Issue 48

Thursday, October 10, 2013 | Vol. No. I | Issue 48 | Price Rs. 10 | Pages 24 | www.goastreets.com

Nightlife Awards • pg 3

Food • pg 07

Fighting Terror • pg 11

Goa’s Social Media Boom pg 12

Wheels On Streets pg 19 • Goa: Yoga Haven pg 21 • Pet Emergencies pg 22

3

Thursday, October 10, 2013

streetspicks Live Music Project

This Saturday Art Escape and Goa Streets present the Live Music Project.

Students from Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music + Guest Faculty Berklee with Sherry-vocals, Milan- lead guitar, Manovan- guitar, Abhinav-bass David Rebello-drums and Mithin-percussion At Baywatch Resort, Colva Oct 12 Entry is free. @ 7.30 pm +91 9323590051

Friday Night Catch “The Valentinos” Live featuring Elvis on lead guitar & Edgar on keyboard with the best of Slow Rock /Retro & Old School.

At “Down The Road” pub/cafe’ & bistro (1st floor) Panjim @ 9 pm onwards +91 9823173757

Work like an Animal, Party like a Beast!!

Goa and the Nightlife Convention

By Nolan Mascarenhas

T

he first thing you have to know about India’s first Nightlife Convention, held in Goa last weekend, is that the gods of precipitation decided not to cooperate. That meant the organizers from www.MyPurpleMartini.com, a kind of Indiabased Facebook for nightlife, had to pull some rabbits out of some hats to make up for what were supposed to be outdoor pool parties and open-air wine & cheese tastings and a fashion show under the stars. That they were able to do so with characteristic panache and a sense of humour is a testament to their passionate commitment to Indian nightlife.

Yes, there was rain. But the Nightlife Convention was true to its creators’ vision as an out-of-the-box, unique event bringing together the Who’s Who in the Indian and international nightlife industry. Goa Streets was proud to be the local media partner for the event.

A fashion show featuring the spectacular work of Monte Sally and the Nightlife Awards recognizing the best in the business were perhaps the highlights of the happening – together with some rockin’ after parties held in the ballroom of the Resort Rio at Arpora. But in the end, what really got things shaking were not the parties or the buffets or the product presentations or the fancy cocktails or even the fashion displays. The most stunning part of the event was an extraordinarily blunt discussion about nightlife held on Saturday afternoon at the resort, featuring talks by some of the country’s top DJs and other invited speakers, including Streets’ own Steven Gutkin.

Turn to page 5

A participant enjoys himself at the Resort Rio pool

Femina Miss India Universe 2008 Simran Kaur

Oct 10

music & nightlife | 03 The Nightlife Convention

lowdown | 6 food & drink | 07 The Power of Pao

feature | 11 Terrorism: A Colonel’s View

cover story | 12 Social Media Explosion

arts & entertainment | 15 History’s 10 Best Paintings

what’s on | 17

Thursday Night Live

With Smoking Chutney updated repertoire of latin, funk, jazz and blues covers and originals.

At The Safola, Battiwaddo, Nerul @ 8.30 pm to 11.30 pm +91 832 6714141

Oct 11

Club 9 Bar season opening A Liquid Sky Party At Club 9 Bar, Vagator @ 8 pm

Music Fever

Pop, Retro, Indian Featuring Jonathan & Nashvin At Zuperb, Calangute +91 9665616078

Oct 12

Season Opening White Party

Fest DJs Alister, Rohan Peddy, Joet T, L’il Ramps, Spike At White House bar & lounge, Hotel Lucky Star @ 10 pm +91 7798983490 | +91 9545223212

Oct 13

Season Opening!!

Presented by Club Western & Elements INC “Goa Season Opening Party” At Western Club, Saligao @ 8 pm +91 9833696467

Oct 14

NH17 Layover with Symbiz Sound + Low Rhyderz

At Cafe Lilliput, Anjuna @ 6 pm +91 9679666777/ +91 9832543232

feature | 18

Every Monday

Tambdimati: New Art Journal

Electronic Dance Music

wheels on streets | 19

Karaoke Night

Smooching Cars

At The UV Bar, Anjuna @ 4 pm to 10 pm +91 9822153440

Manic Mondays with Saby At The Backyard, Sangolda +91 9823593872

Every Wednesday

hot streets | 20 Home is hell

mind, body & soul | 21 Yoga

feature | 22 Pet Emergencies

Wahida Gomes will rock you

At The Tease Bar, Vivanta by Taj, Panjim @ 8 pm to 11pm 9922947001/3

Cosmopolitan Ladies Night Free Absolut Cosmopolitan cocktails all night long exclusively for the fairer sex. Ladies Night.

