Re: [Goanet] Meeting... and adding a face to the name (and the emails)
I left Karachi in 1959 - some 50 years ago and went back just a couple of times - once in 1972 and the 2nd in 1989. Prior to partition in 1947, Karachi was an absolute paradise with just some 250,000 people. Had it remained this way, I would never have left. However, after partition, the population jumped to over 3,000,000 and, now, it must be close to 18,000,000. When I went there in 1989, it was a total disaster - overcrowded and filthy - and I vowed to never go back again - which I have not. I expect to be in Goa from around Jan.11 until Mar.6 and probably will be staying around Margao. If you give me your phone number, perhaps, we could meet. Best wishes to you and yours for 2010 and God Bless. Philip. PS - I admire your perseverance in pursuing Karachi Goans. These are now all over the world, including the USA, Canada, England and Australia.
Re: [Goanet] Meeting... and adding a face to the name (and the emails)
Interestingly two chaps with goan sounding names moved into our new Dubai community. When I asked one if he was Mangalorean or Goan he replied - We are 100% Pakistani but our parents are of Goan origin. The guy actually sounded like he was boastingabout his present nationality! I would consider it a great misfortune if I had a Pakistani passport. It takes 2 weeks for them to know if their EU visa application has been approved! Now I will not be surprised if a Goan holding an Afghan or Somalian passport sounded proud about it. The soil you eat from does take a hold of you. Kind Regards, Ralph
Re: [Goanet] Meeting... and adding a face to the name (and the emails)
Isn't this true of Bombay, Rangoon, Kampala, Nairobi, Aden, Calcutta, Colombo, and especially the 'White Town' in Pondicherry? This is true of cities which remained inegalitarian colonial paradise as long as their policies encouraged a priviledged few to enter and stay there in relative luxury. Could this state of affairs be maintained after the decolonisation process? And did not these islands of splendour in colonial nations depend on the immiseration of vast areas of the hinterland? Yes, these cities did crash in the 'sixties and thereafter (perhaps less perceptibly in the 1950s). But, to blame the inherent inability to maintain cleanliness on post-colonial times and a lack of the cleanliness gene in non-Europeans is unfair. True, there was a shortage of resources then (remember what happened when the rupee was not longer valued at seven to dollar?) It's easy to keep a city pristine when we have financial or other restrictions on the poor entering. Just as it's easy to keep a five star hotel clean as long as the prices keep out the average folk. I think if we want more such places that seem to be an oasis of luxury, we can hope to get the same soon. The nearest that reminded me of it was watching the airconditioners on six-storey monstrosities called hotels in the Calangute belt. These places never seem to have power failures, while we in neighbouring villages not only face regular power cuts at peak tourist season (Christmas was terrible!) but also get the tourist garbage dumped on our hillocks. FN 2009/12/30 philip pereira philpereira2...@yahoo.ca: I left Karachi in 1959 - some 50 years ago and went back just a couple of times - once in 1972 and the 2nd in 1989. Prior to partition in 1947, Karachi was an absolute paradise with just some 250,000 people. Had it remained this way, I would never have left. However, after partition, the population jumped to over 3,000,000 and, now, it must be close to 18,000,000. When I went there in 1989, it was a total disaster - overcrowded and filthy - and I vowed to never go back again - which I have not. -- FN +91-9822122436 P +91-832-2409490 Updated: http://twitter.com/fn
[Goanet] Meeting... and adding a face to the name (and the emails)
MEETING... AND ADDING A FACE TO THE NAME (AND THE EMAILS)
NOW, I SEE IT AS another lost cause. I just don't try to
convince people that I don't call myself Fred (my one-time
email ID). So, when I heard someone call out Freddy, I
didn't protest.
Turned out that Menin Rodrigues was there on time... all the
way from Karachi. It was almost three... and I was almost
late. We got talking -- not that I know much about Karachi --
and in no time, the Caldeira brothers showed up. So I put
them in touch, interrupted only a little, and got down to
checking out the place.
Menin's card said: http://www.goansofpakistan.org and among
other designations, it listed his role as founder-member,
Board of Governors, St Patrick's College of Karachi and ditto
for St Joseph's College, Karachi. He's president and CEO of
SHAMROCK Communications (Pvt) Ltd, chairman of SHAMROCK
conferences international, and honorary secretary of The Old
Patricians (TOPS) Alumni. I didn't understand the last, but
impressed I was. Hear Menin on the Karachi Goans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWPFJAuUF2U
In a little while, Goa Director of Education and historian Dr
Celsa Pinto showed up. So did the Sequeira Sisters (Lizanne
Sequeira da Cunha and Ingrid Mascarenhas), who seemed
relieved to find the few others at the ex-Karachi Goans meet.
