COMMUNITY NEWS

UK: Housing Support For Asian Elders - Ashiana/Basera
From Edwin D'Souza of Ashiana: Increasingly people from the Asian Sub-continent are finding it hard to find a suitable place to live as they approach retirement age. For Asian elders, who do not always want to live within the traditional extended family unit and are still capable of looking after themselves, but may need some assistance, Supported Housing will be preferrable to Residential and Care homes.
Properties consist of part-furnished self contained flats with bedroom, living room, kitchen and bathroom. Benefits include communal TV lounge/kitchen, laundry facilities, gym, secure door entry system/CCTV and 24 hour call emergency system. Nottingham Community Housing Association Limited is a charity - Registered Number 20614R For further information email:
ashiana@ncha.org.uk or telephone 0115 9107268 or new number from early in 2007 - 0115 844 3534

Clement Lobo: Victory for Tube Driver in Discrimination Claim
4 Dec: Hounslow Guardian.   London Underground Ltd (LUL) has been ordered to reinstate a tube worker for race and sex discrimination, as well as pay him £25,000 in compensation, plus costs.   Clement Lobo, who is originally from India, has lived in England since 1963 and has worked for LUL since May 1989. He is regarded as a highly competent train operator and he thoroughly enjoyed his job. The 49 year-old from Hounslow is passionate about driving trains and worked on the Piccadilly Line.   For text click here.

Rabi Martins: Southall: An ethnic majority.
28 Nov:  Property Week. Southall is a bustling, thriving and highly commercial retail centre. So why are multiple retailers and developers steering clear? ... The pub on the nearest corner accepts rupees, while the town's three-screen cinema, the Himalaya Palace, shows only Bollywood movies ...   The area is awash with jewellers, grocers selling Halal meat and foods imported from India, restaurants and cafes, and fashion retailers selling traditional clothes from the subcontinent, such as saris and bridalwear while others focus on western fashions ... However, Southall, like other ethnic streets such as Ealing Road in Wembley and Green Street in Upton Park, appears to be off the multinationals retail radar. However, Rabi Martins, business adviser for the Heathrow City Partnership, explains that Southall has got itself stuck in a time warp and is trying to be what India used to be. 'If you went to Bombay you wouldn't recognise Southall in it,' says Martins. 'The problem is trying to persuade the people in Southall - many of whom are first generation - to move on from yesterday and into today.'   Martins says Southall needs to become more relevant to second- and third-generation Asian shoppers. This change could be brought about by the arrival of the multiples but it will not be an easy process. 2150 words. For text click here.

The 'Ole' House. By Dr Joaquim Proenca
3 Dec: Navhind Times. We live in tenements abroad and let our own palatial houses weather inclement storms. Why are we tolerant to bear the indignity of racial prejudice? Why do we accept being treated as second-class citizens, when in our own land we can live with dignity and self-respect? It is disconcerting to know that we have sold ourselves. We have traded with the devil and sold the spirit of the ole house, only to be replaced with the spirit of money and greed... For text click here.

Global Goans meet next year
5 Dec: Herald. The Office of the Commissioner for NRI affairs, Government of Goa has scheduled the Global Goans Convention from January 3-5, 2007 in Goa .  The convention will be open for Non Resident Goans, persons of Goan origin, former NRG's and others concerned with NRI affairs. … This year the membership fee for the three day event is Rs 1250 and Rs 625 for students. The registration and payment details can be checked on the official website of the Officer of the NRI commissioner www.globalgoans.org.in Full text at http://oheraldo.in/node/20923

Grand St. Francis Xavier Feast Celebration in Canada  
5 Dec: Daijiworld News Network , Canada .  To culminate the year long Jubilee celebrations on the 500th anniversary of the birth of the great Saint, Francis Xavier, the Indian communities of Toronto & Mississauga in Canada commemorated the feast today, the 3rd December 2006 with pomp & glory …   Text and 7 photos at the link below.Click here 

DEATHS

6 Dec: Saligao, Goa. JOE MASCARENHAS. Husband of late Julie. Father of Mario/Muriel (Saligao); Phila/Manuel D'Lima (London); Nascy/Ophie (Sydney); Gerard/Sandra (Melbourne).

