Saturday May 3 saw the kick-off event for the 2008 International Goan Convention. The May Queen Ball was held at the International Banquet Hall. It was their inaugural event and a fund raiser for the convention. My wife and I were privileged to attend. By all accounts it was a major success. Kevin’s wife, Lisette worked tirelessly to make a go of this and her effort paid off big time at the Ball. The work of the Saldanha family was evident round the hall – from the entrance hall to the exhibits to the Silent Auction. The evening was a lot of fun. The Goa Amigos band was in attendance and they belted out their vast repertoire of music in their usual excellent way. They were complemented by a DJ who also played a lot of “fun” music which included some popular “soca” numbers from the Caribbean. The populated dance floor throughout the evening was evidence of the fun that everyone was having. The May Queen was selected from 13 entries of varying ages. All glamorous. I have to compliment my wife and myself on our selection. The one we chose was the second runner-up. I know . . . close but no cigar, but at least it shows that we are not bad at judging. The judges comprised, among others, of members from the Manglorean Society of Canada – “Boy, you guys really know how to have fun” and the Anglo-Indian Society. An appearance by our own Goan comedienne Chrystal Gomes was an excellent touch after dinner. A superb stand-up by any standard. You can see a sampling of her talent at http://www.members.tripod.com/~special_olympics/Stand-up.wmv. Soon after 1:00 a.m. my wife and I had it call it a day. At our age fatigue sets in early. Besides the bar – manned by the Knights of Columbus (Council 12067) – closed at that time. The festivities were still going on. It was encouraging to see a high proportion of young Goans in attendance. This, sadly is lacking in many of the normal Goan functions in the Greater Toronto Area. This augurs well for the convention. Well done Kevin & Lisette plus other members of the Executive. _________________________________________________________________ Enter today for your chance to win $1000 a day—today until May 12th. Learn more at SignInAndWIN.ca http://g.msn.ca/ca55/215
