Thursday, October 28, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
THE GOAN SEAFARER – "Tarvotti"
In hundreds they went sea-faring and generations before them
As common sailors, cooks, pantry-men, butlers and chefs
They sweat as they toiled, faced storms, long nights and days at sea
Leaving anxious and loving folks behind, striving to make ends meet. Maybe a run of the Portuguese blood or mere taste for adventure
The Goan "Tarvoiti" paints a picture – one that’s larger than life
He starts with little, learns the hard way and finds little pleasures
No matter how long and how many ports, he gets back home for sure. He sheds his taste for beer and the prodigal returns to his feni,
Friends bee-line when family reunion ends and then the fiesta dawns
Afternoons of siesta in stupor and late evenings in animated chatter
Peace may soon be gone and the family prays for things to get better. Often six months of wait, and to Mumbai and back, for the return call
Some make it worth, tilling the field, fishing and playing the fiddle
And the money he earned and wisely saved builds homes and marriages
Happy kids, bejeweled wife and sly relations sing his praises. The old "tarvotti" ways are gone, they’re now almost a sophisticated lot
They thrive on a coalition of better knowledge and hospitality
Captains and Engineers, Radio Officers, Store-keepers and Pursers
Once the profession of the underdog, it’s the playground of achievers.
-Paul Rodricks.
As common sailors, cooks, pantry-men, butlers and chefs
They sweat as they toiled, faced storms, long nights and days at sea
Leaving anxious and loving folks behind, striving to make ends meet. Maybe a run of the Portuguese blood or mere taste for adventure
The Goan "Tarvoiti" paints a picture – one that’s larger than life
He starts with little, learns the hard way and finds little pleasures
No matter how long and how many ports, he gets back home for sure. He sheds his taste for beer and the prodigal returns to his feni,
Friends bee-line when family reunion ends and then the fiesta dawns
Afternoons of siesta in stupor and late evenings in animated chatter
Peace may soon be gone and the family prays for things to get better. Often six months of wait, and to Mumbai and back, for the return call
Some make it worth, tilling the field, fishing and playing the fiddle
And the money he earned and wisely saved builds homes and marriages
Happy kids, bejeweled wife and sly relations sing his praises. The old "tarvotti" ways are gone, they’re now almost a sophisticated lot
They thrive on a coalition of better knowledge and hospitality
Captains and Engineers, Radio Officers, Store-keepers and Pursers
Once the profession of the underdog, it’s the playground of achievers.
-Paul Rodricks.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
!!!!!SORPOTEL!!!!!
For the hotch potch known as Haggis, let the Scotsman yearn or yell For the taste of Yorkshire pudding, let the English family dwell. For the famed Tandoori Chicken, that Punjabis praise like hell
But for us who hail from Goa, there's nothing like SORPOTEL!
From the big wigs in Colaba, to the small fry in Cavel From the growing tribes in Bandra, to the
remnants in Parel. From the lovely girls in Glaxo, to the boys in Burma Shell There's no Goan whose
mouth won't water, when you talk of SORPOTEL!
And Oh! for Christmas dinner don't you think it would be swell If by some freak of fortune or by some
magic spell We could, as they have in Goa a bottle of the cajel And toddy leavened sannas to go with
SORPOTEL!
-Ruth DeSouza
But for us who hail from Goa, there's nothing like SORPOTEL!
From the big wigs in Colaba, to the small fry in Cavel From the growing tribes in Bandra, to the
remnants in Parel. From the lovely girls in Glaxo, to the boys in Burma Shell There's no Goan whose
mouth won't water, when you talk of SORPOTEL!
And Oh! for Christmas dinner don't you think it would be swell If by some freak of fortune or by some
magic spell We could, as they have in Goa a bottle of the cajel And toddy leavened sannas to go with
SORPOTEL!
-Ruth DeSouza
Thursday, October 7, 2010
How did one survive growing up in the 80's and 90's?
How did one survive growing up in the 80's and 90's?
We had no seatbelts, no airbags..
