Goan Voice UK: Newsletter. Issue 2006-01. Aug. 25, 2006

Dilip Lobo. The welcome party
5 May: The Guardian. On May 2 1997, the Blairs walked into No 10 watched by an ecstatic crowd. Nicholas Watt tracked down some of the faces in the crowd … Dilip Lobo 41, finance director of a Sydney clothing company. “I shook Tony Blair’s hand and kissed Cherie. I am a big Blair fan apart from Iraq. I talk to my friends in England who forget. I say: 'You guys have just all forgotten. You've forgotten the 3 million unemployed, the mortgage rates. You just take it for granted. The national minimum wage, the independence of the central bank, low interest rates, increased maternity pay and the introduction of paternity leave, the New Deal, the social exclusion unit. You guys are all rich.”

Ontario, Canada: Brendan Fernandes Exhibition

6 May: ArtSpace. Peterborough, Ont. Decoy, Brendan Fernandes Exhibition on to 26 May. Brendan Fernandes is a multidisciplinary artist who examines issues of cultural displacement and migration through installation. Currently he is preoccupied with how tourism's sensationalized vacations contribute to the exploitation of cultures by transforming them into entertainment. For details click here.
Brendan Fernandes was born in Nairobi, the son of Rudolf and Hazel; brother of Lisa-Marie and Tamara. For his CV, Bio, photos of his works etc click here.

New York: Dr Ivan D'Souza’s license is suspended
6 May: NewsDay (New York). A Buffalo-area gynaecologist accused of abuse, negligence and moral unfitness had his license suspended. Ivan D'Souza, 53, with offices in West Seneca and Springville, was charged by health officials with 43 specifications of medical misconduct involving 11 patients. Charges include wilful physical and verbal abuse, moral unfitness, fraudulent practice and gross negligence. A hearing on the Department of Health charges is scheduled for May 15. Click here.

Toronto: Silviano Barbosa: Rustic surroundings

7 May: National Post (Canada). 132 Roselawn Dr. Asking price: $728,800 … Homeowner Silviano Barbosa recently wrote his first novel, The Sixth Night, in this house … Mr. Barbosa was born in Cuncolim Goa in 1949. His novel is about a Catholic girl growing up in traditional 1950s Goa during the last decade of Portuguese rule. Photo & text, 204 words. Click here.
For links to info about Silvano and the book click here.

Montreal: Thomas de Souza: Art Exhibit
7 May: Montreal Express. Well-known artists and long-time Dorval residents, John Collins and Thomas de Souza, will exhibit their works at the Dorval Cultural Centre from May 16 to 30, 2007 … Thomas de Souza was born in Goa in 1933 and studied drawing, painting and sculpture at the Bombay School of Fine Arts. He emigrated to Britain in 1962 and then came to Canada in 1965 … Mr. de Souza's paintings are to be found in galleries throughout North America … as well as in private collections in Canada, the U.S.A., Israel, India, Japan and France. 381 words. Click here.

Kenya: Golf: Fred Lobo to manage Junior National Team
7 May: The Nation (Kenya). The national junior golf team is in Zimbabwe for this year's Africa Junior Golf Championship … The team will be managed by Junior Golf Trustee, Fred Lobo of Karen Country Club and will also be accompanied by national golf coach Charles Farrar.

UK: Cricket: Robin D'Souza strikes 86 as Weston race to victory
7 May: Western Daily News. Weston-super-Mare, last year's Premier Two champions, thrashed Glastonbury by eight wickets in their maiden Premier One match … Robin d'Souza, cracked 86 not out and was well supported by John Williams, who was unbeaten on 37 … click here.

Bahrain 'Second home' couple leaves after 30 years
8 May: Gulf Daily News (Bahrain). A Bahrain couple is leaving their "second home" after 30 years, with a mission to help the needy. Andrew Fernandes and his wife Ann are returning to their native Goa, India, on Thursday. His last assignment was as television producer - a post which has taken him around the globe. Mr Fernandes, an active social, cultural and charity worker in Bahrain said he hopes to continue this work in India. He has two daughters, Amber who is now based in Canada and Anora is in the US. Photo and text, 257 words at click here.

Tony Fernandes: AirAsia plans £130 return to Malaysia
8 May: The Guardian (UK). Tony Fernandes, chief executive of AirAsia, said budget flights from Kuala Lumpur to Britain could take off from March next year, priced at between £130 and £200 for a return trip … AirAsia will launch its inaugural long-haul service from its Kuala Lumpur base in September, with Australia or China the likely destination … With about 380 seats, AirAsia expects to break even if the plane is 56% full, said Mr Fernandes. 692 words. Click here.

