COMMUNITY NEWS

Rabi Martins selected at LD General Election candidate
	Congratulations to Rabi Martins who has been selected to contest the Regents Park and Kensington North Constituency as the Liberal Democrats candidate in the next General Election. If you live in the area or if you can assist him do contact him at Rabi.martins@watford.gov.uk
Rabi Martins is currently a Watford Councillor and has been an active member and office bearer of the UK Goan Community. Check out his profile at http://goanvoice.org.uk/supplement/RabiMartins.html

UK: Winifred Lobo feels duped by supermarket
3 Feb: Sevenoaks Chronicle. Winifred Lobo, 73, has hit out at Sainsbury's for allowing one of its salesmen to "trick" her into signing up for a telephone package. Winifred from Otford, claims she was tricked by a staff member at the store on Sevenoaks Road. It was only when she returned home that she realised she had agreed to pay out £9.99 a month to the food chain and now wants to warn others to beware of being forced into a confusing agreement. The incident happened on January 18 but, thankfully, Mrs Lobo did manage to cancel the agreement before any money was taken out of her account. A spokesman from Sainsbury's said: "We apologise to the customer.”
Winifred Lobo, ex-Nairobi South was married to M.P. Lobo (National & Grindlays who died in 1997). 352 words. For full text click here.

They are frustrated because they can’t yet proclaim "prejudice is good"
	4 Feb. The Western Mail. When Christine Chapman began organising a meeting on racism, friends warned her it could be a flop. But suddenly it was a hot topic. Claude Moraes had flown in from Brussels, and there was a very successful meeting with the liveliest public discussion I’ve heard in years. From the floor we heard contributions from some of the few immigrants to have settled in these parts. Some reported finding a kinder welcome in our hillsides than in England.
Others described the hurt of an ostracised child in a strange school, or trying to integrate in a place where in-comers are so rare that there’s no-one who speaks your language. [For a profile of Claude Moraes see http://www.claudemoraes.net/]

Painter as rebel. 6 Feb. The Tribune. A profile of artist Francis Newton Souza who was born in Saligao, Goa in 1924. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050206/spectrum/main2.htm Art sales: Indian heatwave, By Colin Gleadell 7 Feb: The Telegraph. Excerpts: In 1993 Tate director Nicholas Serota lavished what then seemed an extraordinary amount – £6,000 – on an angst-ridden '50s painting of a Crucifixion by London-based Indian artist Francis Newton Souza. As dealer Stephen Paisnel, who once carried a huge stock of Souza's work, remembers: "People used to laugh at the paintings. It was something xenophobic. In the late '80s I couldn't give them away."… Last November, another '50s painting by Souza sold for $183,000… Crucifixion Next week, 45 works by nine of the most sought after artists (including Souza and Husain) will be shown at the Berkeley Square Gallery in Bruton Street before being auctioned on the internet on March 1 and 2 by Saffronart…. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2005/02/07/bawb07.xml [The image shows Tate’s Crucifixion by Souza]

HELP A POOR CHILD, the children's registered charity founded in 1980, has together with its centre in Chennai, India put together an ambitious plan to build a Children's Village for some of the children orphaned by the tsunami. The plan has received support from the charity's Patron, Keith Vaz MP, and is well underway to raise initially £105,000. Derrick Pereira, HAPC's current chairman, is confident of reaching this milestone saying that "the generosity of the community has been just amazing.
At our New Year's Eve Gala Ball, over £800 was raised during a bucket collection as people emptied out their pockets when leaving the hall. Dark Star Social Club chipped in with the Raffle Sales and so the project has kick started with £2,000. Additionally, various groups/communities organising local tsunami fund-raising functions have pledged to donate all proceeds towards this project." More details about the Children's Village project can be obtained by emailing tsunami@hapc.co.uk or calling 020 8387 1703.

The HELP A POOR CHILD charity has organised a get-together next Thursday 10th February 7.00pm to 9.00pm at the India Club House, Strand. All those who are interested in the work of the charity do please come along. All are welcome. Entrance Free. For more details please email info@hapc.co.uk or call 020-8387 1703.

Getting married soon?
ITV1 is looking for 15 couples getting married before June 2005 to share their love stories and their big day for a new TV series. If you’re interested in taking part please email your details to weddings@isismedia.co.uk for more information.

DEATHS

8 Feb: Agassaim, Goa. FRANCIS XAVIER GOMES. Husband of Blandina. Father of Ana Francisca (Bacun)/Bernardo (London), Francis (Mariano)/Laura (Muscat), Lurdina/Baptist, Lawrence/Miffa (Muscat),Socorina/Nazareth (Bahrain), Rosy/Pascoal (Bahrain).

