Goan Voice UK: Newsletter. Issue 2005-44. Nov. 17, 2005

From Eddie Fernandes. I will be in Goa from 18 Nov. till 9 Dec. and I will try to maintain continuity of newsletter service during the period. You can e-mail me as before at eddie@fernandes.u-net.com In case of urgency please email Bernie Gracias at BERNIEGRACIAS@aol.com (tel
020-8723-1322) with copies to me and sneha@goacom.org

Toronto: Ivan Fernandes (ex-Uganda) : Crown attorney and Judge. R.I.P.
15 Nov: The Globe and Mail. Excerpts: Born 1956, in Mbarara, Uganda. Died June 8 in Toronto of liver cancer, aged 48. The life of Ivan Fernandes is exemplary and inspiring in its testimony to the potential strength of the human spirit and to the nature of Canada's multicultural society. His parents had emigrated to Uganda from Mangalore … Life in Uganda was close to idyllic. … in 1972 the family arrived in Kingston, Ont. Ivan, after earning an MA in political science, attended law school and joined the Crown attorney's office … he was appointed as a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto in 2000. When a reporter asked him for his origins he replied, “I am Russian by name, I am Portuguese by surname, I am Indian by origin, Ugandan by birth, English by education, Canadian by residence, and I am Scotch by consumption.” For text, 637 words, click here.
For a photograph of him click here.

2 Nov: Hereford, UK. DORIS GODSALL (aged 65, nee Lopez, ex St.Theresa’s School, Nairobi). Wife of Dennis. Mother of Sandra, Sheila and Helen and late Ashley. Brother of Gilbert. Funeral was on 11 Nov. Condolences to gilbert.lopez@btinternet.com

11 Nov: Silversprings, Maryland, USA. DIEGO FERREIRA (ex Victor Photographers Dar es Salaam) Husband of Virginia. Father of Samantha/Donald DeCosta, Theraz/Venassa and Johnlee. Grandfather of Sabrina and Sarah Decosta. Funeral will be held on Tuesday Nov 15. [From Darryl Gomes via Goans Tanzanite]

Teresa De Souza.
13 Nov. The Express on Sunday (UK). Pamela Pask (nee Jordan), Geraldine (Deanie) Perry and Terry Liversage (nee Davies) are looking for Teresa De Souza. They all attended Bexley Technical School for Girls, Bexleyheath, leaving in 1961-62. They hope that she (or someone who knows her) reads this and puts them in touch so they can catch up on the last 40 years. Teresa belonged to the Welling Cycling Club and spent most Sundays with members on country rides. Her father had a motorbike and sidecar and would take them out to the seaside in summer. Email sundayexletters@express.co.uk

“When you think of holiday, you think of Goa” - Pooja Bhatt
12 Nov: India FM. Pooja Bhatt’s new film Holiday is set in Goa. In answer to the question, “Why did you decide on Goa as the location for the film?” she replied, “Whenever, someone says the word 'holiday', 99% of the time, Goa comes to their mind. My house is in Goa … When you think of a holiday, you think of Goa. In most people's mind Goa equals to holiday. That is why we decided on Goa as the location.”
http://www.indiafm.com/features/2005/11/12/830/
Holiday is the story of a family who goes to Goa on a vacation to unwind. When they embark on a month long vacation to Goa, none of them have a clue that this ‘Holiday’ will change their lives forever… For info on the film, click here.

Goa expects record 800,000 tourists in Christmas season
14 Nov: Zee News. Click here.

Goa is the dream destination for anyone with marital troubles.
15 Nov: MidDay. Click here.

Escape the chavs
15 Nov. The Scotsman. Today, a new distraction has emerged from the airport arrivals lounge: the "chaveller". The Burberry bikini is packed, Kappa shellsuit zipped up and duty-free long since consumed, the "chav", a working-class youth with a taste for chunky gold and designer labels, has now gone global, according to a report. He is frightening off middle-class holiday-makers from exotic destinations, such as India … The golden sands of Goa were once the preserve of backpackers prepared to rough it in wooden huts, but now that a solid commercial infrastructure is in place, the chavs have followed. Click here.

Caution sounded against Goa's potential to spread HIV
11 Nov: The Hindu. Finding a direct connection between high alcohol consumption and tendency towards unprotected sex leading to high risk potential for HIV contraction, a pilot project in an on-going study here has sounded a note of caution: Goa could develop into a major Indian location for HIV transmission where alcohol is free flowing. The study is taken up by a Goa-based non-governmental organisation, Sangath, in collaboration with Alcohol Research Group, Berkley, U.S. Click here.

