BELIEVING IN HERSELF... AND SPREADING HAPPINESS Since times of old, a woman attained her identity always through a male -- either she was known as somebody's daughter or somebody's mother or somebody's wife. Her plight was like a satellite that kept orbiting around one planet -- the man. She never got an opportunity to shine independently like a star. In other words she could not reflect an identity of her own.
However with the changing times, women are at par with men. The new woman is related to society directly. She is no longer confined to orthodox beliefs and traditions. Today she has broken the shackles, captitalised on her own potentials and merits and has carved a niche for herself. The woman of today has struck a perfect balance between her professional world and domestic domain. One such woman is Charmaine DeSouza Fernandes, who with the active support of her husband plays a pivotal role in spreading happiness in the lives of others through her various social projects. Charmaine can best be described as a woman of forward thinking, someone who has great faith in herself and is not afraid to be herself. In the words of her husband, "She has a mind of her own but does not impose her will or ideas upon others. In fact she believes in using her ideas and assimilating them to arrive at the best possible decision." She is not afraid to be tough and successful and also not afraid to be feminine, sensual, gentle and caring at the same time. She throws herself into domestic life with the same amount of energy and enthusiasm she has while pursuing her various creative interests. Charmaine takes the best of every philosophy, applies it wherever relevant to her own life and cooks her own homegrown recipe for a living. She gently loves the people around her. She also loves herself as a person. Charmaine is definitely unique in her own way. She believes in living a straight life and looks at reality in the face. She know "this is what I am, this is what I am not and this what I can never be.” It is because she believed in her potential and used it in the best possible way that she has been able to rise, break new ground and achieve what she wanted in life. She is respectful of her traditions, values and culture and is not hidebound by them. Excerpts from a tete-a-tete with Remediana Dias rodrigr...@yahoo.com Tell us something about you yourself. ------------------------------------------------------------- Well, I'm just an average, ordinary, everyday person. Casual and down to earth in my appearance but feisty in my beliefs and what I stand for. I'm extremely straight up and quite impetuous which gets me into a lot of foot-in-mouth situations. What sets you apart from others? ------------------------------------------------------------- *Shrug* I'm hoping it's my dashing personality and wicked sense of humour. (That's a joke.) This is really hard to say but I think it's my passion for life and my creativity and sense of humour that I depend upon to get me through even the worst situations. I believe there's humour in every strife we face but we just need to look hard to find it. What are your hobbies? ------------------------------------------------------------- Writing, I love to write. I feel like I can be anything when I write. I can write about absolutely everything from poetry, to anecdotes, to lyrics. I just finished writing a children's fairy story and I am hoping to get it published soon. I am currently working on a novel as well. It's in the editing stage. Writing for me is not only a job but it's a hobby. When I am not messing about online I'm always scribbling lines to a new poem or brainstorming for new stories. I have seven children's stories completed and working on more including a collection of my grandfather's and my bedtime stories. I read a lot too, mainly sci-fi and horror. I write and compose music when I'm bored. I play the guitar, okay let me rephrase that, I try to play guitar and sing. Unfortunately I don't have place for a piano. That's something I miss a lot. I love theater. I used to act with The Mustard Seed Art Company right up till 2000 and then I decided I wanted to pursue music. I would definitely love to get back to acting if I got a chance to or more importantly if I get time. My evenings are quite lazy. I game (mostly World of Warcraft). I spend a ridiculous amount on Facebook. I watch a lot of movies, mostly sci-fi, horror, animated and all the superhero ones. When it comes to sports, I love swimming and cycling. I started karate classes with Sensei Joseph Rodrigues last November. That's my newest hobby. I just got my yellow belt and it's something I plan on continuing for as long as possible. Your vision for a unified world? ------------------------------------------------------------- Personally and without any offence to anyone, I think the only way we can have a unified world is if we respect/ignore everyone's religions, beliefs, nationalities, geographical boundaries, culture... though I feel that real unity will come when we choose to keep religion aside and look at every individual for what they are and not for what or who they believe in. What are your values, principles, values in life? ------------------------------------------------------------- I have many values in life and one of them is to do my own thing and not interfere with anyone else. I believe in my passions and I let them be my guiding force and through everything I try to remain true to myself and keep things as real as possible. If I see something is not right I will go out of my way to correct it if it is in my jurisdiction, especially if it is animal or environment related. I respect nature and its animals and I try to do my bit for our planet... as much as possible. Any striking incident that left a deep impact in your life or changed the course of your life? ------------------------------------------------------------- There's one major turning point in my life that taught me a valuable lesson. Family is not necessarily blood but it's the people who choose to remain by your side when you need them the most. Blood doesn't run thicker than water and in my case blood has been really diluted. Like most Goan families it's always about the property and money and who needs to get more. At least I got a chance to walk away with my dignity intact and my head held high. That's all that matters in the end. I know I didn't cheat anyone out of any share and my conscience is clear. I learnt how to struggle to make my own way without any parental/relatives help it was all about hard work and a very supportive spouse. I don't think I would have made it through without Ronald. When where why and how did you start EatFor2? ------------------------------------------------------------- EatFor2 [http://vimeo.com/55385337] was not started by me. It was not even my idea. Ronald's best friend Ronsley Vaz (based in Brisbane, Australia) was down in August last year and came to meet us. EatFor2 [http://eatfortwo.com.au/blog/] is his idea. We volunteered to help out with the planning and execution. He wanted to give something to society and thought about feeding hungry children. He did all the research. We stepped in to implement the plans. I took over the weekly Sharing Sessions. I would coordinate the place and meal we would take for the children. We would set aside one day of a week and go spend time with the children. We would visit a different home every week. It has been one of the most amazing and uplifting experiences I have ever had. About the Goan in you ------------------------------------------------------------- I may not be crazy about fish, curry and rice but I love everything else and most of all I love my homeland. I love and respect my heritage and culture. I couldn't be prouder being Goan. I will definitely do what it takes to preserve and talk about our heritage and culture every chance I get. I am really proud of my little corner of the globe. Tell us anything that you would like to share with the readers? ------------------------------------------------------------- Believe in yourself and follow your heart. Even though things might seem difficult in the beginning it all falls into place eventually. Do what you are most passionate about. The keyword here is B.E.L.I.E.V.E.! Your message for Goans who migrate? ------------------------------------------------------------- No matter where you go in life or where you choose to settle, never forget your roots. There's no shame in being proud of who you are. Goanet Reader is compiled and circulated by Frederick Noronha. Share your inspiring and little-known articles via a submission to f...@goa-india.org Send your feedback and comments to rodrigr...@yahoo.com with a cc to goa...@goanet.org