6 Feb. Reading, UK. AVITO DA SILVA (ex Belgaum & Nairobi). Brother of Bernice, Sybil & Eric. Funeral details to follow.

4 Feb. Toronto. NORA FERNANDES (nee Braganza; ex Kisumu/Nairobi). Wife of Joe. Mother of Nigel and Nicole. Sister of late Marcus, Daisy D'Souza, Margaret Vaz, Alice D'Souza and Henry. Funeral was on February 8, 2005 Condolences to gretabraganza@yahoo.com

3 Feb. Chinchinim, Goa. OPHELIA GOMES (ex-Nairobi). Wife of the late Baltazar Gomes (ex-Railways). Mother of Adela/Elphy DeSouza, Silvano/Dolores Gomes, Amery Gomes and Percy/Alice Gomes. Grandmother of Sharon and Linus De Souza, Carl/Elizabeth Gomes, Efraim and Estelle Gomes and Danny and Cheryl Gomes. Sister of the late Gaudencio Almeida, Sircula/Bartu Noronha, the late Immaculate Coelho, Elma/Steve Alvares and Magneric/Odette Almeida. Condolences to Silvano Gomes silvano.gomez@ca.schneider-electric.com

HEALTH TOURISM: INDIA

I have prepared a guide to Indian Health Tourism. Some of the contents:

1. Lists of Indian Hospitals including the Indian Govt list of recognised private hospitals and approved treatment charges. Also the Indian High Commission UK list.
2. TeleMedicine sites offering free advice to patients by e-mail.
3. Medical, Beauty and Wellness Tourism Portal sites.
4. Some Press references to Health Tourism including:
    a. The Guardian. 1 Feb 2005: Is health tourism the future?
    b. Bloomberg.com. 27 Jan 2005. Indian Hospitals Lure Foreigners. 3425 words.

Check out the guide at http://goanvoice.org.uk/supplement/HealthTourism.htm and do send in your comments and suggestions.

HOLIDAY INFORMATION

Water way to skate
3 Feb: Chorley Guardian, Lancashire. Carl Arnfield is a keen skateboarder who travels the world whilst indulging in his passion. He has recently visited the new skate centre in Goa – check out his site www.middle-age-shred.com for his experiences. For full text of the article click here.
For the dedicated Skateboarding in Goa website visit http://www.sk8goa.com/ There you will find skateboarding holiday packages on offer.

Beaches of bliss
6 Feb. Sunday Age (Australia). Calangute, Goa, India: Back in the '70s this is where the hippies came to smoke dope, write poetry and wash their undies. Goa is India's smallest state and, as a former Portuguese colony for 450 years, has a culture unlike the rest of the nation. It faces on to the Arabian Sea, is never cold and has distinct wet (June-October) and dry seasons. Millions of tourists still rock on down but the hippies have moved on or grown old. The infrastructure works well, since the beach was developed only a couple of decades ago, and the beach itself is totally glorious. Facing west, it has spectacular sunsets coinciding neatly with the cocktail hour. Drinks are available from beach shacks or luxury hotels; you can get fried prawns just about everywhere. If Calangute has a close rival, it's Colva Beach; quieter, less developed, about 20 kilometres of fine white sand, palm trees and not much else.

It is a fusion of culture in Goa
6 Feb: Times of India. A large number of foreign tourists abound in Goa to learn about the local culture and food. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1012775.cms

Goa: The Coast That Was Spared the Storm
8 Feb: The Moscow Times. In spite of the increasing presence of Western chain hotels and European holiday-goers -- Goa has been a particular favorite of Russians in recent years -- many coastal villages retain a powerful tranquility.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2005/02/08/015.html

Try the local remedy
9 Feb. Herald Express (UK). Remember many things here are now available overseas. Especially in heavily westernised resorts. Just ask a Dartmouth reader travelling to Goa. She paid £3 for six diarrhoea tablets. Yet at her hotel the same brand were available at £1 for 10.

PRIZE COMPETITION

GOA NEWS HEADLINES

Recent Items of Interest on Goanet by Bosco D’Mello

In the past week the discussion on Goanet has been mainly on the change in Government in Goa. Many held the view that Mr. Parrikar had it coming and was pushed out of the Chief Minister's office the way he came there - by bribing his way there. Others contended that the current dispensation would not last long as it was a motley collection of politicians that always put themselves first. Others were of the point of view that President's Rule was the best solution to keep greedy politicians at bay. In unanimity Goanetters expressed dismay at the turn of events in their state as it is all the more evident that politicians of all hues care more about themselves than the people of Goa.

There was also a discussion re the Swastika - its relationship with Nazism and its place in Hinduism. Besides the discussion, there were a few links provided to encyclopedias.

The debate on Caste, practiced among Goan Catholics, specifically in the Goan Catholic Church and in the Diaspora resumed after a short lull. A number of real-world examples were provided by Goanetters who have witnessed the practice of Casteism.

