thanks
Vivian D'Souza wrote:
Now, that was a helluva nice article from Edgar Martins, nostalgic, and oh so true.......... Brings back so many memories of childhood holidays spent in Goa.
I am glad to see Edgar use his talents in writing such a beautiful piece, instead of often beating up on
us "barbarians from South of the Border" (South from
Canada where Edgar currently resides that is) and the
leaders(in the USA) that we(including yours truly)
freely elected.
Good work ! I will keep that article and share it with my kids and grandkids. They will wonder what Gilly-dandu and Kantam etc. are, but I will broaden their horizons by relating the events of the past.
Here in Goa where I reside for most of the year, we have had our fill of the choicest mangoes. The Mancurad mango tree in our backyard has given us a bounty of the most luscious mangoes I have ever tasted. Now it is on to other varieties of mangoes and Jackfruits which have seemingly flooded the market.
We eagerly await the rains, but mercifully, unlike many of my neighbors we do not have a water crisis at our residence, yet. Prudent use of water and some in-advertent rain-water harvesting(through commonsense practices) have obviously had their effect. But the monsoons, the arrival of which I have not personally witnessed since 1947, will bring welcome respite.
Daily life in Goa continues at a languid civilized pace. One sees positive signs of change. The City of Panjim is receiving a facelift. Roads are being paved with hot-mix asphalt; historic buildings are being restored and painted in what appears to be their original colors; traffic islands and roundabouts with gardens are being constructed with carved laeterite stone; the first phase of a new market for Panjim has been inaugurated; the new Patto bridge and the bridges over the Mandovi have had their ramparts painted.
One can focus on all the things that are wrong in Goa and give a dismal picture or one can choose to look for the positives that improve the life of the average citizen. Sure there are lots of things wrong in Goa. The less one has to deal with the bureaucracy, the better, and I have my own trove of horror stories of encounters with the Customs, the Police, the RTO (where one is compelled to go to get a vehicle registered or to get a drivers license), the Panchayats etc. Putting those things aside, we Goans are friendly, helpful, kind, compassionate, religious, and love to dance and sing (with a little Feni to lubricate our vocal chords).
VIVA GOA !
Vivian A. D'Souza (an American enjoying retired life in Goa)
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