From what one overheard, they were sharing notes on
the Goan settlements there, how these had changed,
how the Cincinnatus Town had been renamed Garden
East, and much more. By the end of it all, I heard
them discuss the possibilities of making another
visit to the place they called home, how easy or
tough it was to get visas, and how a flight from
Bombay to Karachi was just 75 minutes.
But even as Goanetters started to trickle in for the 4 pm
meet, we heard Caetano Filipe Colaco call out for assistance.
His 96-year-old father-in-law, the legendary band-leader of
the yesteryears, Micky Correa, had actually made it for the
ex-Karachi Goans meet!
This is what another website
[http://bluerhythm.wordpress.com/] wrote in October 2009:
While in Bombay, thanks to Christine Correa, we
were able to spend a morning with Micky Correa. As
the resident band leader at the Taj Hotel for 21
years, from the 1940s through the 1960s, he is a
living repository of the era of Big Bands in
Bombay.
Micky memories include sessions with the diaspora
of American jazz men who were featured at the Taj.
Micky is among the last of band leaders from that
era and has the distinction of being the first
Indian band-leader at the Taj. Men and women
mentored and groomed in Mickey's swing and lounge
bands went on to lead bands of their own and/or
earn handsome livings in Bollywood, including Chic
Chocolate, Johnny Baptiste, Lucille Pacheco and
others.
Micky Correa turned 96 last week... would you
believe it! And although he has not been able to
play his baritone sax in many years, he can still
pound out a tune on his piano
Check out his photo here: The Sequeira Sisters -- Lizanne
Sequeira da Cunha and Ingrid Mascarenhas (one a former Miss
Goa of 1979) -- pose with the oldest ex-Karachi Goan at the
meet, 96-year-old former music genius of the yesteryears,
Micky Correa, who came specially for the ex-Karachi Goans
meet. Photo copylefted by FN.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/4222614152/
By this time, Rui Lobo was present, and offered some of his
classic renditions of old Konkani songs on the guitar. Hear
him effortlessly plucking his strings here (caution, not all
Konkani, so no controversy please!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apXLIufU7Jo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym5S5XzGIeA
This was followed by a leisurely round of introductions. Among
those present were (in order of the attendance sheet):
Karachi Goan Menin Rodrigues, Goa Sudharop's George Pinto,
pioneer musician of the yesteryears Micky Correa, Lizanne
Sequeira da Cunha and Ingrid Mascarenhas, historian and
education-director (Goa) Dr Celsa Pinto, Bonnie Fernandes of
Siolim, former Speaker Tomazinho Cardozo, young management
student of Ahmedabad Jason Monserrate (also of
Goanet-Sports), ex-Loyola's Stanley Marchon and Joshua
Marchon, GoaWeb founder Marlon Menezes, guitarist Vernon De
Sa, guitar teacher Rui Lobo, engineer Caetano Filipe Colaco,
Domnic P.F. Fernandes ('Domnic's Goa') of Anjuna, Vivian D.
D'Souza of Socorro, Joe and Jackie Castelino of
Gothenburg/Nerul, Basilio Monteiro of Merces, Lily and
ex-RAFer Gabe Menezes of London, author-painter-academic Dr
Savia Viegas of Carmona, and journalist Ashley D'Mello of
Mumbai (Times of India).
Also present were campaigner Roland Martins of Mapusa,
prominent designer Wendell Rodricks of Colvale, humour
writer Cecil Pinto, Margao-based
Re: [Goanet] Meeting... and adding a face to the name (and the emails)
Thanks for the pictures, FN. It is nice to be able to put a face to a name. Mervyn1104Lobo - Original Message From: Frederick Noronha f...@goa-india.org To: Goa's premiere mailing list, estb. 1994! goanet@lists.goanet.org Sent: Mon, December 28, 2009 7:40:46 PM Subject: [Goanet] Meeting... and adding a face to the name (and the emails) MEETING... AND ADDING A FACE TO THE NAME (AND THE EMAILS) __ Get the name you've always wanted @ymail.com or @rocketmail.com! Go to http://ca.promos.yahoo.com/jacko/
Re: [Goanet] Meeting... and adding a face to the name (and the emails)
Rico Was great yesterday Wendell On 29/12/2009, Frederick Noronha wrote: MEETING... AND ADDING A FACE TO THE NAME (AND THE EMAILS) NOW, I SEE IT AS another lost cause. I just don't try to convince people that I don't call myself Fred (my one-time email ID). So, when I heard someone call out Freddy, I didn't protest.