There was also a brief debate titled "Is India a racist country". The Government of India policy of charging Foreigners higher rates than Indians at tourist sites and airlines charging higher fares for air tickets purchased overseas than those purchased in India initiated this debate.

Please visit the Goanet archives at http://www.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet/ To subscribe to Goanet send an email to viviana@goanet.org

IN THE NEWS

Montreal: Quebec Goan Association annual general meeting.
3 Feb: Montreal Gazette. The Quebec Goan Association holds its annual general meeting on Feb. 20 at 2:15 p.m. at the Forest Village Condominium hall, 457 Spring Garden Rd. in Dollard des Ormeaux. Call (514) 626-8518.

Jonathan Ross' father in law has moved to Goa
3 Feb. The Evening Standard (London). Rose Rouse reveals that Stuart Goldman, the father of Jonathan Ross's wife, Jane Goldman now lives in Goa.

Kenya: The Nation’s Sports Desk
6 Feb: The Nation. Philip Ndoo the first African sportswriter, appointed by the Nation Group in 1969 died last week. He joined the team of Norman Da Costa, Polly Fernandes and Peter Moll. In 1973 Ndoo went to the United States for further education majored in journalism and economics. He always told Moll jokingly that he would come back to take over the sports desk. It came to pass that Moll resigned from the Nation before Ndoo's return. Ndoo had to wait his turn behind Norman Da Costa who eventually migrated to Canada for a lifelong assignment with the Toronto Star. http://allafrica.com/stories/200502040825.html

Cilla Black: Love on the Rocks
6 Feb: The People (UK). Cilla Black's romance with a soccer tycoon has hit the rocks. She has been left hurt and confused after Reading Football Club chairman John Madejski backed off from their blossoming relationship. She was disappointed when the £220 million tycoon chose to fly off for a New Year's holiday to Goa while she sunned herself at her luxury home in Barbados. For full text click here

UK: Television: Cold Feet’s Robert Steps into the frame
6 Feb. Sunday Mail. Former Cold Feet star Robert Bathurst plays arrogant barrister Christopher Veazey, the natural father of a missing teenager in an all-star drama, The Stepfather. Robert, 46, who is married to artist Victoria Threlfall with whom he has four young daughters, is not long back from a holiday with his family in Goa, India. He was there when the tsunami struck but fortunately avoided the devastation which struck South East Asia, although he was aware something was wrong when he was swimming in the sea. He said: "The day it happened the sea emptied and filled about five times, which was strange. You’d be swimming out of your depth and then the water would only be up to your knees. I got the children out of the water and then the sea did rise so we went to higher ground."

Indians to gain from US immigration policy
6 Feb. Times of India. Indians will be the biggest beneficiaries of any new immigration policy that US President George W Bush might unveil. Among the large variety of immigrants to the US, Indians constitute the best-educated group of foreign-born migrants, and therefore, most likely to be welcomed. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1013110.cms

UK: Stop this continual abuse of immigrants. By Yasmin Alibhai-Brown.
7 Feb: The Independent. Leaders from all parties wonder why so many immigrants and their children repudiate calls for integration. Which leader will emerge as the most ruthless on immigration? This week, Robert Kilroy-Silk, aryan man, little Englander, launched his new party, Veritas, which promises to expurgate all foreign cultures from this idyllic island and to rid the place of migrants. Michael Howard, both afraid of, and transfixed by, this blondish wonder, produced his own malevolent policies against asylum- seekers and migrants.
http://comment.independent.co.uk/columnists_a_l/yasmin_alibhai_brown/story.jsp?story=608360

UK sets out new rules for non-EU immigrants
7 Feb: Financial Times (UK). The UK government on Monday unveiled tighter immigration rules for low-skilled migrants from outside the European Union. http://news.ft.com/cms/s/8bdb23a6-793e-11d9-89c5-00000e2511c8.html

Musicians to promote 'heritage jazz' in Goa
7 Feb: Channel News Asia, Singapore. Musicians in a tourist resort in India have come up with the idea of "heritage jazz". The aim is to promote jazz performances at age-old heritage buildings dating back to Portuguese rule. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southasia/view/131245/1/.html

Mumbai: Pancake fest.
8 Feb: Midday. Mumbai’s first, pancake-making competition. Members of St Theresa Church pitted their skills against each other to make the best pancakes while their supporters cheered. Finally on display was a feast of pancakes made with Goan, Mangalorean, East Indian and Portuguese recipes. http://web.mid-day.com/news/city/2005/february/103165.htm

Goa beach parties on the way out, says new government
9 Feb: Hard Dance (London). The new state government cracked the whip on rave parties by instructing the police not to allow a single rave party on the Anjuna-Arpora beach belt. http://www.harddancelondon.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=436

Vatican tightens code for marriage annulments
9 Feb: The Guardian. The Guardian. Facing an increasing number of marriage annulments, the Vatican yesterday made its first move in 70 years to try to ensure that Catholics do not win the Church's blessing to end their marriages for the wrong reasons.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/pope/story/0,12272,1408899,00.html

UAE: Migrants' woes in Dubai worker camps
10 Feb: BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4249223.stm

Hockey: Riches-to-rags India finally goes professional
9 Feb: Hindustan Times. http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1232843,00070007.htm

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

Sat 12 Feb. 7.30 pm- Valentine’s Day Dance in aid of the Tsunami Fund. Goan Community Centre, Keston Road, London N17. Music/Disco by Chico. £10 inc meal & a drink. Tel. Candy 079 6104 4079.