5 Dec: UK . MONTY D'SA (ex Mombasa). [Info from Alcino Rodrigues]

2 Dec: Benaulim, Goa . MENINO ROSARIO REBELLO (ex Dar es Salaam ).  Husband of late Piedade Rebello. Father of Connie/Ludy ( Burundi ), Michael/Jane ( Doha ), Emilia/Rio, Johnny/Dolly.

1 Dec: Ribandar, Goa . JOHN GONSALVES . Relict of Maria Santana. Father of Francis/Savita, Tony ( Muscat ), Socorinha/Felipe (Leicester) late Nelson, Philip/Maria and Bosco/Mar.

30 Nov: Zurich . DR JOSE PINTO . (ex-Panjim). Husband of Maria Helena. Father of Jean-Phillipe, Carlos/Francesca and Maria. Funeral in Zurich on 5 Dec.

29 Nov. Paris , France . EMEDIO CERILO BARRETO (ex-Shiroda, Goa ). Beloved husband of Josida.  Father of Hannah, Enzo, & Ezra.

27 Nov: Porvorim, Goa . MARIA IDA SOUZA EREMITA VIEGAS (ex- Dar es Salaam ).  Wife of late Bruno Avertano Viegas (Ex-Barclays Bank, Dar-es- Salaam, Tanzania ).  Mother of Melba/Raul Monteiro (UK), late Celsa/late Walter Figuereido ( Canada ), Drs. Oscar/Brenda (USA), Norman/Carmen (USA), Arlindo/Linda (USA).

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HOLIDAY INFORMATION

Tourism, development seen threatening Goa 's environment, lifestyle by Pratap Chakravarty
30 Nov: Yahoo News. The once low-budget tourist haven of Goa is facing a crisis, environmentalists say, as developers force up land prices and a tourism boom threatens the delicate coastal ecology ... real estate prices have more than doubled in middle-class urban districts since 2004 ... Outside developers are fuelling growth and large settlements are coming from nowhere ... For text click here.

Go goa for sun, sand & best bargains
1 Dec: Economic Times. So, what is the right time to be on the sandy beaches of Goa ? The tourist season is divided into the 'winter season' — ranging from mid September to March — and 'summer season'. Tourist traffic picks up only during mid-October when the charters begin to arrive. The season is at its peak from December 24 to January 2 ... Most hotels give you a discount for booking early. At Leela we give a 40% discount if you book six weeks in advance and give 30% discount if you book 21days in advance. Other hotels also follow a similar pattern. For text click here.

UK Company lays Foundation stone for health resort at Raia. Goa
1 Dec: Navhind Times. Goldshield Group Plc, a profitable marketing led British wellbeing company listed on the London Stock Exchange, has developed a global strategy to build on its current wellbeing products business by creating new business groups focused on other areas of wellbeing, says a press release issued here. According to the release, the first phase of these integrated wellbeing initiatives was launched in Goa by laying foundation stone for Wellbeing Resort at Raia. Goldshield started its trading activities in 1991 and went public on the London Stock Exchange in 1998.   For text click here.

Centre clears long-term visa for tourists from 18 nations
1 Dec: Navhind Times. To attract more foreign tourists, the Centre today announced introduction of long-term tourist visa with multi-entry facility for nationals of 18 countries. The countries who will be given the facility are France , Germany , Luxembourg , Netherlands , Belgium , Finland , Spain , Switzerland , Norway , Iceland , New Zealand , Japan , South Korea , Argentina , Brazil , Chile , Mexico and Vietnam .  Due to security reasons, countries like the US , the UK and Pakistan have been kept out of the list, official sources said. For text click here.

Home ministry shoots down visa on arrival proposal
1 Dec: Navhind Times. The Union home ministry has shot down the tourism ministry's proposal for a visa on arrival scheme for select countries to boost tourism due to the prevalent security scenario. For text click here.  

Goa One of the Top Five Places to Ring in the New Year
1 Dec: Augusta Daily Gazette.  Goa:   Located on the western coast of the Indian Peninsula, Goa's lush green vegetation and breathtaking beaches not only offer some of India's most beautiful natural scenery, but also serves as the backdrop for some of the globe's hottest New Year's celebrations, complete with all-night seaside bashes packed with partygoers entranced by techno music. If glow sticks and rave parties aren't your thing, you can gamble the night away aboard India 's first and only offshore casino - the MS Caravela yacht - or, rent a motorbike and visit an old Portuguese fort or local fishing villages.Click here.  