Melbourne: Fr Adelrick D'Cruz to face rape charges

8 May: Catholic News (Aus). Fr Adelrick D'Cruz is reported to be facing 13 sexual offence charges including three counts of rape and ten counts of unlawful indecent assault on a girl . Fr D'Cruz, 77, was ordained in 1957 and now lives in Melbourne . http://www.cathnews.com/news/705/45.php

Seniors e-book

9 May: Gomantak Times. Goa Sudharop, a non-profit volunteer NGO, yesterday launched their 'Seniors e-book". The co-founder of the Goa Sudharop, George Pinto, during the launch stated, "This book is an on-going process and everyone is welcome to write." Some of the highlights:
Placido D'Souza: My Goan connection as a youth. Cornel DaCosta: Goan dance bands of yesteryear.
Frederick Noronha: Out of Africa: Mervyn Maciel. Filomena Giese:Giving back to Goa. The e-book is available for free, to download or read online at http://www.goasudharop.org/ebook/index.htm

Edith Pereira: Timely death?
9 May: Hamilton Spectator. To what lengths should doctors go to save a life near its inevitable end? … On June 10, 2006, aging and ailing, Edith Pereira was taken by ambulance from St. Dominic nursing home to Memorial Hermann Hospital. [She survived that attack but died on 15 Feb. 2007. 2121 words. Click here.

Sydney: Pair jailed for fatally stabbing Johnson Fernandes
9 May: Melbourne Herald Sun. Richard Hamilton, 36 and Mark Sandilands, 24 have been jailed for stabbing Johnson Fernandes, aged 30, to death. However, the Court accepted that Hamilton had initially tried to calm down Johnson Fernandes and he was jailed for five years and six months. Sandilands was jailed for three years. 244 words. Click here.
From GVUK 2005-8: Mr Fernandes' body, suffering stab wounds, was found in a creek bed at Ryde-Parramatta golf course on 2 Feb. 2005.

5 May: Mississauga, Ont. Canada. MARY PINTO. Wife of the late Arthur. Mother of Glenda Bazmi and her husband Sal, and Janice Pinto. Grandmother of Kameron and Sarah Bazmi. Sister of Peter, Alice, Joe, Norbert and their families. For full details click here.

3 May: Toronto. WALTER ARTHUR ROBERT DIAS (born 1913) Husband of the late Helene Dias (nee Martins). Father of Wendy (the late Leonard) Mascarenhas, Christopher (Ray) Dias, Rick (Rosalie) Dias, Mark (Lorraine) Dias, and Mary Ann (Bruce) Burbank. Brother of Ellen Slark of Toronto, Edna Coutinho of Toronto, Phyllis Davis of Karachi, Pakistan and Stanley Dias of Toronto. Visitation on 9 May. Funeral on 10 May. For photo and full details click here.

2 May: Lisbon. CAETANO CUSTODIO BARRETO XAVIER. Husband of late Maria Lurdina de Oliveira. Father of Aluizio Alexandre, Sargio/Sonia & Victor Raimundo

26 Apr: Perth, Aus. JUNE MARTIN. Wife of Donald Martin. Funeral on 4 May in Perth.

Goa Govt action against illegal structures on beaches
3 May: Business Line. While appreciating the Government's action, in revoking unauthorised deck beds and umbrellas illegally put on the beaches, in order to provide free movement to citizens, the High Court has asked the Goa Government to take appropriate action against those putting up dining tables on the beaches. The court said that further directions would be given on June 11 … Britto Amusement Private Ltd, a Dona Paula-based tourism company, had filed a petition in the High Court challenging the Government's decision to grant permission to a local hospitality group to put up beach umbrellas. 196 words. Click here.

Once upon a Goa
5 May: Cairns Post (Aus). Flower Power children discovered Goa and now it comes full circle as they return as pensioners. Double page feature article with photographs. Click here.

Goa: Fall in love with a hut
6 Apr: Sunday Telegraph (UK). How the warmth of a rickety-looking Goan resort won over David Orr and family … Bhakti Kutir was a most enjoyable experience. If we return to Goa, I suspect we shall all want to spend at least part of our stay there. Photos and text, 631 words. Click here.

Crossings that linger in the memory
6 Apr: Sunday Telegraph (UK). Robin Gauldie writes, “Staying at the Chorao Island Resort in Goa, I loved taking the Mandovi River ferry from Chorao to Ribander, inland from Goa’s capital, Panaji. Threewheeled scooter-taxis, pick-up trucks and minibuses filled with giggling school kids cram on board, and the Mandovi is wide enough to make the crossing of about 25 minutes feel just a bit adventurous. Shimmering flocks of white egrets drift overhead, and on one crossing I counted at least seven different kinds of heron on the tidal islands, mud flats and mangrove shallows. And all for 10 rupees (around 8p).”

