Title: October Weekend Musings By Roland Francis Source: Goan Voice UK Daily Newsletter of 14 Oct. 2012 at www.goanvoice.org.uk
Some casual observations in Toronto and elsewhere, in the first cold Autumn weekend of the year, a la the late Bombay Busybee (Behram Contractor) tradition. All Goans take to the cold except if they are old and have cash. Then they flee to Goa at the first ache in the bones and promise to return after Carnival. On returning they vow never to go again. That undertaking is valid until next Fall. Talking of old, never use the word with a Diaspora man. To him age is just a number and a mid-life crisis. Must have to do with keeping up with the missus, who is forever young at 29, even if 30 years ago. The worse the physical mess Goa becomes, the more it attracts other Indians and a certain type of Russian tourist. All hopes for Goa were pinned on the current Chief Minister. They were quickly belied. Thanks to a leading lawyer-activist, his misdeeds are speedily exposed, even if he is not reputed to be as corrupt as his predecessor. The Goan in Bombay used to visit his ancestral home once a year in summer. He had no money then. Now he goes there once a month and to a many-starred hotel as he has the money but no home. Who says Goan cooking in Canada is on the decline. The tradition is alive with more and more people offering home cooked fare even as prices increase. Goans from Pakistan make sumptuous biryani. The Hindu Goan population in Toronto is miniscule unlike that in the US. Is it the warm temperatures of Texas and California that beckon or are they all doctors, welcome there but educationally discriminated against, here. A few more Goan priests are appearing in the city. Some have come from Goa and some are the children of people here. They are a welcome sight whether their accents are Goan or Canadian or neither. There are people with very interesting backgrounds you sometimes meet. X's father was the Chief Chef of an Indian maharaja. X was educated and trained in the precision trades in Switzerland. Now he makes parts in a small firm for NASA rockets and satellites. You would never have guessed, he being so simple and unassuming and Goan. Canada has no Goan politician of the stature of Keith Vaz of Britain. Don't know whether that's a good or bad thing. Everybody in Goa knows at least 5 people in Toronto. And they tell you that they all live in Mississauga. On a visit to the city they will come with their names and addresses duly logged and you are expected to escort them to visit each of the 'names' after you have done Niagara Falls and the CN Tower. The state liquor monopoly the LCBO, is finding that feni sells. But the exporters are obscure outfits and it is being sold for about 10 times the Goa price or the cost of genuine scotch on the shelves. Didn't know freight is so expensive or is the LCBO gouging on the pretext of using their profits to help fund the Ontario universal health system. The global recession does not seem to have hit Canada badly. Don't hear of too many Goans losing jobs or not getting them. The only casualties are our young University under-grads who find their option is limited to further study. And on a happy note, Christmas is approaching sans the usual commercial hype that usually starts in October but hasn't, this year. By Roland Francis, roland.fran...@gmail.com
