COMMUNITY NEWS

Texas: Angie Pereira: Insurance for identity theft
	6 Feb: KHOU-TV. Excerpts: Angie Pereira was a victim of identity theft and spent hours trying to get things straightened out. She is a busy real estate agent, never realizing it would come true and turn her life upside down. "I definitely felt very violated," Pereira said. To read the full text, 333 words, and see the videoclip of her interview, click here.
Angie (Angelique Vailanie) Pereira, 27, is the daughter of Agnelo and Victoria (nee D’Cruz); sister of Andre (30), Alistair (28) and Aurelius (23). The family lived in Karachi before moving to Houston, Texas. They are UK citizens since the parents worked for the British High Commission for many years. The Pereiras are proud of their Goan heritage which they trace to Calangute and Colvale. They can be reached at vailanie@hotmail.com

Colin D'Silva: Winning Hearts and Heads
	8 Feb: The New Paper (Singapore). Dr Colin G D'Silva is the only principal scientist at the Procter & Gamble’s Singapore office… But the holder of a Masters and Ph D from McGill University in Canada is no staid professor in a white coat. With his goatee, gelled hair and designer clothes, he looks more a fashion guru than someone labouring away in a lab with test tubes and microscopes …
Although born in Mumbai, Dr D'Silva's grandparents were from Goa and the Goan curries he loves to cook are a constant reminder of his roots. He was one of Mumbai's top students before winning scholarships to study in Canada. Full text, 531 words, click here. See also: The goodness of coconut oil. Excerpt: Dr D'Silva, P&G Beauty Scientist, added, "In our quest to provide the evolving Indian woman the best of traditional hair care we have launched New Pantene shampoo with benefits similar to coconut oil." For text click here and here. Colin D’Silva, 39, is single, the son of Norah (daughter of Philip D’Cunha) and late Jerome who married in St. Lawrence's Church, Cincinnatus town, Karachi. Colin traces his Goan roots to Saligao and can be reached at dsilva.cg@pg.com

Leicester: Michelle Lobo: Charity Boosted By Concert Cash
9 Feb: Professional singer, dancer and actress Michelle Lobo, and seven friends, performed to more than 100 people at St Joseph's Church, in Uppingham Road, Leicester and raised over £2,000. Michelle said: "My mum was diagnosed with cancer two years ago and is still fighting, but this was for everyone with the disease.” She said: "I hoped to raise about £1,000 but never in my wildest dreams did I think we'd raise this much, and more is coming in.” Click here.

Food from Asia spices up town's charity day
9 Feb: Bath Chronicle (UK). A Culinary event in Bradford on Avon that gave people the chance to sample a range of Eastern delights has raised more than £1,000 for charity … Guests also enjoyed listening to music by Trowbridge artist Joel Almeida, who spent two weeks in India following the tsunami on Boxing Day 2004 … 293 words. Click here.

Sonia Faleiro: “There was a two-page love scene that I cut out”
10 Feb: Daily News & Analysis. Sonia Faleiro talks about her debut novel ‘The Girl’ … Set in Azul, ‘the Village of the Dead’, in Goa, the novel retraces The Girl’s life through her personal diary as read by her lover and best friend. …A Goan by birth, Sonia says, “There was a two-page love scene that I cut out, because I kept thinking that my dad is going to read this! Though I do regret that now.”
Sonia Faleiro is the daughter of Eduardo Faleiro, Member of Rajya Sabha. Read the reviews, hear the author, look at her photos, buy the book… http://soniafaleiro.com/press.htm

Canada: Second course for Godiva's
	11 Feb. Toronto Star. Godiva’s, the TV series debuts tonight at 10 p.m. on Citytv and next Saturday at 10 p.m. on Bravo! – will run for 13 episodes … "And we're already signed our two leads (Stephen Lobo, Erin Karpluk) in anticipation there'll be a third and fourth.” Part Goan and Iranian, Lobo grew up in Toronto and took math and science at University of Toronto before deciding he'd rather act.
He studied at London's Drama Centre. He and Karpluk work well together, and there's more than a hint of sexual tension. 619 words. Click here. For the GVUK Stephen Lobo profile click here.