Organised antique racket denudes Goan churches of priceless artefacts
11 Nov: Daily News & Analysis. Excerpts: Antique statues and rare paintings housed in churches and chapels in Goa, are under threat from an organised racket to plunder their rich heritage … So far this month alone the churches at Pilerne, Guirim and Borda have been ransacked and the one at Colva has come under attack … unscrupulous buyers are willing to fence the artefacts over the Internet. One such message reads: "Straight from Goa, a rare antique statue of St Ignatius de Loyola, in excellent condition; also, an 18th century Indo-Portuguese pieta, of direct Goan provenance.” http://dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=9453

Goa: Lights, camera, action - By Pamela D’Mello
12 Nov: Asian Age. As permanent hosts for the International Film Festival of India, Goa’s administration on Friday unveiled a new festival poster and announced a reel of events to notch off IFFI 2005 as a grand success. . Click here.

Goa to offer 25,000 IT jobs in 5 years
12 Nov: Rediff.com. The Goa government has embarked on several major initiatives to boost the information technology sector to attract investments through incentives and create employment opportunities for 25,000 people within the next five years. Tenders to this effect would soon be floated for laying of optical fibre cable with 1GB connectivity … the government had decided to allocate one lakh square metres of prime land at Dona Paula to the IT leader Wipro after so that the company could start services like the call centres. http://us.rediff.com/money/2005/nov/12goa.htm

Czech President all praise about Goa’s scenic beauty
12 Nov: Navhind Times. The President of Czech Republic, Dr Vaclav Klaus was all praises about Goa’s scenic beauty and architecture. He said, “I shall carry with me, pictures of Goa with fond memories and promote this state in Czech Republic, as a tourist destination, through print and electronic media.” He was on a two-day visit to Goa. . Click here.

8 US leaders on four-day visit to Goa
13 Nov: WebIndia.com. An eight-member delegation of young US politicians will interact with their Goan from tomorrow.
The visit is a part of an exchange programme under the aegis of the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL). Click here.

Goa factories hit as Bihari workers flee
13 Nov: Indian Express. Almost two weeks after migrant workers in the Honda industrial estate were attacked following resentment brewing in the area, factories have suspended production as most of their workforce has fled … There was much resentment against the Biharis since they were willing to work for just Rs 60 to Rs 70 per day, far below the prescribed
minimum wages. Local workers demand as much as Rs 120 per shift in addition to overtime for extra hours … The already tense situation in the area worsened when some of the migrants teased local girls, police said … Some Bihari migrants were then taken out of their homes and beaten up. Click here.

First Funds to open call centre in Goa
15 Nov: Business Standard. New York-based First Funds plans to start its state-of-the-art call centre in Goa soon. First Funds has teamed up with Connekt Inc, a player in the IT and IT-enabled services segment, for this purpose. Greg Kular, chief executive officer of First Funds, said, “A large pool of English-speaking workforce has spurred us plan our operations here.”
Armando Noronha, director of Connekt Inc, said, “With the first multinational call centre deciding to start operations in the state, this is the first step towards making Goa an IT destination.” Click here.

Uccasaim: Some villages are different
15 Nov: Daily News & Analysis. Uccasaim is a small village, nestled between paddy fields and a picturesque hill that it does not show up even on a local map of the Goa … residents gather at the plaza, and while away the evening with a snifter or two of feni … Goa gives you a sense of belonging … the villages are truly communities, where the communidades (panchayats) are a positive force. 805 words. Click here.

Goan Voice (UK) readers could come across the following For Sale message on the Internet. "Straight out from Goa, a rare unique statue of St. Ignatius de Loyola, in excellent condition; also, an 18th century Indo-Portuguese pieta, of direct Goan provenance..." Unfortunately, the probability is that these are stolen artefacts from chapels and churches in Goa. Find out more about this scandalous international 'racket' from Goanet.

Many young Goans drawn towards IT college courses have often been disappointed in not finding appropriate work in Goa itself. This problem will now be addressed by the government in Goa in its plans to create employment opportunities for 25,000 IT personnel within five years. In another article, do find out about the $100 laptop project which is debated on Goanet.

A national exhibition-cum-sale titled 'Goa Saras Fair-2005' will display national crafts from November 14, 2005. It will coincide with the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Panjim/Panaji, Goa.

There is much construction, industrial and agricultural work in Goa which is highly dependent on migrant labour from Bihar and other parts of India. However, tensions have emerged over the use of such migrant labour and this issue is featured in some detail on Goanet.

