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What's On In Goa:
* Oct 11: Konkani translation of Satre book, Alliance Francaise
* Oct 11: Friday Balcao, Mapusa. Mental health, suicides 4pm
* Oct 12: History Reading (Farar Far by Dr Pratima Kamat, Fundacao 5pm
* Oct 12: Goa Orchestra performs at the Kala (Corelli, Bach)
* Oct 13: Goa leg of National Karting Championships, Verna
* Oct 14: Colva Fama
* Oct 15: Magic in town... Illusion India show, Panjim then Vasco
* Oct 16-17: Ornithology workshop, Bondla southernbirdwing.com
* Oct 16-27: Vipasana meditation, Alto Porvorim
* Oct 24: Antonio Pereira Puraskar (Award) ceremony, Porvorim
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A car bomb in Kuta, Bali has killed more than 180 persons, many of them
Aussie, New Zealand, US and EU citizens including Balinese. This tiny Hindu
Island which had so far been a sea of peace in a predominantly Muslim country
has experienced one of Indonesia's most severe terrorist acts. This is a
lesson to Goa where rave parties are a call for large numbers of pot smoking
and fun loving tourists.The economy of Bali and Indonesia will be severely
effected.
Tourists had congregated in a bar and most of them were foreigners.
It appears that no part of the world will be safe if George Bush persues his
aim to attack Iraq for its oil.
President Megawati Soukarnoputri (put in Konkani means son and putra
in Indonesian is daughter) whose mother was Hindu and from Bali has close
links with this tiny Island. Mahatir Mohamed's grandmother was from Kerala a
fact that is not widely publicized. Suharto's wife Ibu Tien (ibu is
grandmother) was a catholic whose brother was a bishop in Solo, Eastern Jawa.
Kuta is about 10 km. north of the tip of Bali where most of the 5 star hotels
are situated. The place is called Nusa Dua. I have been there and Goa's
tourist area is incomparable to Nusa Dua. Denpasar is the provincial capital
and I have met the honorary US consul who visits the Swiss Restaurant to play
music on Sundays where my cousin plays the piano. His house was also
targeted.
Bali was a very pretty place to visit. An American who lived in
Indonesia has written a book entitled Revolt in Paradise and changed her name
to Ketut Tantry. She was involved in Hata and Soukarno's fight for
independance from the cruel Dutch. The culture of Bali is very Hindu and I
would state that the Balinese are the only 'non-Indian' Hindus and remnants
of India's cultural ties with Indonesia which was predominantly Hindu once.
They use brass gongs called gamelen for music and perform dances based on the
Mahabarata and Ramayana. The people are extremely artistic and attractive and
also passive. The rest of Indonesia look with envy on the people of Bali and
are infiltrating the island with their religion and houses of worship
disturbing the peace with their calls to prayer on modern day electronic
speakers. They mix their Hinduism with animism and as cremations are very
expensive affairs, they will bury their dead till they are able to afford the
ceremony of cremating several of their family members in one ceremony.
If on earth be an Eden of bliss, it is Bali, it is Bali, it is Bali.
Maybe I ought to have written, it was Bali. I reccomend that Goans make a
trip to this beautiful island.
Edgar Martins
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