What's Love Got To Do With It?
12 Feb. Sunday Telegraph Magazine (Australia). Natasha Monteiro was raised in a middle-class Catholic family in Mumbai. A psychology graduate, she had no intention of submitting to an arranged marriage and chose her own boyfriends. Even at 26 (a very ripe age for an unmarried woman in India), Natasha resisted her parents' offer of assistance … Then along came Reggie, a portly Mumbai native who'd left India for New Zealand more than a decade ago and was now residing in Sydney … Initially, Reggie was as unenthusiastic as Natasha. "I'd been looking for five years, maybe more," sighs the 39-year-old. "I must have met 20 or 30 women, and thought, enough is enough. I was happy living on my own and resigned to the fact." So, intending to fob each other off after the first date, they met, as arranged by parents, for a quick cup of coffee and ending up chatting for three hours. They got married and now live in Sydney. 607 words. Click here.

Groove Guru
	13 Feb: clickwalla.com, UK. Groove Guru has spent the last five years DJing in Goa. His music is mainly influenced by Yoga, Meditation, a Beach Lifestyle and Chillout Goan Trance … Currently based in Surrey UK, he is releasing the single "Palolem Karma" on 20th Feb 2006 and "Travel Shanti" on 27th March 2006. through E3 Records. To hear sample tracks click here.
Groove Guru aka Trevor Pinto aka DJ Trev was brought up and raised in Mumbai and moved to Goa in 1999. He was one of the resident DJs at Club Tito's and Cafe Mambos and also DJed at other venues in Goa till 2005. He is the son of Elano and Loretta Pinto, originally from Anjuna. Trevor relocated to the UK in 2005 after he got married and has ventured into music production here. He is hoping to include Konkani lyrics in his next release. He can be contacted via grooveguruk@yahoo.co.uk or www.grooveguru.co.uk

Victims of youth
14 Feb. Barnet Times. (London). A 14-year-old boy was travelling home from school on a packed bus when he was approached by a gang of 15-year-olds. They had already taken phones, cash and iPods from five other pupils and he knew they were about to confront him too. "He was on the bus in Southgate coming home it was broad daylight," said the victim's father, Lionel Pereira, of Oxford Avenue, Southgate. When he refused to give them his valuables, they punched him in the face. He came home with blood everywhere."

Melbourne: Three days of fun for festive Goans
15 Feb: Moorabbin Glen Eira/Kingston Leader (Melbourne). A Traditional Goan carnival will start with a dinner dance at the Kingston City Hall this month. Organisers have promised a night of "fun, frolic, fiesta and food" in Indian style when the three-day carnival begins on February 25. Spokesman Oscar Lobo said for the people of Goa, which is on the western coast of India, the carnival was a time for "festivity with warmth and sharing" … 109 words.

Canada: Hockey: Louis Mendonca.
	15 Feb: Winnipeg Free Press. Louis Mendonca was in Winnipeg from Jan. 27 to Feb. 3, conducting coaching courses … For Jenna McCullough working with Mendonca was a valuable experience. "He's really passionate about the game and brings a lot of energy to it," she said … Mendonca has been with the national team program for a decade now … 539 words.
Louis Mendonca was born in Bahrain in 1957, started playing hockey on the streets of Karachi at the age of six and now lives in Thornhill, Ontario. His club is G.O.A. Reds. For a profile of him click here.

UK: Aileen Gonsalves turns Theatre Director.
	Aileen Gonsalves directs Peribanez by Lope De Vega. Performances are 23-25 Feb. 7.30 pm daily at Rose Burford College, Sidcup Kent. For full details click here. Aileen Gonsalves was born in Nairobi, Kenya. Her parents are Pam and Don Gonsalves and she is married to Matthew Stibbe. She has been acting for 12 years, most recently in Hecuba for the RSC starring Vanessa Redgrave.
Aileen also writes plays and recent credits include Church Ladies an afternoon play for BBC Radio 4 about two Goan grandmothers and their church choir in Croydon. To check out her credits as Actress, Director, Writer and Singer, see http://www.aileengonsalves.co.uk/

DEATHS

14 Feb. Navelim. MARIA MASCARENHAS E AFONSO. Beloved wife of Joao Antonio. Loving Mother of Ricardo/Valerie(UK), Zeno/Noelyn, Delano/Charlotte(Chicago), Dr. Valtino/Ansettan(St.Paul).

13 Feb: Toronto. OLAVO FONSECA (age 76, ex-Nairobi). Beloved husband of Gladys for 52 years. Loving father of Norman and his wife Jennifer and the late Desmond. Dear brother of Zelia, Oswald, Emeric, Rev. Blasco Fonseca, Elba Nazareth, and the late Carmela and Angelo Fonseca.
Family will receive friends at Scott Funeral Home, on 17 Feb. Funeral Mass will be held in St. Clement Church, Etobicoke on Sat. 18 Feb at 10:00a.m. Private cremation to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations to Canadian Food for Children, The Goan Charitable Organization or the Trillium Health Centre Foundation would be appreciated. For full details and to send condolences click here.

