------------------------------------------------------------------------ TRI Continental Film Festival - Dona Paula, Goa, Sep 28 - Oct 2, 2007
http://www.moviesgoa.org/tricontinental/tricon.htm For public viewing. Registration at The International Centre Goa. (Ph: +91-832-2452805 to 10) Online Media Partner: http://www.GOANET.org ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hello Selma, Your post has allowed me a broad range of thoughts. And you will hopefully excuse the length and insanity of my post. I feel that it is perfectly fine to speak misturad Konkani. So you should do what comes to you, based on what you imbibed and keep at it. I used to speak it with my mother, and over time the admixtures from other languages are not intruding as much. But some of those inflections should be maintained. It is fine for the linguists to suggest (by any form employed) otherwise. We must remember that Konkani is not entirely being nursed at the teat of the linguists, lexicographers, or critics (books, etc.). It has also been fed some formula (think Farex). Hence when we see these various fanttea, it gets overwhelming. There are writers and many others doing their part towards expressing in various forms and grammars-- a continual process. A language such as ours will have various flavors; this is how stored insights and experiences from various regions through their "dialects" make us see our "analects," and shape a composite tounge. Mai bhas. Never a Pai Bhas or a Shappai Bhas, or even a Shamai Bhas. The Mai is always current and worthily fecund. If one wishes one may come to Konkani later in life, but options have to be presented to children. So imagine ones child who takes to South Asian languages or translates, from the German into Konkani, or the Konkani proverbs into Japanese. I can guaarantee there will be a market. But one would need to know the Japanse too or at least have an agent. There are doctors and engineers writing poetry and essays in Konkani. And they chose that path or saw it fit to do so, accordingly. The arts though are not an option for everyone in the sense of a profession. But this should not be a concern to parents who are well off, although such choices have impact, as in perceptions and stature. I could study art, and assorted "madnesses" because I was materially and financially helped in my art/design studies; besides have a fellow mate, who is unconcered with the ostentatious, and how much money I bring home. I understand that few are born to the manor. My feeling though is that some are born to have their cake and eat it too. For the others it is about who their child will marry, what profession they will have, how will society view them and the parent, etc. Most of these questions arise because at the institutional level--state, church, they have consistently let people down, while laying down one sided options. So we have this Romi and Nagari script horror, furthermore, in the Church we have a language usage that purports to levitate us but essentially busts our kneecaps. None of that Konkani thinking seems to have made much of an overall impact, and neither do we use it at home. So the only option left is to study more. Some have the tools, many others do not and so, have to find them. So I have to reach out to find specific words much before I can even comtemplate writing cogently. And it is hard, as one of my earler posts will make it apparent. But for certain reasons children in Goa (being educated in Englsh) are easily bashful, even those who speak Konkani. We very rarely see a product that has a Konkani name, or hair styles for that matter, that one may request in Konkani (Bai/Baba maca kaaru, or shaggi cut di ghe/go/re: kaaru and shaggi are used in Japan! We use English), or a bathroom sign that says Ostoreo/Ostreo/Bailmunshayan-Women. My point being that as one steeps tea, so could a language be pickled. In doing so one steps into it, much as one does a jive, the twist and the swing, with that same urba (a loan word quite possibly). The Maharashtrians say, Amchi Marathi, valavte tashi vallte. Our Marathi, as it is swayed, it sways (or bends). Its much less now, but Goans would form demarcations, by simply being taken askance at the sounds of the others Konkani--Bardez or Shassti or Dharwar Konkani; in doing so implying division. I have been working towards developing some bilingual, and some visual projects that will see print but am a few years away. I hope many others are thinking the same thing. Bringing poets together, getting scientists to write tight 1000-1,500 word essays, in English and Konkani, with glossaries, a small DICTIONARY of DOMESTIC ABUSE terms. Aside from knowing, if one goes to court one is able to reasonably articulate. But few would consider this to be their lot. I am also concepting some ideas on stalking. One can only imagine how deep such fangs have sung into Goa. I have a relative who came on the wrong end of such encounters, leading disturbingly to a romance, and subservience. But many do not stalking, for what it is. First of all the ability of understanding stalking is shallow, secondly--hin chintnam (heo vostu) tenchea monnant azunhui riggonkna, after all these years of changes occurring in Goa. But language could have helped here somewhat in developing understanding! Just somehat. The artists, print maker, book binder can make artists books in collaboration with writers, and others, by employing Konkani as an element in any artistic form. There are many kinds of collaboration, and that too becomes a learning experience. In modernity, as it is played out, there are options for some people, and language can become a force. It is up to those that see benefit to pass some of it on. The large number of political pappads or paos are there to take their cut. Also, it is adorable that moralistic stories are written in chaste Konkani but the language is also worthy of rendering serious life. Women are getting hammered, sexualities are running amok (I am addressing the violence within any kind of marriage or relationship; my position is radical, to also include its Latin root), but do we see many essays, editorials, their voices. The world is one big bazaar and some of its potential can be harnessed on relevant projects. The system is not comfortable with the possibility of a truly intelligent state that can look at the political shitheads in the eye and tell them to get off. What the system would prefer is for Goans to sink their monies earned in India or abroad into gambling, from time to time--at the very least the earning will run the basic infrastructure while the big addicts are lured from elsewhere. People will soon start loosing their houses. Besides, we are so enthralled with shaking hands with these punks, but I digress. One set of my cousins grew up speaking Portuguese, but were not given, and could not see perspectives to use it for their betterment. They just preferred to hang low, I guess in some arcane camaraderie. Now I see people studying Portuguese in Lisboa, towards proficiency in their respected fields; and think to myself that my cousins were so far ahead -- they were thinking in the Portuguese! The point being that, the ability to think in a particular language could be applied towards is a sort of love fulfillment towards other things. But, that's that. Konkani can give us insights and readings that could make one a different person. We grew up in Mumbai, a dad whose Konkani was suspect, but a mother who knew her stuff. Both, as they say, chouti (4th Std) shinklele. Mother had to drop out when grandmother got paralyzed during her last pregnancy (my youngest aunt who married a bhatkar, with the elegant Portuguese, and the gallump to the taverna) My father thankfully was blessed with a gift for curiosity, which sprouted a spring in me. I am nowhere where ought to be in terms of the language, but thankfully can make sufficient analogies. venantius j pinto ________________________________________________ selma wrote: > I speak Konkani but reading Venantius's list of > Konkani words, I realise that what I speak is not > Konkani but a bastardised version of English, > Portuguese, Marathi and smatterings of a language > called Konkani. Especially being from Salcete, a lot > of Portuguese words have been "Konkanised" for > everyday use. _____________________________________________