Just a short reminder to say that Dan Driscoll reads this evening in Goa excerpts from the book 'Goa Masala'. First published by Ben Antao in Toronto, this collection covers essays, short stories and the writing of Canada-based Goan expats.
Given the trajectory of Goan migration, many of the stories are linked to Africa, one to Burma, and quite a few to Goa itself. They talk of another time and another world. There's a short-story called 'Baba Puta' (you could guess on what theme), and writing set amidst life in the railways, the Margao of the mid-fifties, and the Goan belief in evil-eye. Growing up in the Goa of the yesteryears is a recurring theme across some chapters. A Briton tells what it means to be "married to a Goan" and how she coped with the challenges of a generation ago, while another essay talks of the travails and importance for an expat to study and cope with the 'mai bhas' (mother tongue). One essay deploys an entertaining use of Konkani literal-translations, while the stories from Africa are peopled with elephants running wild and their tragic end, a lion transported on a plane which can't take off (together with an unusual twist), and the charms of the Zanzibar of old. Africa-to-Goa ship journeys apparently make for memorable stories, as do possibilities of encountering snakes in Goa! Ghosts, saints, coping with migration to the US, funerals of the past, the long "Africander" holidays in Goa, and preparing for the monsoons are among the other themes for essays and stories. Writes Rudy Fernandes of the 55PGA [http://www.55PGA.com], "Our vision was to capture for the future the many stories that resided in people's minds, and which otherwise might have not seen the light of day. Over the centuries, the Goan diaspora has enriched our culture and provided many lessons that should not be forgotten." By some quirk of fate, the reading will be done by a Canadian settled in Goa. More about Dan here http://www.tambdimati.com/dan-driscoll-on-film/ The reading is on October 28, 2010 (Thursday) at 5.30 pm during the History Hour session of the Xavier Centre of Historical Research at Alto Porvorim (located at Bakibab Borkar Road, off the Porvorim Tank area). It is open to the public. Frederick Noronha :: +91-9822122436 :: +91-832-2409490 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Now available in Toronto, a few copies of *Into The Diaspora Wilderness* by Selma Carvalho. Contact Bosco D'Mello bo...@goanet.org (416) 803-7264 http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/