Finally, if readers want to "unwind yourself through an exotic high sea cruise" then find out more from Goanet. There are four, two or one night cruises from Mumbai port to exotic locations including the Goa coastline.

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

Abu Salem extradited from Portugal to India.
11 Nov. Abu Salem is one of the Indian underworld's most dreaded figures. He fled India after the 1993 Mumbai bombings, which left 1,000 injured, with his companion and former Bollywood actress Monica Bedi. The couple landed up in Portugal and lived in the capital Lisbon among the expatriate Indian Goan community. But their luck ran out in 2002 when they were arrested by the Portuguese police at the behest of the Interpol. Photos and text at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4427536.stm
12 Nov: NewIndPress Excerpt: The Policia Gudaiciaria, a crack wing of the Portuguese police, believed that the Martim Moniz shopping mall was just the place where Abu Salem would show up. Shops in this crowded mall in old Lisbon are owned mostly by Goans, and if there is one place in Portugal with a flavour of distant Mumbai, this is it. A full-scale vigil was mounted at the shopping mall. Sure enough, Abu Salem did turn up. . Click here.

Sun, surf, sand and boho chic
13 Nov: Mumbai Mirror. Goa is where designers Yahel Chirinian and Doris Zacheres’s art is … They set up base in a quiet retreat in Sangolda, Goa, five years ago, but today boast of high profile clients based in Malibu and Beverly Hills … In Goa, the duo are known to throw robust parties while at other times head to Cavala to soak up the spirit of Jazz combined with the local flavour. "We need to live in Goa for another 20 years. I have enough ideas to keep ourselves occupied for at least ten years," says Yahel. “On second thought, we should live here forever.” Click here.

Kampala: restaurant Review.
13 Nov: The Monitor, Uganda, ... Like any decent Indian restaurant, there are the old favourite that we have come to love such as Goan curry - it is the coconut base that I love about it ... http://www.monitor.co.ug/sunday/life/life111320.php

Laila Rouass weds millionaire
13 Nov: The News of the World in an exclusive reported that Laila Rouass has secretly married mobile phone tycoon, Nasa Khan. The wedding on Friday was a strictly private affair. Laila was previously married when she was just 16 but divorced nearly three years ago. For the Laila Rouass profile click here.

CREDO: 'True happiness is not to look for it': By Deepak Chopra
13 Nov. Independent On Sunday. Excerpt: I believe that the best food in the world is Goa fish curry. This is my favourite dish and I eat it a lot.

Young Britons flock east to answer India's call-centre crisis
13 Nov: Independent on Sunday (UK). In a remarkable reversal, the subcontinent's telesales firms are eagerly recruiting British labour to fill a skills shortage paying them £350 a month … a stint in the call centres followed by a period mellowing out on Goa's beaches … is becoming the fashionable way for single young Britons to spend a gap year. Click here.

Mombasa to host 2007 World Cross Country Championships
14 Nov: East African Standard. Click here.

UK: Ethnic Minorities break 'class barrier'
14 Nov: BBC. Young people from working class ethnic minorities tend to out-perform their white counterparts, says a report.
Research into 140,000 children over 30 years found immigrant families breaking through class barriers, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said. Half of children from Indian working class families went into professional or managerial posts, compared with 43% of white children, it found. Click here.
For the report click here.

Fashion's Doctor Feelgood
15 Nov: Times of India. What keeps Wendell Rodricks in Goa? “I have enough space in my mind. Okay, there are disadvantages of living in a village like I do, but the pluses outweigh the minuses … In Goa, people know who I am, but aren't bothered. I interact with the villagers, take in the milk and papers each morning," he says … Wendell loves his work. "I'm like a feelgood doctor. I love making people feel and look good." Click here.

Couple Help In Tsunami Zone
15 Nov: Express & Echo, Devon, UK. Charity workers Clive and Pat Baker have returned from Sri Lanka after spending their annual holiday helping victims of the tsunami … Earlier this year, the Bakers launched an appeal to raise £75,000 for a new hospital to treat Aids victims in Goa, India. They had been to the country to witness the suffering and were so shocked by what they saw that they decided to offer help. For the past year they have been helping to run the hospice which cares for 12 terminally ill orphans aged from six months to 12 years. Those wishing to donate money can contact Mr and Mrs Baker on 01395 276148. Click here.