Goa away... please, say police
2 Dec: The Times ( UK ).  Hawkers who disturb sunbathing tourists have been banned from south Goa 's beaches.   At the start of the tourist season, village "panchayats" (councils) in the Indian town met to tackle the nuisance.   Tourists tended to be torn between sympathy and exasperation at the hawkers, mainly poor women from neighbouring areas. How long the ban will last is uncertain, however. Previous efforts have been notoriously short-lived. The hawkers are breaking no law by being on the beach and may gradually trickle back. For text click here.

International Bird Festivals
3 Dec: Easier Travel.  Specialist tour operator, WildWings, pioneered the concept of the bird festival. The key elements of a bird festival are a superb birding location, a good value basic package consisting of flights, transfers and accommodation, an experienced team of local guides, a comprehensive range of optional guided birdwatching excursions and easy access to local birding sites for birders to explore independently if they choose to do so. GOA BIRD FESTIVAL – January & November:   WildWings' 16-day birding extravaganza in Goa is a perfect introduction to Indian birding, where the well-developed infrastructure and easy, inexpensive travel by bus and taxi, as well as the guaranteed sunshine, all contribute to make this bird festival great value for money.   For text click here.

25 ways to escape Christmas
3 Dec: The Observer ( UK ). ... 19: Yoga in Goa .  Swap Christmas drinks and a New Year hangover for a yoga fortnight on Palolem Beach in Goa . Based at the Bhakti Kutir retreat, daily meditation and yoga classes are on offer as well as nutrition lectures, boat trips and visits to local markets. Christmas Day involves a trip to a nearby fort, an evening barbecue and sunset yoga practice.   For text click here.

GOA NEWS HEADLINES

Boney M's Marcia rocks Goa
1 Dec: Navhind Times. : Marcia Barrett of the yesteryears hit band, Boney M, had the crowds rocking to her tunes ...   Thousands of her Goan fans who had gathered to get a glimpse of their heroine, were in seventh heaven when she started off on old-time favourites like - Ma Baker, Rasputin, Daddy Cool and Brown Girl in the Ring among others. For text click here.

Goa : Pilar Society reunites
2 Dec: Herald. The Representative of the Pope in India , Apostolic Nuncio Pedro Lopez Quintana, was in Goa on a day's visit, in order to preside over a historical Mass of Reconciliation in the Pilar Seminary Chapel, on Thursday.  Those present included Bishop Agnelo Gracias ...   It may be recalled that in 1977, a group of Pilar priests, having their headquarters at Fr Agnel Ashram in Mumbai, broke away from the parent Society in Pilar, Goa.   In a few years' time, they opened their Agnel Ashram branch in Verna, Goa . The Vatican took a keen interest in resolving the dispute ... http://oheraldo.in/node/20875

Language and beyond.  By Eduardo Faleiro
2 Dec: Asian Tribune.  India is home to extraordinary diversity - cultural, religious, ethnic and linguistic. All such differences ought to be harmonized in a spirit of mutual accommodation rather than through coercive methods of homogenization which may only lead to agitations and revolt. I make this comment in the context of the present language controversy in Goa regarding Marathi and Konkani languages and their scripts ... For text click here.  

All for the love of Goencho Saib
3 Dec: Herald. About 1,000 pilgrims from across the neighbouring districts of Belgaum , Sindhudurg and Kolhapur will reach Old Goa on Sunday, to participate in the feast of St Francis Xavier.  http://oheraldo.in/node/20895

Drug network exposed in Goa . By  Devika Sequeira
3 Dec: Deccan Herald. The arrest of two Delhi residents, who were trying to smuggle out a stash of ecstasy tablets on Tuesday, exposes a highly-connected drug network in Goa that operates under the protection of a Congress MLA, say Customs narcotics cell officials. Pranav Jindal and Anchit Dhir were detained at Dabolim airport.  Two women from Uzbekistan were also arrested before their flight out of Goa . An ecstasy tablet, which sells for Rs 500 in Goa's night spots, fetches Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,500 in Delhi . Jindal, a well-connected businessman and Dhir, a disc jockey, had conducted a whole circuit of privately-organised rave parties during the week they spent here, officials said. The Customs Department now has a Congress MLA and the son of a highly-placed Congress politician on their radar. For text click here.

