1) I must have said something very important because it stirred Shri Frederick Noronha from his slumber. Alas, my participation on Goanet is sporadic. When I am in Goa I tend to follow it. When I’m away, other than quickly scanning the archived headlines I seldom click through the entries. I encourage Frederick to continue his participation even if I’m not around to needle him into action. I also beseech him to smear me some more.
Trivia: the Icelandic word for butter is smjör. The English “smear” derives from the cognate in Old Norse. Few English speakers are aware of the extent of influence of Old Norse on so many of the words we commonly use. 2) The traffic woes on the road in and around Porvorim and Betim continue to worsen. The new bridge does not seem to have done much to smoothen the flow. Driving to any place in North Goa right now, just after Diwali, is a version of hell. The hordes from MH, KA, AP, DL etc etc have poured in with their cars and their bad manners. 3) Amazon has finally come into its own in India. It wasn’t the case even a couple of years ago but the chinks have been fixed and it functions just like the Amazon in USA. The quality of products and the items themselves are not of the same class as those available in the West, but I think it’ll get there. The trajectory is promising. r