11 Feb: Saligao, Goa. LEWIS CORNELIO D'CRUZ (Adm.Manager - Old Mutual, Ex-Nairobi). Husband of Doris. Brother of late Johnny/Succorin. Brother-in-law of late Ivy/Blasio Martins, Bessie/Jid Todd. Uncle of June/Robert, Lynette/Tony, Judy/Constancio, Lydia, Karl.

10 Feb: Colvale, Goa. VICTOR A. PEREIRA (born 1926; ex Deputy Supdt. Police, Uganda). Husband of Christine. Father of Savio, Helen/Alexis and Simon. Brother of Tony, Christopher and Rose Correa.

HOLIDAY INFORMATION

SITE WATCH

GOA NEWS HEADLINES

Gigabyte to set up mfg, R&D hub in Goa
10 Feb: Computer Reseller News. Gigabyte Technology, a Taiwan-based manufacturer of motherboards, recently announced its plan to set up a manufacturing and R&D hub in Goa. "The company plans to pump in about $10 million for the project," says Richard Ma, executive vice president, Gigabyte Technology. For this purpose, Gigabyte Technology is in the process of acquiring 10 acres of land in Goa. Click here.

Indian phone firms slash prices
10 Feb. BBC News. India's state-run telecoms companies have announced plans to cut long distance call charges to just one rupee a minute. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4701842.stm

Goa tries to repair its reputation. By Amelia Gentleman
12 Feb: International Herald Tribune. Excerpts: Goa tourists have been confronted this season with posters warning them of the presence of pedophiles roaming the seafront … Charity workers have set up surveillance stations on four of the state's most popular northern beaches to help monitor suspicious behavior among foreigners; a team of workers is paid to patrol the beaches to keep an eye on visitors; and tourists are invited to call dedicated hotline numbers if they see any fellow vacationers engaging in troubling behavior. 1028 words. Click here.

Dabolim has no scope for expansion
13 Feb: Herald. Contrary to claims by the Congress leadership about upgradation of the Dabolim airport, Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel says, “the existing facilities at Dabolim cannot be extended further due to non-availability of land.” …
In a letter to MP Churchill Alemao, the Union civil aviation minister has further sought to put to rest the controversy over the ownership of Dabolim airport saying, “the existing airport at Dabolim belongs to Indian Navy…” http://oheraldo.in/node/9769

Goa to focus on e-governance
14 Feb: The Hindu. Goa Governor S.C. Jamir, who addressed members of the Legislative Assembly on the first day of the five-day winter session that began here on Monday, announced the Government's plans to formulate a blueprint to introduce e-governance in the State by adopting the public-private partnership model, and provide broadband connectivity in all villages. Click here.

Goa: Ingo Grill to go
14 Feb: Herald. Ingo Grill, the German national known for his Saturday Night Market has been served a Deportation notice … Police sources revealed that well over 30 foreigners are to be expelled. The police are also collecting vital information on some foreigners who are suspected of illegal activities. 453 words. http://oheraldo.in/node/9814

Rampant pollution forces farmers to kill a mine owner in Goa
15 Feb: Down To Earth For more than ten years, residents of Saleli in Goa had complained to the government authorities against the menace of stone crushing units in their village. On December 28, 2005 their patience ran out: the enraged villagers attacked and killed Prithviraj Rane, who was on a visit to Saleli to survey a site for his new stone crushing unit. 1043 words. Click here.

Goa: Shopping: A Haven
15 Feb. Femina. The next time you go to Goa, you and your kids can treat yourself to another shopping experience. Shopper’s Paradise, a one-stop store owned by Pele and Bibiana Gomes has party clothes, casual wear, lingerie, shoes, accessories and other separates. It also stocks kid’s wear. Available at Navlekar Trade Centre, M G Road, Panaji and also at Abade Faria Road, Margao

Tips for NRIs to Maintain Bank Accounts
16 Feb: Economic Times of India. Click here.

