John J. D'Souza jds1...@hotmail.com Recent postings remind us that in 2019 Goanet will be 25, and to do something -- anything, to mark this milestone.
Perhaps we can look back and see how Goanet's arrival was announced in the Goan Diaspora -- in particular the Greater Toronto Area. The official information source in the community way back was the PULSE of the G.O.A., a glossy 7"x8.5", 40-page magazine on fine paper. The following is an excerpt from the G.O.A. history written by John Nazareth in 1995: THE NEWSLETTER One of the most observable signs of progress of the G.O.A. has been the newsletter, which has evolved from a few typewritten sheets in the early years to the news magazine we have today. At one time the newsletter used to be published monthly, but as a result of the quantum increase in postal rates in the early 1980s and the increase in cost due to the improvements in the printing quality, the frequency of the newsletter has been reduced to quarterly. The editors who shepherded the biggest changes to the newsletter over the years have been Armand Rodrigues and Eugene Correa. An honourable mention is due to Michael Sequeira, whose printing quality in 1975 was more than a decade ahead of its time. In 1984 Bonny Andrade recognized that the transformation of the newsletter called for a name change; through a contest he organized that year the name "The Pulse of the GOA" was selected. The young team currently producing the Pulse headed by Christine Gomes also deserve to be commended for their excellence. The Pulse has become a model to emulate for Goan associations around the globe. Ends An article published in the Feb 1996 issue of the PULSE of the Goan Overseas Association -- Toronto, notes the following: Extract from INTERNET ... (shortened) For many Goans, Christmas would not be complete without the chance to meet folks at least once at some festive occasion. The celebration of St. Francis Xavier's feast by the Goan Overseas Association of Toronto allowed many families to do just that .... remember their heritage, hear their ancestral language and renew contacts with friends and family spanning three generations. More than 600 of the faithful gathered at a banquet hall in Mississauga on Sunday, December 3, '95, for the noon hour mass celebrated by Father Michael Coutts. The festivities that followed, apart from being indoors, are reminiscent of our centuries old tradition, which still takes place at almost every village church in Goa. There were tables heaped with Goa sausages, pickles, baked goods, sweets, arts and crafts, all prepared by industrious family groups. The hot food section was even more exciting... with pulao, sorpotel, sanas, samosas, and everything else to satisfy the cravings of those for Goan food. Members of the Goa Internet Community were present in the foyer of the place to give a live demo of Goa and the Internet. A PC with a 19-inch monitor was hooked to the Internet to show that there was also a community the world over, in cyberspace, with the same concerns for the well being of Goa, irrespective of distance or time. A series of story boards explained the purpose and workings of the Goa-Net, GOA-WEB, and GOACOM. Judging from the constant stream of people who stopped by to see what surfing was all about and to pick up a brochure, it will not be long before many G.O.A. members are also part of the greater Goa Internet Community. End of Extract Who would have known then that PULSE had met its Nemesis -- the WWW, or the world wide web. In a few years, the publication morphed into a folio size newsletter, and disappear within a decade or so, following the fate of mainstream newspapers and print media. However, some here treasure the Pulse magazines of 1985-2000 as gems. Browsing through the articles, announcements and notices is reassuring -- especially the obits -- one frequently remarks, "Alas, poor Yorrick! I knew him well." The page in the 1996 issue featuring GoaNet was overshadowed by an ad in large text "GOA Sausage -- $9.95 lb"! Today -- almost 25 years later one can still get the same sausages for a buck or two, extra. These are now vacuum packed; meals ready to eat, which the first Goan astronaut going to the moon or Mars, can take and taste out of this world. In the same 1996 issue, one comes across an article 'Random Thoughts' by Eugene Correa, musing on Lorna's dramatic comeback with snippets of her inside story and a prophecy that she would one day come to our shores or shows! PULSE had been left to wither. Will Goanet survive the next 25, or like the Cheshire Cat in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, fade away until nothing is left but our smiles? Who knows.... -- John J. D'Souza is a Canada-based senior citizen and an early, consistent yet modest contributor to giving Goa space in cyberspace.