Al-Qaeda threat looms over Goa
4 Dec: NDTV. A few weeks ago the Government issued a terror alert warning of Bali-like bombing in Goa, and the danger it seems is far from over. Sources tell NDTV that two Al-Qaeda terrorists, an Algerian and a Yemeni, carried out a recce and dry runs of attacks in Goa some time ago and are likely to return and carry out an attack, possibly with help from modules in India ...   But the government seems to want to downplay the evidence, perhaps to keep up the pressure on Pakistan to reign in terror groups operating out of its territory. And also perhaps because it wants to avoid a scare among tourists.   For text click here.

Goa : Devotees throng to St Xavier's feast
5 Dec: Navhind times. Thousands of devotees from Goa and across India , besides pilgrims from Portugal and Spain , congregated at Old Goa today to celebrate the feast of St Francis Xavier. This feast also celebrates the 500th birth anniversary of the saint, affectionately referred to in Goa as Goemcho Saib. For text click here.

Goa's iron ore exports to China jump
6 Dec: Daily Times (Pakistan). . Iron ore exports to China from Goa leapt 76.6 percent to 8.07 million tonnes during April to October. The resource-rich state, which accounts for more than a third of India's iron ore exports to China, had sold 4.57 million tonnes during the same period a year earlier. Click here.

Operations to re-float River Princess begins
7 Dec: Navhind Times: The River Princess, grounded at Sinquerim beach since the year 2000, will finally be re-floated and towed away within a period of 90 days at a cost of Rs 5.5-crore to the state. Click here.

Veni, Vidi, Feni
17 Dec:  Business Today. The king of good times, Vijay Mallya likes to party and Goa has, for sometime, been one of his favourite hangouts to take a break from running his Rs 9,000-crore, airline-to-spirits business. Now, he's got one more excuse to head to this coastal paradise. It appears Mallya, 50, has decided to foray into the Feni market by setting up a new distillery in Goa and promote the beverage as India 's national drink. Currently, most of the Feni market, which is Goa , is dominated by some 20 small distilleries and UB is expected to make the first large-scale investment in this segment. While Mallya couldn't be reached for comment, UB's Senior Vice President of Marketing Alok Pant says, "We will promote Feni with a new ad campaign and want to market it as India 's new national drink." Tequila, here we come. For text click here.

IN THE NEWS

Christians run out of space to bury their dead
30 Nov: Gulf News (UAE).  India 's Christians are running out of space to bury their dead, leading some to pay small fortunes to book their final resting place in a relative's grave.   Churches are asking people to empty remains from graves of family members who died more than 25 years ago and store them in specially created vaults, a senior official of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India said.   In Bihar , the Catholic Kurji cemetery is asking people to donate up to $1,200 to reserve plots. For text click here.

Determination holds no bounds for Andy
30 Nov: Oldham Chronicle. An idyllic  New Year holiday in Goa became a nightmare for popular Shaw man Andy Walker when he broke his neck while diving into the sea.  The all-round sportsman nearly drowned and has been left paralysed from the shoulders down.The ambulance took an hour to arrive and turned out to be a rickety disused fire engine that carried Andy on a long, bumpy journey to a deprived hospital where cows wandered the wards. Andy said: "The hospital was so basic, horrible and very deprived and low on resources. For text click here.   

India moves up a notch on Portugal 's priority scale
2 Dec: Portugal News. Portugal is preparing to boost long neglected relations with India through a series of high-profile visits and leveraging its upcoming European Union presidency ...
President Anbal Cavaco Silva will pay a visit to India next January, the first by a Portuguese head of state to that country in 15 years, and an EU-India summit will take place in New Delhi next November, during the Portuguese EU presidency ... For text click here.  

India 's Art Market Grows Up -- Fast
2 Dec: Wall Street Journal. It was an unprecedented moment for Indian art. Works by four 20th-century Indian artists had cracked the $100,000 price barrier at auction, a landmark for a young art-market category. That was two years ago. By September this year, three Indian artists had broken another price barrier: the $1 million mark. ...   One top seller is Francis Newton Souza, a painter born in Goa who died in 2002. For text click here.

