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I lived in Singapore for 7 years and yes there are
Goans in Singapore, albeit only a handful at present. I am not sure if they are
aware of the internet but if there is anyone out there reading this, it's
Gabe and Lily now back in London.
We first met the Goans when they celebrated St.
Francis Xavier's feast day. It was a small occasion but we were so glad to meet
some Goans everyone brought a dish for a small occasion after Mass. We didn't
know the procedure but we were made most welcome to participate. From then on we
got together one more than the one occasion of the feast day. We had Easter and
Christmas parties in the tiny hall of the Church of St. Joseph in Bras Basah
Road It used to be called the Portuguese Church.
We met an interesting old Goan man who was a
botonist. He could speak about 32 languages and he narrated this to
me:
He had met though his studies some Romany Gipsies,
His friend told him that they spoke Konkani. So he went to meet them and true
and behold when they spoke slowly it was Konkani. He was told that they had come
from Goa or around Goa and everywhere they went they just said that they came
from the the last place down the road, to escape persecution, until they
reached Europe.
They took with them their brightly coloured clothes
and customs , lavish gold jewelery, and their important festivities always had
the breaking of coconuts.
Well now maybe some one else has another
slant to this!!
We also went to Malacca and saw the first burial
site of St. Francis Xavier. This site was before his body was exhumed and sent
to Goa.
We had many over to visit us at our place including
shippies in transit.
I think there are just a handful left now, But we
have our beautiful memories of the place.
cheers Gabe and Lily
Menezes
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