Bill provides relief to landlords
16 Feb: Herald. A Bill was introduced in the Goa Assembly on Wednesday seeking to provide some relief to landlords against the tenants. As per the Goa Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control (Amendment) Bill, 2006, the landlord will be entitled to evict his tenant from the dwelling house if the latter has a residence within 5 kms radius from the village or city where the disputed dwelling is situated. 288 words. http://oheraldo.in/node/9897

Bill Clinton’s Goa visit begins Feb. 17th
16 Feb. Herald. Former US President Bill Clinton is scheduled to arrive in Goa on February 17 on a two-day visit, along with a delegation of the Bill Clinton Foundation. Clinton will be in Goa on behalf of his foundation’s HIV/AIDS initiative. http://oheraldo.in/node/9894

Konkani Identity Of A True Goan?
16 Feb: Herald. Goa seems to get caught up in one controversy after the other that keeps raging, we have had the VCD on freedom struggle, Konkani V/s Marathi language issue, the opinion poll, Mopa Airport and now the battle between Konkani v/s Konkani is over its script … We have a cosmopolitan populace in Goa who speak different languages … most white collared jobs in the private sector are filled with these hardworking outsiders who have built fortunes, married our pretty Goan girls and made Goa their homes. Our NRIs have become rich and famous, these Goans are educated to the hilt and are proud to communicate in konkani to preserve the Goan identity. 969 words. http://oheraldo.in/node/9927

IN THE NEWS

Carol Andrade: Enchanted
10 Feb. Economic Times of India. Carol Andrade loves London and tells us why. Click here.

Youthful India confident it can offer a cure for the ailing West
11 Feb: The Telegraph (UK). Bristling with confidence, India aims to capture the fast-growing market for off-shore health care - and help solve the crisis of surging medical costs in the developed world … a total body scan to detect early cancer for £72, compared with £2,200 quoted in Britain. A room with food and nursing costs £35 a night … Leslie Smith, founder of Medibrokers in Britain, said it would not be long before charter flights packed with medical tourists descended on the sub-continent's medical hubs - Bombay, Bangalore, Poona and Goa. "We're going to see jumbo jets painted white bringing people over for due diligence check-ups, like brain and body scans," he said … 748 words. Click here.

India's medical facilities big hit in UK
11 Feb: Hindustan Times. About 150,000 foreigners seek treatment in Indian hospitals for non-emergency conditions every year … BUPA is sending patients to Jaslok hospital in Mumbai, says Colonel Masand, the hospital's director-general. The NHS, however, is proving reluctant. It has denied that it had sent any patients to India or planned to do so but declined to give any explanation for the policy. Click here.

Qatar: Stranded expat’s woes highlighted at Indian embassy
11 Feb: Gulf Times. (Qatar). The Indian embassy yesterday decided to initiate steps to rehabilitate a family from Goa that has been stranded in Qatar for over two years, after its sole bread-winner was forced to wind up his small restaurant. 644 words. Click here.

Oxford to target students from India
12 Feb: Financial Times. Lord Patten, chancellor of Oxford University, will visit India next month as part of a drive to attract the brightest students from around the world. “Globalisation doesn’t end at the Thames Valley,” the former European commissioner and governor of Hong Kong told the Financial Times in an interview … Lord Patten, who will also co-chair his first annual meeting of the UK-India Round Table in Goa, spoke of a crisis in higher education and research in Europe. Click here.

Wanna rent a womb, come to Anand
12 Feb: Times of India. Smita Pandya (29) is one of several middle-class women who are opting to rent out their wombs to childless NRI couples … Agencies abroad may charge about $30,000 and the surrogate mother is given another $15,000. In India, the couple just need to clear the medical bills and pay about Rs 1 lakh or more to the surrogate mother. 452 words. Click here.

Amitabh Bachchan Has a Cold
12 Feb: New York Times. Excerpt: Among Amitabh Bachchan’s millions of fans is Zarina Fernandes, 48, a bank clerk in Goa, who has devoted her life to Mr. Bachchan, whom, she said in an interview, she believed was "so close to God himself." Ms. Fernandes saw Mr. Bachchan in a film called "Anand" when she was 17 and made what she called "an instant spiritual connection." The connection is so strong that Ms. Fernandes never married because no suitor could live up to Mr. Bachchan's lanky, brooding perfection. Click here.

NRIs in the Gulf asked to undergo HIV tests before marriage
12 Feb: PTI. With AIDS cases touching epidemic proportions, parents of marriageable girls seeking alliances with NRIs settled in the gulf are increasingly asking the prospective bridegrooms to undergo HIV tests. Click here.

Laila Rouass: £1 million indecent proposal
12 Feb. Mail on Sunday (UK). Footballers' Wives star Laila Rouass knows all about romance - an Arab tycoon once made her a Pounds 1 million indecent proposal … she was offered a cool £250,000 to disrobe for Playboy … Rouass is the eldest of seven children and grew up in London's Brick Lane. Her Goan mother was a housewife and her Moroccan father a chef … 2043 words. For the GVUK Laila Rouass Supplement click here.