Matilda D' Costa to establish Adventist Church in Goa
	2 Dec: Cayman Net News. Matilda D' Costa, who became a member of the West Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church recently left for India with the intention of establishing an Adventist Church in Goa .   The Cayman Islands Conference of Seventh-day Adventists said Mrs. D' Costa, who is a citizen of India accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior with 12 others during an evangelistic campaign, conducted by David Campbell in November. Photo and full text at the link below. Click here.
Matilda D' Costa

Migrants Face Brit Tests to Stay in UK
3 Dec:  Sunday Mirror. Immigrants   who want to stay in Britain will have to pass tests in English and knowledge of life in the UK under plans unveiled tomorrow. Home Secretary John Reid will announce the new rule which will be compulsory from April 2 for people who want to settle here permanently.   The clampdown is the latest in a series of measures by Dr Reid to tighten up immigration rules at the crisis-hit Home Office. Are you a true Brit? Check out the sample questions ...   Click here.

Book Review: One Spice, Two Spice
3 Dec: New York Times. Floyd Cardoz goes for frank fusion in ONE SPICE, TWO SPICE: American Food, Indian Flavors (Morrow/HarperCollins, $34.95), as he does at the New York restaurant Tabla, where he melds the cooking of his childhood in Bombay and Goa with new American restaurant cuisine ... Ease into it by trying Cardoz's roasted fennel salad with pumpkin orange vinaigrette and butterflied shrimp coated in cream of wheat (which resembles Indian semolina), served with kokum (a sweet-acid fruit used like tamarind) and potatoes mashed with turmeric, cream, milk, mustard, honey, sliced red onion and a secret spoonful of dal. For text click here.  

Victor  Menezes settles with SEC for $2.6 million
3 Dec: Datamonitor News and Comment. US bank Citigroup's former senior vice chairman Victor Menezes has agreed to pay $2.6 million to settle with the SEC following charges of insider trading brought against him by the commission.    Mr Menezes provoked a federal probe into his trading activities back in March 2002 when he unloaded over $29 million in company shares shortly before the bank was to announce massive losses in Argentina , which significantly drove down the value of the stock.

President of Portugal to visit Goa Jan 2007
4 Dec: Agência Lusa. The President of the Republic, Cavaco Silva, is to visit India 10 to 17 Jan 2007. His official trip will include New Delhi , Goa , Bombay and  Bangalore .

Sexual medicine neglected in Kamasutra land
4 Dec: Times of India . It has taken years for sex to slowly make its way from the backyard to the bedroom and now to the drawing room ... For text click here.  

Murumbi collection a boon for Kenyan art. By Betty Kaplan
4 Dec: Daily Nation ( Nairobi ).  Sometimes a sort of justice prevails. After a tortuous journey, with many important pieces lost on the way, the collection of Joe Murumbi, briefly Kenya 's second Vice-president, will open to the public this week, fittingly displayed at the Kenya National Archives.   This is the result of years of preparation by Murumbi's partner at African Heritage, Alan Donovan, and teams of craftspeople, carpenters, designers, and curators ... It is to be hoped that in due course, a manual will be produced describing the collection'a contents, and perhaps even a series of lectures by experts in the area to debate and discuss this important addition to Nairobi's art scene. Click here.

Feast Day at St Francis Xavier's Tomb
	4 Dec: Star ( Malaysia ). Thousands of Christian devotees from all over Malaysia and Singapore thronged the ruins of  St Paul 's Church to mark the feast day celebrations of St Francis Xavier. Photo and text at the link below. Click here.

Highland man killed on dream holiday trip to Goa
5 Dec. Aberdeen Press & Journal (Scotland). Graham Gillies, 31 was killed and his lifelong friend, Rory MacDonald, was injured when their scooter was in collision with a lorry. It happened on Sunday in the tiny Indian state of Goa. The friends were enjoying an extended holiday in the ocean resort with Rory's brother, Harold MacDonald ... The friends had been going to Goa for a number of years and were intending an extended stay, possibly a couple of months, said his father. The resort is popular with sun-loving Britons seeking to escape the UK's winter climes and the two men had struck up friendships with some who had established businesses there ... A Foreign Office spokesman in London confirmed the incident had occurred on Sunday but said no further details were available. 466 words. Click here.

