FORTHCOMING

13 May 19:00-24:00 Xavierites Assoc. Annual Dinner Dance. Police Club, Aldenham Road, Bushey, Herts. Music by Velvet Touch. Members and Guests. £25.00 each. Cherie Martins, 020 8363 0086 or e-mail oscarmartins@compuserve.com

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

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

27 May 18.30 - 22.00. BBC Music Live 2000. Merton Hall, 76 Kingston Road, Wimbledon. The Goan Musical Society ensemble is one of the 10 groups participating in the "Festival of Folk Music, Song and Dance from around the World". Adults £6, children £3. Ms Sabitri Ray 0208-648 0084

28 May 13:00-20:00. BBC Music Live 2000 Goan Community Musical Festival. St Thomas Moore School, Glendale Avenue, Wood Green N22. . Entrance £10 adults over 16. £25 per family (inc.members,sen.citizens & unemployed).For tkts tel Candy Fernandes 07956 355 784; Peter Mendes 8809 1782; Januario Po (James) 8444 4420; Ida D'Souza 8881 2921 or Nigel Botelho 8376 1068. Book early to get front seats as they are numbered.

2-4 June. The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London. First International Alumni Reunion of St. Xavier's. The Extravaganza of Events includes Sail in the Millennium boat from Westminster to Greenwich and Fund Raising Concert. London contact Mr. Reza Beyad. Email: rbeyad@zeefax.com Details at: http://www.xaviers.org/exalus.htm

4 June. Wandsworth Town Hall Ex Students from Catholic Parochial and St Teresa's Boys and Girls School, Nairobi. Millennium Reunion. Norma Menezes 020-8771 4457 Menezrahim@aol.com or Tonyjo Fernandes 01895 259947.

6 -13 June. Asian Chaplaincy. Holy Land Pilgrimage. £599. Derek Gomes.020-7263 5203 DEREKGOMES@compuserve.com

18 June. 12:00- Siolim Union. 20th anniversary & Feast of St. Anthony of Padua. Bishop Thomas Grant School, Beltrees Grove, Streatham, London SW16 Mass followed by Dance. Maz & Co. and Fantasy Disco. Members and guests welcome. Derrick Fernandes 020-8395 1084 or Eugene Fernandes 020-8240 0818

22 July. 20:00-24:00. Thames Cruise + Dinner Dance. Limited numbers. Edna Moraes-De Souza 020-8672 1973

23 July. 12:30- Tivim Social. Bishop Thomas Grant School Hall, SW16. Norma Menezes-Rahim 020-8771 4457

30 July. Goan Association UK. Annual Goan Festival. Diego Pinto 020-8767-0663 (offers of help). Norma Menezes-Rahim 020-8771 4457(organisational arrangements). Bernie Gracias 020-8773 1322 (stall applications).

The Cortalim Union London thanks their members and guests for attending the 22nd annual reunion, 30 Apr., and making it a tremendous success. A summary of the event and photographs is now available on the Cortalim Union web site at: http://home.earthlink.net/~nsequeira

Alice DeSouza was the popular winner of the first prize (a portable colour TV) in the raffle at the Uganda Reunion of 1st May.

Patricia Rozario sings in New York on 4th May in a concert at the Church of St. Ignatious of Loyola, Park Ave. at 84th Street, New York.

Young men and women of Goan origin who have demonstrated academic excellence and extra-curricular achievements, are invited to send in their applications for the DeSouza Trust Goa Scholarship, which is administered by the British Council in Bombay.

DEATHS

20 Apr. Saligao. MARIA OLINDA D'SOUZA, wife of late Felix Lazarus, mother of Seby/Lucy, Suzie/Michael, Alba/Tony, Auria (Doha) and Servito/Thereza (London).

22 Apr. Richmond, Canada. JOSEPH PANFILHO VAZ, husband of Margarida D'Souza. Father of Arthur/Barbara; Hazel; Dr Glenn/Dr Cirstina.

23 Apr. Moira JOSEPH NATIVIDADE D'SOUZA (87) (Ex-Nairobi), husband of Laura, father of Joe Braz/Claudine, Loretta/Shreedharan (Vasco), Jeffrey/Venicia & Linette/Tony (UK).

FLIGHT CORNER

Virgin Atlantic expects to operate to New Delhi from July 2000 and bargain fares are likely in the initial period.

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

Christians see hidden agenda in new Marriage and Divorce legislation in India. By Liz Mathew, India Abroad News Service. Text at: http://www.goacom.com/news/news2000/apr/msg00244.html

'Screen foreign nationals'. Call to restrict foreign nationals overstaying and opening businesses in Goa. By Sandesh Prabhudesai Fill text at http://www.goanews.com/27apr00.htm

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

11456 Turning Black into White. Gomantak Times Editorial on Meta Strips forwarded by Tony Correia-Afonso
11427 Goa-UK Teacher exchange. Fred Noronha in the Herald (Goa).
11426 Divar Computers for Goa Schools Project. Emmanuel D'Silva
11355 Suspected French paedophile jumps bail. Forwarded by Eustaquio Santimano
11348 40 Plus Goa Related Mailing Lists. Uly Menezes
11252 Edgar Fernandes Update. Mario Mascarenhas.

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

*17 Apr. Travel Trade Gazette UK & Ireland. Somak Holidays has launched a Goa brochure, which includes a four-night architecture and archaeology tour for £179.

*19 Apr. Gulf News. Raffle millionaire Ralph Mendonca wants to help the poor - By Joanna Langley. 597 words

*22 Apr. The Mirror. … From November until March there are few places in the world more tempting than the laid-back beaches of Goa. 329 words

*22 Apr. The Mirror. Goan like the Clappers… Pat Welland takes the 14 day Enfield Bullet motorcycle tour. 1146 words

*24 Apr. Times of India. Goa's Traffic Rules `Gone With The Winds'. 673 words.

*25 Apr. Times of India. Motorsport - Goa Racing to the Frontline. 628 words.

*25 Apr. Times of India. British-Asians break free from geographical and cultural chains to create own identity. 1128 words.

*29 Apr. Daily Telegraph. Weekend - Food and drink - Pint of best and curry in a basket, please. Christopher Middleton finds pubs and poppadoms are an ideal mix… At Pele's Balti Pub, 1059 Foleshill Road, Coventry "regulars relish the opportunity to try Goa sungtachi, a rich and spicy prawn curry." 884 words.

2 May. Asian Age. Industry unhappy with low-profit Goa tourism by Pamela D'Mello. Full text at: http://www.goacom.com/news/news2000/apr/msg00259.html