The 5-Minute Interview: Sue Holderness, Actress
7 May. The Independent (UK). Sue Holderness, 57, played Marlene in 'Only Fools and Horses' … Asked about her ideal night out, her response was, “Sipping champagne on a Goan beach having just ridden along golden sand. Realistically, it's spaghetti in my local Italian restaurant with my old man.” Click here.

Goa raises a toast to the domestic tourist
8 May: Economic Times. The charter segment has for years been the mainstay of the $900-million tourism industry of Goa … the latest Goa Economic Survey figures indicates a quantum drop in this segment — down almost 50% from a year ago. But Indian tourists who have begun to frequent Goa are mostly corporate executives who have been loosening their purse strings... Hoteliers expect domestic tourism to continue to grow … 463 words. Click here.

Goa streamlining recruitment process for overseas jobs
7 May: The Peninsula (Qatar). The tiny west coast Indian state of Goa, which is a major manpower exporter, has adopted a two-pronged strategy to safeguard the interests of Goans seeking to work abroad, particularly in the Gulf region … Goa’s NRI Commissioner Eduardo Faleiro, is cracking down on some fraudulent recruitment agencies. In a pro-active and positive move, he has also set up the Overseas Employment Agency of Goa (OEAG) as an autonomous society of the Government of Goa. 787 words. Click here.

Film Review: Post Military Trip
7 May: Indian Express. On a backpack trip in Goa, aspiring filmmaker Shruti Bajaj noticed India’s uber cool beach state was populated by hundreds of tourists from Israel … A former student of Los Angeles’ UCLA School of Theatre, Film and Television, Bajaj’s meetings with the men resulted in her first documentary, a 77-minute-long Post Military Trip. It will be telecast on BBC World on May 12 and 13, in India … Born in Kenya, Bajaj, who is currently in her 20s, was raised in England. 347 words. Click here.

NRI panels constituted
9 May: Navhind Times. The Government of Goa has constituted two high power district committees, for North Goa and South Goa to deal with property related and other grievances of NRIs … The investment opportunities for NRIs in Goa was discussed. 298 words. Click here.

Margao comes to standstill after eve teasing turns violent
10 May Navhind Times. An incident of eve teasing turned violent today bringing the commercial town of the state to a standstill. Three persons have been arrested for attacking a shopkeeper, who had objected to eve teasing of his sister … The news of the assault rocked the commercial town, in fact entire Salcete taluka. 790 words. Click here

Alemao quits Indian Parliament to join Save Goa Front
8 May: PTI. Rebel Congress leader and South Goa MP Churchill Alemao today quit membership of the Indian Parliament and the Congress party to join a regional outfit Save Goa Front which will put up candidates in the next month's Assembly elections. He said that the Save Goa Front plans to field 30-35 candidates … 148 words. Click here.

Catholic Church campaigns against corrupt candidates in Goa elections
8 May. Catholic Online. With elections approaching in Goa, the local church has been campaigning against political parties that have fielded corrupt candidates on the basis of "winnability." … A circular, entitled "Goa's Socio-political Situation ... Reflect ... Act" and published in English as well as two Indian languages, Konkani and Marathi, asks people to ensure that candidates are honest, transparent, accountable and capable, regardless of religion, caste or social status. 681 words. Click here.

Goa to see poster-less electioneering next month
10 May: Times of India. The absence of posters, banners and hoardings will be a highlight during the campaign for next month's assembly election in Goa. 189 words. Click here.

For the Goa Elections Website see www.electionsgoa.nic.in

The riches of the East
3 May. Haaretz. …Nurit, an Israeli, lives in Goa most of the time. She has adult children living in Israel. They don't need her. Before she decided to move to India, she left her partner of many years. To pass the time, she works in a souvenir store during the tourist season … she has no ties with Indians beyond what is necessary to conduct business or obtain services. Once, for a short time, she had a little thing going with an Indian Christian, but concluded that there was no way to bridge the gaps in their outlooks. Click here.

Biker fan Dr Andy’s ‘dream’ India rally
4 May: West Cumberland News & Star. Motorcycle enthusiast Dr Andy Butler was back on duty as a Workington GP this week after returning from a ‘dream’ motorbike rally through spectacular landscape in India …The 1,800-mile rally, from Goa to Kerala, has already raised £200,000 - with donations still coming in - which will bolster a range of charities working in India. 365 words. Click here.

