati rice and Darjeeling tea, the government has now initiated the process for granting Geographical Indications to 10 more goods and commodities, including Goa's famous Feni with a view to protecting country's trade interests in international markets. Click here.

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Review: Lisbon: St Francis Xavier Exhibition
2 Feb: Agência Ecclesia (Portuguese). Exhibition on “St Francis Xavier – his Life and Times” as part of programme to mark the 5th centenary of the birth of the Saint. The exhibition will run in Lisbon till 17 Apr. 2006 and will have 250 items.
For text of article, 512 words, click here.

India: Nuns Say They Suffer Gender Inequality In Church
2 Feb: UCAN. Catholic nuns in India say they experience gender discrimination within the Church, although they admit that they themselves bear much of the blame for the situation … several superiors of women's congregations said the Church in India treats nuns as subordinate to priests … Sister Marie Noronha, provincial of the Society of the Sacred Heart, laments that some priests play up the "patriarchal stereotype concept." 853 words. Click here.

Alex hitting charity bike trail
2 Feb: Falkirk Today (UK). Alex Pirie (42), managing director of Grapevine Communications, will travel to Goa next month and begin his 14-day, 2500km trip to raise money for the Mother Theresa's children's charity the Rainbow Trust and the World Wildlife Fund. He will join a team of 30 and spend each day clocking up the miles on his Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle … Alex has raised £5000 so far and individuals or companies wishing to help can phone (01324) 887888. For photo and full text click here.

Restaurant Review: London: Imli
4 Feb. The Guardian. Small food is becoming big business, as illustrated by this new venture from the boys at Michelin-starred Tamarind. The idea is informal, all-day dining on Indian "tapas" in a cafeteria-style expanse … Goan pork in vinegar and onions is a superb dish with real personality. Indian caramel custard, made with coconut milk, jaggery and cardamom, is the best thing here. 167-169 Wardour Street, London W1

Can curry be healthy? By Cyrus Todiwala
5 Feb: Independent on Sunday (UK). Surprisingly, curry can be the cornerstone of a healthy diet, says chef Cyrus Todiwala. He shows Bill Knott how he uses ancient techniques to create novel (and delicious) dishes.
Also featured is his recipe for Scallops with ginger and garlic. Excerpts: This is a classic Goan-style dish … Goans, thanks to their Portuguese heritage, might well eat this dish in a toasted pão roll with salad leaves… Click here.

Game of two halves
5 Feb: The Observer. Celebrities be warned: slighted picture editors can exact terrible revenge. Photos of Footballers' Wives star Laila Rouass are circulating after Rouass came over all Mariah Carey at a shoot. One depicts her as nature intended and the second after the application of the airbrush - and the former doesn't portray Rouass in a flattering light. Well, if you will flaunt your wares in a lads' mag. For text click here.
For the Laila Rouass GVUK supplement click here.

Nairobi Institute has reverted to its former name, Goan Institute.
7 Feb: The Standard (Nairobi). Mombasa Sports Club (MSC) men’s team have been readmitted to the Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) National Division League … The league will also feature a new team in Strathmore University. At the same time, Nairobi Institute has reverted to its former name, Goan Institute. Click here.

Medical tourism booms in India
7 Feb: Rediff. Medical tourism has got a shot in the arm with number of overseas patients touching 100,000 mark last year as against 10,000 patients in 2000 … RD, a Canada-based company, facilitates and organises quality medical services at affordable prices for customers seeking medical treatment abroad … The company is currently, doing business in Mumbai, Kolkata, Nagpur and Goa … 487 words. Click here.

The vin end of a curry combo
7 Feb: Daily Telegraph (UK). Warren Edwardes, chief executive of Delphi Risk Management, also sells wines that go well with curries. Inspired by the Henk Potts duck/venison combo mentioned here yesterday, he suggests (naturally) his own brand - a sweet muscat/cava blend because "my granny in Goa always added a bit of sugar to curry''. .

'O Sorriso de Satya' by Secuntala de Miranda
7 Feb: Diario dos Açores. The recently released poetry book by Secuntala de Miranda (aged 72) born of a Goan father and Açoriana mother is her first in this genre. The book has illustrations by António Eduardo and Mário Miranda and one of the three parts deals with Goa. Between 1960-75 Secuntala de Miranda was exiled in London where she graduated in Sociology and actively took part in the fight against the dictatorship of Salazar and in the Trade Union movement in the UK. [English summary provided by Bernardo Colaço] Full text at http://da.online.pt/news.php?id=94593

Bahrain: Musical treat for Konkanis
8 Feb. Gulf Daily News (Bahrain). A Konkani cultural show, featuring Indian singers based in the Gulf, will be held on February 23 at the Sacred Heart Church's Bishop Trinanzi Auditorium in Manama. The show, entitled Dabazo 2006, is being organised by the Young Goans Club, in association with Karavali Konkans Association. Click here.

DJ: I expected to die
8 Feb. Blackpool Today (UK). Steve Martell, a Blackpool DJ today told how he was 45 minutes away from death when his appendix burst while on holiday in Goa. He underwent emergency surgery after falling dangerously ill. Mr Martell became poorly three days into his trip but was initially misdiagnosed with food poisoning. He underwent surgery in what they say was a dirty, poorly-equipped hospital in Mapusa. 462 words. Click here.

Indian doctors in Britain battle poverty, frustration
9 Feb: NewIndPress.com. They came, they saw, they became depressed - that, in short, is the story of thousands of young unemployed doctors from the Indian subcontinent in Britain, hoping against hope to get a job in the National Health Service (NHS). Living almost in poverty, the doctors - estimated to be nearly 6,000 - have been reduced to partaking free meals in temples and gurdwaras across Britain. Some have been forced to take up whatever work they can find: in petrol stations or fast-food chains or as supermarket attendants. 685 words. Click here.

