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Goenakrs ! Cecil's post reminds me of an incident ( correct me if i am wrong ) , That took place some years ago - somewher in the 80 s ? a few Goan activists ( ? Roland / Sergio and others ) forced AIR INDIA or was it India Airlines - to withdraw their Calendars from circulation - as they (the Goans in Goa ) argued that the photgraphs appearing on the Air Inda Calendars * Cheapened * the GOAN WOMAN ? The activists won...... ,Air India had to withdraw / destroy those calendars.......can some one confirm that this was indeed true ? Then , were some more incidents ........ Those were the days .......when Goans were proud of being * natives of Goa * , they stood up for what they believed in .........do we still have some left over ? I am sure we do ........ they are found in the middle east too -: ) ..... rene barreto www.goaday.com 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cecil Pinto" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2003 7:02 AM Subject: [Goanet]Insult to Goans - my correspondence with Rough Guides (1999) > Just my little bit to add to the current controversy. > > In April 1999 (to think that I've been corresponding with strangers since > that long back!!) I wrote an e-mail to Rough Guides editor Arnold > Barkhordarian pointing out some factual errors in their Rough Guide to Goa > book. > > > > > > +++++++ > > Dear Arnold, > > Thanks for a quick response. > > To begin with let me introduce myself. > > I'm male, 32 and run a small time DTP business in Panjim, the capital city > of Goa. I have lived all my life here in Goa. > > Recently I came across your book GOA - The Rough Guide (1996 reprint) which > was left behind by a friend of mine visiting from UK. I found it quite > fascinating reading despite my obviously not being in your target audience. > I particularly liked the way in which the author (David Abraham?) handled > delicate matters such as bargaining, tipping, respect for local sentiments > /traditions /sensibilities etc. > > Only I was a bit dismayed to notice a few (very few actually considering > the range the book tries to cover) factual errors have crept in. As I > mentioned earlier I would be glad to offer my corrections and suggestions. > > Here below are a few. I will submit more as I keep browsing through the > book. Depending of course on you feedback. > > ======================= > Pg 28 last para > RD100cc should be RX100cc > > > Pg 29 second col para 2 > (usually Enfields) should be (usually Rajdoots) > Rajdoots are rode by about 80% of Goan 'pilots'. No 'pilot' would use an > Enfield at it would be very uneconomical to operate in addition to be being > bulky and unwieldy. > > You could also mention that all 'public' (ie. hireable) vehicles in Goa > have white numberplates with black letters/numerals. The opposite holds > good for 'private' vehicles. > > > Pg 36 Box on Feni > Fermented toddy, not 'todi' (locally referred to as 'sur' - 'Sur' is also > used as a generic derogatory term to describe any alcohol) is distilled to > get Palm Fenny (locally called 'Madd'). There is no such thing as Urrack > where coconut sap is concerned. > > Cashew pulp is squeezed to get cashew 'neera'. This is then distilled to > get Urrack. A pleasant light drink whose effects creep up on you (and > suddenly you find you're quite high) similar to Tequila. Urrack and more > neera are mixed in a ratio of 2/8 (urrack/neera)and re-distilled to get the > most popular drink in Goa - Cashew Feni. Good Cashew Feni will not give you > a dirty hangover. It is only the addition of other ingredients, to speed up > the fermentation process, or to increase the potency (purely for commercial > reasons), that results in 'bad' Cashew Feni - the type you described. > > > P37 Food Glossary > -'bangra' would more correctly be spelt 'bangda'. It is a variety of > mackerel and not a 'mackerel like fish' > -crab is 'cullieo' > -coconut sugar or Jaggery is 'godd' > > > Pg 41 Police > The uniform of the Goan Police is Navy Blue trousers, White Shirts, and > Blue and White 'officer type' caps (not berets). > > > Pg 44 Festivals & Page 87 Divar > Bandeira should be spelt 'Bonderam' (which means flags). It is always held > on the last Saturday of August (not January). This festival of flags is a > hand-me-down of the harvest festival of ages back, long before the > Portuguese or Christianity came to Goa. The island of Divar/Piedade was > occupied by seven distinct clans. At harvest times there would be attempts > to plunder each others crops. At the onset of the harvest time each clan > would have a flag march delineating the borders of their territiory. Often > scuffles used to occur due to disputes and weapons were very much