Uganda woos Indian investors
5 May: Times of India. Uganda is a perfectly peaceful country and wants Indian entrepreneurs to invest there, according to an Ugandan delegation currently on a visit to India … During Idi Amin's despotic rule in the seventies, 75,000 Asians were expelled from that country without being allowed to take their assets with them … Today, there are around 17,000 Indians and most of them are NRIs who had gone there for work or business. Ugandans of Indian origin number only around 2,500. 730 words. Click here.

Nuffield College, Oxford to Sell Souza painting
5 May: Art Daily. Nuffield College, Oxford, is to sell three modern Indian paintings which were relegated to the shadows for half a century but which are now estimated to sell for close to £400,000, in Bonhams sale of May 21st. … The Souza `Townscape’ is almost certainly an Italian scene. The painting was stuck in the back of a Junior Commons Room cupboard and was then stored in the Porter’s Lodge en route to the dump when it was retrieved by the Warden. Now it is set to make £180,000 at Bonhams. For photo of the painting click here.

Kampala: The coconut shack’s Goan menu
6 May: Sunday Monitor (Kampala). Much to our surprise this little Goan joint has been around for more than a couple of years. … mainstays such as Goan fish curry and sorpotel or pickled pork … Sadly and conspicuously absent, are the bounty of seafood that are an essential must with any Goan menu. 636 words. Click here.

Our mother's killer can't have been her toyboy... she was gay
6 May: Mail on Sunday (UK). The family of a British woman murdered in Goa have angrily denied claims that the man police say killed her was her toyboy lover. They say they believe waiter Anand Kamble was in reality a conman who took advantage of Denise Higgins' kind nature. Mrs Higgins, 52, was found beaten, with her throat cut, in the bungalow she rented in the tourist haven of Goa last month after moving there for a new life last November. For photos and text, 1052 words, click here.

Kenya: Knee-jerk nativism. By Binyavanga Wainaina
8 May: Mail & Guardian (South Africa). … After Independence the Kenyan upper-middle class inherited disdain for the Asian shopkeeper … many highly skilled people were kicked out to make room for the mediocre … During the abortive coup in Kenya in 1982, hundreds of women from Nairobi’s “little India”, Parklands, were raped … 838 words. click here

Of Religion and Reason. By Aditi Nadkarni
9 May: DesiCritics.. … My grandfather had directed spies within the Portuguese army during the Goa Liberation Movement as an undercover officer for the Indian Intelligence Bureau (IB, at the time) … My mother told me of a time when religious conversions were rampant, when her Hindu classmates had turned into 'D'souzas' and 'Lobos' overnight and when people tormented by the caste system had found new identities in their Christian last names. click here.

Documentary: Desi DNA. BBC2
Thu. 10 May. 23:20 – 23:50. The Hindu and Muslim groups that are setting the standard in youth activism …

Documentary. Fish out of Water. Community Channel
Sat. 12 May. 20:00 – 21:00. London is the most multicultural city in the world with over 300 languages spoken everyday, but how much do we really know about each other?

Travel: Top 5 Holistic Trails. Travel Channel
Sat. 12 May 23:30 to 00:00. Kerala, Dharamshala, Mcleodganj, Pune and Varanasi.

Factual: The Food Programme. Radio 4.
Sun 13 May. 12.30 to 1pm. Repeated Monday 14 May 16.00-16.30. On the nutritional needs and suitable diets for the elderly in care homes and the wider community.

Documentary: Charles Correa: Finding a New Indian Architecture BBC Radio 3
Sun 13 May. 21:35 to 22:20. David Adjaye profiles Charles Correa, the modernist architect whose ground-breaking work has helped forge a national identity in post-colonial India. This is a journey through that land, as David travels to Correa's milestone building projects …
For the Charles Correa website see http://www.charlescorrea.net/

Documentary: Our World: India's Silk Slaves. BBC News 24
Mon 14 May. 10:30 – 11:00. Thirteen year-old Ashok Kumar has been a 'debt slave' since he was 9. Damian Grammaticas' investigation freed Ashok but there may be millions of others unable to escape slavery.

Documentary: Nationalism. Channel Five
Mon: 14 May 19:15 to 20:00 David Blunkett examines the history of nationalism and its impact on British national identity today.

Documentary: Take Away My Takeaway. Channel 4. Also online
Tue 15 May. 09:30 to 10:00. Kerala. Indian takeaway fanatic Jack from Wales is in for a bit of a culture shock when he hits the palm tree-lined shores of Kerala.