It's simple to get UK visas for students
9 Feb: Economic Times. Applying for and obtaining a UK visa is probably the simplest of all developed country visas. The British High Commission in Mumbai does not require an interview with all visa applicants. Click here.

Goanet has a report of a paper on Medical Palmistry and its purported scientific use in medicine. This initially appeared in a lead article in the Goan Observer. A critique of the paper is also provided. Sceptics and believers in palmistry should find this unusual material of considerable interest.

Rampant piracy of recorded music is estimated to cost the industry Rs 100 crores per year in Goa itself. Find out why there has been relatively little success in countering such piracy.

To what extent is unbecoming tourist behaviour, by the hotel swimming pool, or on the beach a source of irritation to others? An insightful piece by Arati Menon Carroll spells out some tribulations arising from mass tourism in Goa.

Among several suggestions, Dr Jose Colaco made this helpful one to promote cleanliness at the Goa Medical College. "The Dean and all the heads of department must be prepared to handle a broom and clean up if there is no-one else around to do it at the time...this attitude must percolate through the lower levels as well." The good doctor acknowledges that, this might initially create an union issue. However, would Goan Voice (UK) readers consider this suggestion as one which crosses the borders to a bridge too far? Would the cleaners risk redundancy in time, and more importantly, would medical personnel have the necessary well honed cleaning skills without proper training for the task? Helpful responses would be very welcome to Goanet!

The late Fr John Correia-Afonso "was an illustrious academician and historian" according to Alban Couto, in a substantial tribute to this great son of Goa from Benaulim.

For most Goans who love their socials to continue to the early hours, a new shock directive from the authorities requires that all functions end by 10 p.m. Is this kill joy acceptable to our Goan late night revellers? Do find out about this recent directive, the reasons for it and the manner of its implementation.

Finally, a fascinating piece by Thalman Pereira, titled "When a priest's story says something about Society" indicates how the upper classes of Goa's Catholic population did not look kindly to the spread of education among the lower classes. This theme is closely linked to the vision and work of a "liberating education" provided by Fr Saturino Antao in Salcete, Goa. For such work, "Fr Antao was forever in conflict with the upper class Catholics, and thereby, with the official Catholic hierarchy in Goa to the point where he was relieved of his priestly ministry." This 'must read' piece ends with some restitution for the priest after many years of endeavour. It is also excellent in highlighting tensions arising from class and caste animosity among local Goan people.

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

Mon. 13/2: Discovery Channel: 10.30pm (30mins) The Great Outdoors
Series on outdoor pursuits: .A treasure trove of secrets uncovered in Nairobi, Kenya.

Tues. 14/2: Sky Travel: 6.00pm (60mins) The World's 20 Best...
Travel series. In this edition, the countdown turns to romance, when we overflow with passion in some incredible places like Goa, the Maldives and Florence.

Tues. 14/2: Sky Travel: 7:30pm (30mins) Agra, Kerala, Goa and Melas
Magazine style show travelling the length and breadth of India explores Goa, famous for its wonderful beaches and Portuguese-inspired culture.

Tues. 14/2: Adventure One Channel: 8.00pm (60mins) Mumbai.
India's economic nerve centre pulsates day and night. Explore the seven islands and harbour of this historic city with the help of unique access to its vital organs.

Wed. 15/2: BBC 2: 9.00pm (60mins) Who Do You Think You Are?
Gurinder Chadha, director of Bend It Like Beckham, grew up in Southall in West London, but tracing her ancestors takes her from her dad’s life in Kenya to her grandmother’s experiences during the partition of India. She tries to uncover a family secret and a mystery African cousin.

Wed. 15/2: BBC 2: 11.20pm (30mins) Desi DNA
Asian arts and lifestyle magazine. Reports include a look at violence between Blacks and Asians in Handsworth, Birmingham, and architect Zaha Hadid unveils her latest building in Germany and describes her design plans for the 2012 Olympics. There's music from Parisian Bollywood singer Pascal.

Fri. 17/2: E4 Channel: 9.00pm (60mins) Supernanny
This week's half Indian, half English family consists of mum Caroline, dad Sunil and children Jaimin, Jasmine, Jenna and Jayan.

Radio

Sun.12/2: BBC Radio Four: 7.15pm (30mins) Go 4 It.
Barney Harwood interviews some British children who have recently visited their country of origin, including Morocco, Bulgaria and West India, to find out more about their heritage and how things might have been if they had grown up there.

Wed. 15/2: BBC Radio 4: 2.15pm (45mins) Afternoon Play: Curry Tales
Three plays, each centered around one woman who makes a curry and tells us about her passions, dreams and tragedy: “mood-fusion” curries for New Delhi society: all garnished with ironic comedy.

Sat. 25 Feb. 4 pm to 10:30 pm at Archbishop Lanfranc School, Croydon. Traditional Red & Black evening to celebrate Goan carnival, partly in aid of PEACE HAVEN. Enliven yourself with live bands - Level 4 and Chicco. Dress - Red & Black combination. Tickets (inc. Buffet & snacks) adults £15.00, children 4-12 years £5.00. contact- 0208 932 9375, 0208 640 6589, 0208 681 8716 or email: normancortez@hotmail.com, chicokey72@hotmail.com or cornmonty@tiscali.co.uk

Sun. 26 Feb. Mungul Union (UK) celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel at White Hart Lane School Hall, White Hart Lane, London N22. Live music by "MAZ & CO" and Disco by "FANTASY". Mass at 12.30 pm. For tickets and details, contact by email, piadsilva@hsbc.com