Cycling was like a breath of fresh air…
No safety helmets, knee pads or elbow
pads, with plenty of cardboards between spokes to make it sound like a motorbike…
When thirsty we only drank tap water, bottled water was still a mystery…
We kept busy collecting bits & pieces so we could build all sort of things … and
We were fearless on our bicycles even when the brakes failed going downhill…
We were showing off how tough we are, by how high we could climb trees & then jumping down….It was great fun….
We could stay out to play for hours, as long as we got back before dark, in time for dinner…
We walked to school, or sometimes we even rode our bicycle.
We had no mobile phones, but we always managed to find each other…. How?
We lost teeth, broke arms & legs, we got cuts and bruises and bloody noses…. nobody complained as we had so much fun, it wasn't anybody's fault, only ours
We ate everything in sight, cakes, bread, chocolate, ice-cream, sweet sugary drinks, fruits..yet, we stayed skinny by fooling around.
And if one of us was lucky to find a 1 litre coca cola bottle we all had a swig from it & guess what? Nobody picked up any germs...
We did not have Play Stations, MP3, Nintendo's, I-Pods, Video games, 99 Cable TV channels, DVD's, Home Cinema, Home Computers, Laptops, Chat-rooms, Internet, etc ...
BUT, we had REAL FRIENDS!!!!
We called on friends to come out to play, never rang the doorbell, just went around the backdoor…
We played with sticks and stones, played cowboys and Indians, doctors and nurses, hide and seek, soccer games, over and over again…
When we failed our exams we were given a second chance by simply repeating the same grade…without visiting psychiatrists, psychologists or counselors…
Such were the days…
We had freedom, success, disappointments and responsibilities. ..
Most of all, we learned to respect others…
Are YOU from that generation?? If that's the case, Share this with all your friends from the same era…
Maybe this message will help them forget the stress that surrounds us these days….and just for a few moments puts a smile to their faces as they remember what life was really like in the good old days……
(Contributed by BHAKTI BARVE)
We had no seatbelts, no airbags..
Cycling was like a breath of fresh air…
No safety helmets, knee pads or elbow
pads, with plenty of cardboards between spokes to make it sound like a motorbike…
When thirsty we only drank tap water, bottled water was still a mystery…
We kept busy collecting bits & pieces so we could build all sort of things … and
We were fearless on our bicycles even when the brakes failed going downhill…
We were showing off how tough we are, by how high we could climb trees & then jumping down….It was great fun….
We could stay out to play for hours, as long as we got back before dark, in time for dinner…
We walked to school, or sometimes we even rode our bicycle.
We had no mobile phones, but we always managed to find each other…. How?
We lost teeth, broke arms & legs, we got cuts and bruises and bloody noses…. nobody complained as we had so much fun, it wasn't anybody's fault, only ours
We ate everything in sight, cakes, bread, chocolate, ice-cream, sweet sugary drinks, fruits..yet, we stayed skinny by fooling around.
And if one of us was lucky to find a 1 litre coca cola bottle we all had a swig from it & guess what? Nobody picked up any germs...
We did not have Play Stations, MP3, Nintendo's, I-Pods, Video games, 99 Cable TV channels, DVD's, Home Cinema, Home Computers, Laptops, Chat-rooms, Internet, etc ...
BUT, we had REAL FRIENDS!!!!
We called on friends to come out to play, never rang the doorbell, just went around the backdoor…
We played with sticks and stones, played cowboys and Indians, doctors and nurses, hide and seek, soccer games, over and over again…
When we failed our exams we were given a second chance by simply repeating the same grade…without visiting psychiatrists, psychologists or counselors…
Such were the days…
We had freedom, success, disappointments and responsibilities. ..
Most of all, we learned to respect others…
Are YOU from that generation?? If that's the case, Share this with all your friends from the same era…
Maybe this message will help them forget the stress that surrounds us these days….and just for a few moments puts a smile to their faces as they remember what life was really like in the good old days……
(Contributed by BHAKTI BARVE)
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