Sat 12 Feb. YLGS Valentines Party "Goans n' Roses" at The River Suite, Walkabout Temple from 8pm-2am. NEW MEMBERS 18+ WELCOME! Tickets £8. Music by Say One Do One. For more info contact Alison Braganza, Events Manager at events@ylgs.org.uk or on 07799 586793

Sat 12 Feb. 7.00 till 1am. Children Walking Tall: Fundraising Birthday Party. Calling Faerie Folk throughout the land to a tribal gathering of merriment & mayhem. The Neptune, Undercliffe Drive , By Bossombe Pier, Bournemouth. Door Charge in aid of Children Walking Tall Contact Names Julie Ann or Iris on 01202 565550 or 01202 267005 or on mobiles 07967308695 or 07786635262. Please mention Children Walking Tall. Details of the Charity at
http://www.childrenwalkingtall.com/

Sun 20 Feb. GOA Fundraising Function For Tsunami Victims at Archbishop Lanfranc School, Mitcham Road, Croydon. Commencing with Mass at 12 noon, followed by a social and cultural programme. Offers of help to Diego Pinto 020 8767 0663, Cornelius Monteiro 020 8681 8716. Donations by cheque payable to 'GOA (UK) Ltd' to 76 Middleton Avenue, Greenford, Middlesex UB6 8BS.

Sat. 26 Feb. 7.30 to 11.30 pm. Fundraising Tsunami Charity Dance. Richard Challoner School, Manor Drive North, New Malden Surrey. KT3 5PE. £ 7.50 adult, £ 3.50 child (under 16). Music by Canute's Disco. Please bring your own drinks & glasses Snack food will be on sale. Canute/Delia: 020 8540 1249; Effie Rebello: 020 8542 7880; Ann Vaz: 020 543 0968; Elaine Cardazonni: 020 8395 6827.

Sun. 27 Feb. 5.00pm - The Asian Chaplaincy. Konkani Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady & St Christopher's Catholic Church, 32 High Street, Cranford, Middlesex

Sun 27 Feb. G.O.A. Snooker Doubles Knockout Tournament. 9.30am to 5.00pm at the Royal Surrey Snooker Club, 1/9 Abbotsbury Road, Morden, Surrey (opposite Woolworths). Entries by email to: malawifelix@hotmail.com Lazarus Rato 020 - 8767 0342

Sun. 27 Feb. The AGM of the Margao Union UK will be held at the Goan Community Centre, Keston Road, Tottenham, London N17 at 4.00 pm. This meeting is open to all Margonkars. For details contact- Bella 020 8372 1253 Mike 020 8803 9752 or Gregg 020 8907 0545.

Sun. 13 Mar. 5.00pm - The Asian Chaplaincy. Konkani Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady & St Christopher's Catholic Church, 32 High Street, Cranford, Middlesex

Sun 20 Mar G.O.A. Singles Carrom Tournament - Mens & Ladies Singles: (Entry fee 3.00) Children: 7-12 Singles: (No entry fee) Venue: HSBC Sports Club, Lennard Road, New Beckenham BR3 1QW. (Time: 10.30 am) - Contacts: Richard Fernandes 020 – 8300 5347, Assumption Gomes 020 – 8641 5995, Viju DeSouza 01784 – 430547, Desmond Britto 020 – 8543 4352, Lazarus Rato 020 - 8767 0342.

Sun. 27 Mar. G.O.A. Strictly Come Dancing at Lola Jones Hall, Greaves Place, Tooting. Jive and Freestyle Disco Competition. Dark Star in attendance. Further details from - Norma Menezes-Rahim 020 - 8771 4457, Bernie Gracias 020 - 8723 1322

Sun. 17 Apr. YLGS El Shaddai Fundraising Dance. at Bishop Thomas Grant School. Starts with Holy Mass at 12.00 followed by Dancing & Slave/Talent Auction. Music provided by Breakthru, Maz & Co and Guava Groove! Food & Drink will be on Sale. Special Guest Speaker, Keith Vaz MP. Contact Alison Braganza at events@ylgs.org.uk or on 07799 586793. For Tickets, Info & updates check the flyer at http://www.ylgs.org.uk/images/elshaddai.gif

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