Traveling the paths of a hardy Christianity in India
7 Dec: The Christian Science Monitor. ... In the past, many low-caste Hindus have converted to Christianity; estimates suggest that more than half of Indian Christians are Dalits - the lowest caste of Hindus ... Not that all Christian churches are free of caste distinctions. "In some old churches, people on the right are of a certain caste and the people on the left are of a certain caste," says Father Tony D'Souza ... Click here.

NRIs home in to tie up tummies
7 Dec: Times of India. This year, you will spot NRIs not just in Gujarat's shopping malls and farsaan shops, but also lined up outside a surgeon's clinic, waiting to go under the knife to slim down. Fifty-two-year-old NRG from New Jersey, Bharti Patel, is one such enthusiast. She fulfilled her load-shedding mission while on her annual trip to Gujarat. Currently in Ahmedabad, Patel went under the knife for a gastric bypass surgery, a popular procedure among the obese in the US. She is already lighter by 12 kg. There are many NRGs who plan to use their trip to loose weight gained by their reckless lifestyle and easy access to American junk. While many opt for liposuction and tummy-tucks, the morbidly obese are hitting the operation theatres for a more advanced procedure like gastric bypass ... while the total cost of the operation in Gujarat is pegged at Rs 3-3.5 lakh, it costs a whopping Rs 30 lakh to Rs 1 crore in America, depending upon the centre where it is performed. Click here.

Christmas in Goa. By Sonia Faleiro
Dec. 2006: Travel + Leisure, South Asia. Home-made presents, earnest letters from Santa Claus, welcoming a new baby into the family, and trying to prove her identity comprise Sonia Faleiro's childhood memories of holidays in Goa. Excerpt: A week before my tenth Christmas found me scavenging in my father's office for possible presents for our extended family in Goa. I didn't receive pocket money, and us children weren't expected to give presents to the adults. What was clearly my parent's way of saying, 'don't ask us for money to buy presents for us' never dissuaded me ... Click here.

RECENT ITEMS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST ON GOANET. BY CORNEL DACOSTA

Why do relatively few women participate on Goanet? This is the key question concentrating many minds recently. Goan Voice(UK) readers, both male and female are welcome to contribute to this discussion.

A Chinese film The Old Barber, directed by Hasi Chaolu, won the Golden Peacock Award at the 37th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) last week. This top award consisted of a citation and a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakh.

With two major articles on Goanet recently, on Great Goans, many additional names have been suggested including that of Francis Newton Souza. According to some Goans in London who knew Francis when he lived a bohemian life-style, he was an eccentric character while deeply immersed in his unusual paintings. These paintings, as noted previously on GV( UK )  are now selling at quite incredible prices. Hopefully, those Goans who knew Francis in London , will come forward to tell us as much as possible about this great painter while in London .

Are GV( UK ) readers inclined to think that Goa is  in a mess? Some fairly heated discussion has taken place on Goanet on this issue. The claims and counter-claims seem to be evenly balanced for now. However, one key subsequent question perhaps needs a   serious response---Is it Goa or Goans who are in a mess? Undoubtedly, GV(UK) readers could make a useful contribution to Goanet on this theme.

In a substantial article by Eduardo Faleiro on Language and Beyond, we are provided much detail on the language controversy in Goa regarding Marathi and Konkani and their spoken and written versions. As some GV(UK) readers are familiar with both languages, Eduardo's article would particularly interest them and the competing claims for each language for Goa .

Finally, an interesting post on "Pope no longer doubts Thomas reached India " is presented by Gaspar Almeida.. According to Gaspar, Pope Benedict has explicitly recognised that Thomas the Apostle reached India long before Catholicism was brought to Goa/India by the Portuguese. The Pope's updated published text clarifies the situation and now says ( 27/9/06 in Rome ) "Let us remember that an ancient tradition claims that Thomas first evangelised Syria ,and Persia and then went on to Western India from where he also reached Southern India .   