Obituary: Simon Watson Taylor. By George Melly
16 Nov: The Independent (UK). Simon Watson Taylor, actor, translator and air steward: born Wallingford, Oxfordshire 15 May 1923; died London 4 November 2005. Excerpt: When Watson Taylor eventually got bored he went the whole hog. He dismissed jazz, selling all his valuable 78s for a mere £50, discarded his suits for hippie clothing and set off for Goa and the beach, with its wild teenagers, drugs and very loud rock and roll. It was party, party time. He returned to Britain occasionally, typically to visit his dentist … Click here.

Pig slaughter: John Abraham writes to Goa CM
16 Nov: WebIndia.123.com. Actor John Abraham has dashed off an impassioned missive to Goa Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane urging him to halt illegal and callous slaughter of pigs in Goa. Click here.

Sun. 20/11: Animal Planet: 8.00pm (60mins) Wild India
A focus on creatures which live in the water, including giant mantra rays and a strange octopus.

Fri. 25/11: Channel 4: 1.00am (160 mins) Film: Jism
Erotic thriller ending the Bollywood sirens season. A lawyer is drawn into a plot to kill a wealthy industrialist after he embarks on a passionate affair with the man’s wife. In Hindi with English subtitles.

Sat. 19/11: BBC Radio 3: 10.15pm (20mins) Between the Ears
A Very English Ganges: Every Hindu traditionally wishes to have their ashes scattered on the holy waters of the Ganges. But what of the British Hindu community who have made their homes here? Whilst many make the long trip to India with the ashes of a loved one, others have quietly found an alternative closer to home. Poet Debjani Chatterjee investigates a generation finding new ways to uphold tradition, based on the Hindu belief that ultimately all rivers become one.

Sun. 20/11: BBC Radio 4: 6.05am (30mins) Something Understood
The Meaning of Mantras. What are the techniques and benefits of meditation and why is there in some of the traditional churches, an enduring suspicion of the practice? Mark Tully explores.

Sun. 20/11: BBC Radio 4: 7.45pm (45mins) Tales from Firozsha Baig
Of White Hairs and Cricket. Set in a Bombay apartment building. A 14 year old boy realizes for the first time that his father may not live forever. By Rohinton Mistry.

Wed. 23/11: BBC Radio Scotland: 11.05am (25mins) Documentary: Secret Lives
Examining people's double lives. Mark Daly, the BBC's 'secret policeman' who revealed the racism in the police force.

Sun. 20 Nov. Charity Dance (in aid of Osteoporosis Bone Disease) at Archbishop Lanfranc School from 12.30pm to 8.30pm. Music by: Mustang & Say One Do One. Admission: Adults £12 including food, Children 4 – 10 years £5. Contact: Irene Mendonca 020 - 8767 2762, Derrick Pereira 020 –8 952 8899, Cornelius Monteiro 020 – 8681 8716.

SOLD OUT! Sun. 20 Nov. Navelim Union Feast of Lady of Rosary. Strictly, no tickets will be sold at the door - please avoid acrimony - no ticket, no entry!

Fri. 25 Nov. From 7.30pm – HAPC Dinner & Dance in aid of the South Asia Earthquake Appeal. The HELP A POOR CHILD charity www.helpapoorchild.com has, with generous support from various sponsors and companies, organised a Dinner & Dance and the exquisite Banqueting Suite, ATHENA, Rutland Street, Leicester. Local Goan band KARIBU and Orchestra MUSIC WORLD (from India) will provide the entertainment. For tickets and further information please email info@helpapoorchild.com or call the Box Office 0870 600 50 40.

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

Sun. 4 Dec. G.O.A. FEAST OF ST FRANCIS XAVIER. Our Lady of the Visitation Church, Greenford Road, Greenford, Middlesex. Mass at 1.30pm, followed by a social in the Parish Centre. Tickets for social only £3 single £5 couple. Contacts: Diego Pinto 020 - 8767 0663 Alfred Rebello 020 - 8337 8022. A coach is being organised from Croydon, with a pick-up in Tooting, cost £5 per person. Contact: Cornelius Monteiro on 020-8681 8716.

Sun 11 Dec. G.O.A. CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS PANTO. CINDERELLA - The Most Magical Panto Of Them All! - featuring the "Spectacular Flying Coach and Horses" at Fairfield Hall, Croydon. Tickets: Members £6, non-members £12. Reporting time 12.30pm. Contact: Norma Menezes-Rahim 020 - 8771 4457. Bernie Gracias 020 - 8723 1322

Sun. 18 Dec. 5.00pm - The Asian Chaplaincy. Konkani Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady & St Christopher's Catholic Church, 32 High Street, Cranford, Middlesex

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.