visible > and used. When peace and unity finally came about the old tradition was > maintained but friendly rivalry resulted in 'pea-shooter' type toy weapons > being permitted. The actual word for this weapon is 'Fotass'. Made from > hollow bamboo shoots and using a pea type seed called 'tefla' as > ammunition. Unlike peas 'tefla' really sting when they hit your skin. > Although a lot of menfolk from Divar (and for that matter most of Goa) work > abroad, mostly in the Middle East, they definitely don't go about waving > their adopted country's flags down here. Even the word 'adopted' is not > right as they go abroad only to make some much needed money. They always > return home in the end. > > > Pg 87 Divar Island > The ferry boat crossing has never been free (75 paise per person - vehicles > extra). > The Church is of Our Lady of Piety (not Compasssion) hence 'Piedade'. > > ========================= > > That's enough for today > > If you could forward this letter to David Abraham or the editor of the new > edition then I could e-mail him directly in future. awaiting your feedback. > > > Cecil Pinto > > ++++++++++ > > > > > Arnold replied immediately. > > > > > > ++++++++++ > > > Dear Cecil, > > Thanks very much for your corrections, it's great to have such a detailed > review of our publication from someone in the know. All updates (in fact all > travel e-mails) arrive here in my box and I redistribute them to the various > departments concerned. As there's no way of knowing who will be updating the > next edition of any guide until it's commissioned, you can't really contact > the author (and he wouldn't be here anyway, all authors are free lancers). > What happens eventually, is that the next up-dater will receive all the > 'Goa" emails before going out there and use them as a guide to his (her) > research. I send them to an office which sends them to an editor who passes > them on to the writer...you get the picture. If you want to get in contact > with the writer when he visits Goa, you could mention your address and I'd > pass it on. In any case, thanks again for your advice and info. So much of > what we get is self-promotion from businesses, it's nice to get an > independent point of view. Regards, > > Arnold Barkhordarian > > > ++++++++ > > I wrote back. > > ++++++++ > > > Dear Arnold, > > You guys sure respond fast to your mail. > > It's nice to know that the information was appreciated. Sure I would like > to meet the next writer/updater/editor or whatever of the next edition of > Goa - The Rough Guide. > > My office address is > ------------------------------ > Pinto & Pinto > 3rd Floor, Vijaya Apartments, > Above Satkar Restaurant, > 18th June Road, Panjim > Goa > Phone: 436920 / 420249 > ------------------------------ > We are open from 11 am to 6.30 pm from Monday to Saturday. > > Please inform him/her not to expect much. I only pointed out a few very > obvious errors that I noticed. In fact just browsing through your wonderful > book I've learnt quite a lot about my own homeland! And I particularly like > the 'attitude' and crisp language used throughout the book. Do congratulate > the entire team at ROUGH GUIDES on a great job. > > Cecil Pinto > > P.S. The front cover of the book (1996 reprint) has a photograph credited > to The Hutchinson Library. I am willing to wager that this photograph was > not taken in Goa at all. My reasons are as follows: > > 1) 4 wheeler vehicles are never ferried across in this manner in Goa. Most > crossings have a proper motorised ferryboats. In case of a breakdown narrow > canoes are put into use merely to ferry pedestrians and an occasional two > wheeler. > > 2) The vehicle behind the Ambassador car, a type of van, is very rarely > seen in Goa. > > 3) The complexion and facial characteristics of the both the driver and the > oarsman is not typical of Goa but is very distinct of Kerala (a state > further south). > > 4) The wooden boat design is typical of the type used in Kerala for > ferrying sand, stones etc. (and occasionally vehicles) to inaccessible places. > > > I'm also willing to risk confidently saying that this picture was taken in > Kerala! > > Major blunder this one. Could someone from the photo research team clarify? > > +++++++++ > > > > > > Arnold never wrote back to me after that, not did anyone from Rough Guides > contact me, but I can only presume they rectified the errors. > > Cecil > > P.S. > And before anyone starts correcting my corrections please keep in mind > (1) This was April 1999 > (2) These were just preliminary passing corrections in passing, which I > would have properly researched and authenticated had Rough Guides got back > to me. > ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################