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

UK: TV & RADIO HIGHLIGHTS By Lira Fernandes

HISTORY DOCUMENTARY: The Mughals: History Channel
Sun  10 Dec: 18:00 to 20:00. The bloody and tumultuous story of the Mughal dynasty who ruled South Asia from the 16th to the 19th century.

MUSIC: Ravi Shankar in Concert.  Artsworld  
Wed 13 Dec. 18:00 to 19:00 .  The celebrated sitar master in a recital of Indian classical music that spans epic emotional breadth from profound meditation to dazzling ecstasy.

FILM: Bride and Prejudice:  Sky Movies 6   
Wed 13 Dec 21:00 to 22:55 . Jane Austen gets a Bollywood update in this musical romcom.

FILM: The Constant Gardener: Sky Movies Premier 3
Thu 14 Dec 20:00 to 22:10 . Dramatic thriller in which a quiet diplomat  searches for answers when his activist wife is murdered in Kenya . Is her death linked to a giant pharmaceuticals company?

COOKERY: Rick Stein's Seafood Odyssey. UKTV Food  
Fri 15 Dec 20:30 to 21:00 . Rick Stein tours the globe in search of unusual and tasty seafood dishes. Today, we join him in the stunning setting of Goa as he reproduces some of the most popular local fish dishes.

FORTHCOMING

Sold Out! Sun. 10 Dec: G.O.A. Ruby Children's Pantomime - Sold Out!

Sat. 16 Dec. St. Diogo's Association ( UK ) Guirim/Sangolda. Children's Christmas Pantomime "Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs" at Fairfield Halls, Croydon at 12.00 noon sharp, followed by Christmas Party with refreshments, games and distribution of presents by Santa Claus. Please report at 11.15a.m. For details contact: Apolonia DeSouza 020 8686 1876, Jennifer Fernandes 0127 765 1052

Sun 31 Dec. 7 pm to 2 pm. Goan Community Association. New Year's Eve Dance at White Hart Lane School, White Hart Lane, London N22. Music by Nitelife Disco. For tickets please contact Cos Fernandes: 020 8884 3124; Xavier Alfonso 020 8803 5146 (between 7PM AND 9PM); Candy Fernandes: 07961 044 079; Tony Gomes: 020 8245 1364

Sun. 31 Dec. Saligao Association UK Sparkling New Year's Eve Ball 2006 at Tolworth Recreation Centre, Tolworth KT6 7LQ. Grand Unlimited Buffet / Childrens entertainer / Hot Band and Disco / Showstopper. Book online / reserve tables (no fee) on www.SaligaoUK.com Enquiries to tickets@SaligaoUK.com or call Cedric de Souza on 07725 080239/Marion Pereira 020 8408 0748.

Sun. 31 Dec: 7.00pm to 3.00am. Dark Star Social Club presents a NEW YEAR'S EVE Gala Ball at the NEW Harrow Leisure Centre. Music by live band "SECOND NATURE" and disco "SOUND FX ROADSHOW". For tickets and other information, email info@dssclub.co.uk or call Derrick Pereira 020-8952 8899 or Bernie Gracias 020-8723 1322. GOA members entitled to 2 tickets at £12 each. Contact: Bernie Gracias 020 8723 1322. For the flyer click here.

Sun 31 Dec. 7pm-1.30am. SE Goans New Years Ball. Orpington Hall, 311 Orpington High St, Kent. BR6 0NN, Band & Disco. Contact Dominic 07854 490617; Ron 0208 303 3386.

Sun. 31 Dec. St. Diogo's Association (UK) Guirim/Sangolda New Year's Eve Ball at Civic Suite, Wandsworth Town Hall. For details contact: Apolonia DeSouza 020 8686 1876, Jennifer Fernandes 0127 765 1052.

Sun. 31 Dec 7.00pm to 1.30am. Friend's Circle presents a NEW YEAR'S EVE BALL at Belmont Community Hall, Kenton Lane, Belmont Circle, Harrow HA3 8RY. Entertained by Goa's top most band "BREAKTHRU" Guest artist from Dubai "CONNY" and Disco "SOUND SOUND". Ticket & Info. Francisco 0208 3574281 Carlos 0208 2487387 Teresa Felix 0208 2453786

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

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