Documentary: Limbo Babies. BBC Radio Four
Wed 16 May. 11:00 to 11:30. Olivia O'Leary explores the Roman Catholic tradition stipulating that babies who die before baptism cannot go to heaven nor be buried in consecrated ground. Pope Benedict's advisors are now recommending that the centuries-old concept of Limbo be abandoned.

Documentary: Indian School. BBC4
Wed. 16 May. 20.30-21.00. New Series. 1/10. Examining the education system by charting the daily lives of teachers and students in two Mumbai schools.

Sun. 13 May 2.30 pm Croydon. Archbishop Lanfranc School, Mitcham Road. Tiatr Tiatr. Wembley Goans UK. AMERICAN GHORKAR. Written & Directed by Menino De Bandar. Artistes From Goa: Rita Rose (Wife Of Late Alfred Rose), Jr Chico, Comedian Ben Evangelisto, Ambe, Bab Andrew, Kenny, Alria, Norman, Osvy, Antonette De Calangute, Joana. Contact Nina Pinto 020 8767 0663, E Pinto 020 8304 9089, 0794 1354 756 or Tony 020 8795 1121, 0783 463 9420

Sun. 13 May. G.O.A. Doubles Carrom Tournament at HSBC Sports Club, Beckenham, Kent at 11.30 am. Contact: Richard Fernandes 020 – 8300 5347, Ian Remedios 020 - 8658 7769, Fidelis D'Mello 020 - 8698 9678

Sun. 27 May - 6th. Bakuli Reunion at Archbishop Lanfranc School, Mitcham Road, Croydon. 1.00pm - 8.30pm. Social, and dancing to music by "MUSTANG" and Disco by "DJO". Cost of tickets, which include a fantastic meal and snacks: Adults - £13.00, children (2 - 12) - £6.00. Come and meet old friends and make new ones, and have a very enjoyable day. For tickets and further information please contact: Tony Lobo: 020 8542 0528, Reg Da Cunha: 020 7732 2659, (e-mail regdacunha@aol.com) Agnes Rato: 0798 4409 355.

Sun. 27 May. G.O.A. May Ball at St Boniface Church Hall, Tooting at 7pm. Music by “Mr Wonderful.” Contact: Norma Menezes-Rahim 020 – 8771 4457

Sun. 27 May. Margao Union UK. Feast of the Holy Spirit. St Johns Church Hall, Bourne Hill, Palmers Green, London N13 4DA. Beginning with Holy Mass at 2:00 pm followed by Social & Dancing. Music by Nite-Life. Tickets: Adults £10; children (age 5 to 15) £5; under 5yrs free. Ticket includes of snacks - buffet - dessert. Call Lucas 020 8967 7471; Gregg 020 8907 0545; Rosalind 020 8767 8652; Xavier 07787 390 553; Camillo 020 8801 3637.

Sun.10 Jun. Siolim Union (London) invites you to celebrate the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua at Archbishop Lanfranc School Hall, Mitcham Road, Croydon. Commences with Holy Mass at 12 noon followed by social and dancing to the music of Maz 'n' Co. Tickets which includes snacks and a meal costs £10 for members and £12 for guests. Children under 12 Free Admission. Licenced Bar. For tickets please call Tony Fernandes on 0208 540 3566, Edwin Athayde on 0208 679 5514 or Eugene Fernandes on 0208 665 4773

Sun 24 Jun Benaulim Association(UK) We are celebrating the our 25th Anniversary Feast of St John the Baptist at St Ignatius College Hall, Turkey Street, Enfield, EN1 4NP commences with Holy Mass at 12.30pm followed by dancing to the Music of "Breakthru" and disco for the over 10s. Members £8.00, non-members £10.00, Children (10 -16) £4.00, Children under 10 FREE. For tickets contact Felipe on 0208 368 9663, Mary 0208 803 9752 and Josephine 0208 967 7471. Public transport to Hall: Buses 217 from Turnpike Lane or the overhead train from Liverpool St. Station to Turkey St.

Sun 24 Jun. G.O.A. Summer Bash at HSBC Sports Club, Lennard Road, Beckenham, Kent commencing at 11am. Activities to include hockey, junior football, volleyball, whist drive. Contact: Norma Menezes-Rahim 020 – 8771 4457, Richard Fernandes 020 – 8300 5347, Fidelis D'Mello 020 - 8698 9678, Bernie Gracias 020 – 8723 1322. See GOA website for further details. (Due to logistical reasons, the planned event for past office bearers and helpers has been postponed).