New Exhibit to Mark the 500th Anniversary of Saint Francis Xavier
13 Feb: eMediaWire. Visitors can explore the Lisbon of Saint Francis at a new exhibit at one of the city's finest museums. In "Saint Francis Xavier - His Life and Times" at the Cordoaria Nacional Museum … Admission is free for anyone named Francis Xavier … More information available at http://www.ppcj.pt/sfx/
For text of article, 560 words, click here.

Canada: Feature article: Retiring to one's roots
	13 Feb: The Toronto Star. Like many other retired Torontonians, Rita and Vishnu Mathur found their version of an oceanside paradise in Goa. They're among a growing number of foreign citizens — Europeans, Indian expats from Britain, and a few intrepid Canadians, even some with no roots in India — drawn to Goa by a fine climate, low cost of living, and cosmopolitan culture …
The Mathurs decided to buy a place in Goa three years ago … Their next-door neighbours in Candolim, another Toronto couple — Joan Holben and Moishe Goldberg, happen to live in the same Annex neighbourhood back home … "Goa is great but it's all European. One must not delude oneself that this is the real India," says Holben. Health care is not a concern, insists Jay Bajaj, 59, an independent filmmaker from Toronto. Bajaj has diabetes and heart problems … "In Florida, we'd be bored," says Vishnu. "Here, around the pool and at the beach you'll meet people from all over the world, so it's very multicultural that way, just like Toronto." For photo and full text, 1736 words, click here.

Retiring in Goa
14 Feb: Talking Retirement. The Toronto Star has an excellent article, Retiring to one’s roots … But it quickly moves beyond seeing India as appealing to only people with ancestral roots there. Based on the article, Goa sounds like a wonderful place with “a fine climate, low cost of living, and cosmopolitan culture.” The article also covers the practical matters of living there by covering health care, the currency exchange rate, and even owning your home in Goa … If you’re looking for a place to retire to, you owe it to yourself to check this out. Click here.

'Portugal is a door to the European Union'
15 Feb: Deccan Herald. Devika Sequeira interviews Portugal’s Consul-General in Goa, Pedro Cabral Adao about applications for Portuguese nationality etc. 922 words. Click here.

A beach flavour
16 Feb: the Hindu. The Goan Food Festival at The Chancery encompasses all the happy flavours of the Indian sunshine State. For photo and full text click here.

Cabinet OKs voting rights for Indians abroad
16 Feb: Indian Express. Indians now working or studying abroad will now be able to have a say in who governs their constituency back home. Click here.

RECENT ITEMS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST ON GOANET. BY CORNEL DACOSTA

UK: TV HIGHLIGHTS By Mafalda de’Sa

Television

Sun. 19/2: ITV 4: 10.00pm (110mins) Romper Stomper
Film: Controversial portrayal of a Melbourne gang of skinheads, involved in racial battles against members of local ethnic communities. 1993. Cert.18

Tues. 21/2: BBC 2: 11.50pm (30mins) Holidays in the Danger Zone
Documentary: The Ganges: Ben Anderson explores the holy city of Varanasi, where the sheer volume of burials has turned the river into a health hazard.

Wed. 22/2: BBC 2: 9.00pm 60mins) The Apprentice.
New series 1/12: Aspiring business tycoons put themselves in the firing line as they vie for a top job in Alan Sugar’s global empire. Syed and Nargis are two of the 14 contestants.

Thurs. 23/2: BBC 2: 3.20am (60mins) Uncharted Territory
Documentary: Juliet Morris and property expert Nigel Leck present a guide for anyone who has dreamed of owning a property abroad. Kerala in India is the destination for two property pioneers.

Thurs.23/2: Travel Channel: 6.30pm (30mins) Earthwalkers
Goa, India.

Fri. 24/2: Hallmark: 3.00pm (120mins) The Ascent
Film: Rachel Ward and Ben Cross star in a drama about the courageous exploits of a group of Italian prisoners of war at a British camp in the shadow of Mount Kenya during World War II.

Radio

23rd 24th 27th 28th: BBC Radio 4: 3.45pm (15mins) This Sceptred Isle: Empire
Christopher Lee's ground-breaking narrative history series telling the story of the growth of Britain's Empire. These four episodes deal with the Indian Mutiny of 1857.

FORTHCOMING

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

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

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