At Butter, Patto, Panjim @ 8 pm onward +91 8308838888

Karaoke Night

At Resort Rio, Arpora @ 7.30 pm to 10.30 pm +91 832 2267300

Wednesday Nights

Catch the band Rhythm and Blues play live music every Wednesday.

At Cavala Beach Resort, Calangute @ 8:30 pm onward +91 8390055518

Driving women crazy

With DJ Nix & DJ Crodin Unlimited Premium Alcohol, music madness style Dress code: Stylish Best!

At Ianos, Calangute @ 8 pm onwards +91 8888662244

Ladies Night

Hindi Karaoke Live

At Appetite Classic, Housing Board, Mapusa @ 7.30 pm to 11 pm +91 9823107114

Every Saturday Exclusively Groove to the mixes of DJs Cris, Rosh, Milad, Xavier and Melroy.

Couple - 1000/- stag - 1500 At F Cube, Calangute @ 9 pm – 3 am +91 832 2275796/9 822176572

Every Sunday

Funky, commercial house, R & B, hip-hop tunes with DJs Rinton & Mr.E. Open bar with free drinks for the ladies.

Dress code: Smart & Sexy At SinQ Beach Club, opp. Taj Holiday Village, Candolim @ 10 pm onwards +91 8308000080

Sunday Fun With Regan

Every Thursday

Every Wednesday and Saturday

Wahida Gomes will rock you

At The Tease Bar, Vivanta by Taj, Panjim @ 8 pm to 11pm 9922947001/3

Thursday Grill & Games

Music and vocals by Regan. Sway late into the night with an eclectic mix of numbers courtesy the inhouse artist.

At Wok & Roll, Sinquerim, Candolim @ 8 pm onward +91 9049022348

Karaoke Night

With Bony At Resort Rio, Arpora @ 7.30 pm to 10.30 pm +91 832 2267300

Music, games & barbeque!

At Soul Souffle, Verna @ 7 pm – 10 pm +91 832 2782100/9764694321

Every Saturday & Sunday

Every Friday

At Whispering Palm Beach Resort, Candolim @ 7.30 pm to 10.30 pm +91 832 6651515

Dr Varun Carvalho and his band The Two Timers At Edge Bar, Alila Diwa Goa @ 7.30 pm onwards +91 832 2746800

Wahida Gomes

At The Adega Camoes, Taj Exotica, Benaulim @ 8 pm to 11 pm 9922947001/3

Friday Night

Crimson Tide Live Retro and classic with funk At Malts n Wines, Baga @ 9 pm +91 8698694319

Retro House

Live rhythm n blues At The Park, Calangute @ 8 pm onwards +91 8805028194

Every Saturday Sizzling Saturday

At The Backyard, Sangolda +91 9823593872

Sexy Saturday

DJ Joel, DJ Rinton, & Mr.E At SinQ, Candolim @ 10 pm to 4 am +91 8308000080

Karaoke Night

On-going Club Ianos

Mondays and Tuesdays are for Commercial Club and House Music.

At Calangute Baga @ 8.30 pm to 3 am +91 832 6528283

Raissa’s Sheesh Mahal Lounge

Delicious food and lovely music At Margao @ 10 am to 11.45 pm +91 832 2712899

Cafe la Musica Lounge & Disco

Events performed by professional International artists on a daily basis. DJ’s are Raz & Mike.

At Red Square Lane, lane parallel to Tito,s Lane, Baga @ 8 pm onwards +91 7798932264

One man live band show

By Wili Guitarist At Whispering Palm Beach resort, Candolim @ 7.30 pm to 10.30 pm +91 832 6651515

Thursday, October 10, 2013

From page 3

Model Dawn Mortimer

Famed DJ Kushi Soni took to the stage and stunned audiences with a profanity-laced but ultimately deeply heartfelt diatribe against what’s happening in the world of Indian nightlife. “Everybody is just trying to fxxx each other,” he said repeatedly, denouncing the industry’s inability to get together and fight for their mutual interests. Chief among Kushi’s and DJ Aaron James’ complaints were police actions, especially in the big Indian metros, that shut down nightlife venues well before things can get going, often making it unprofitable to stage events. The DJs said nightlife was suffering at the hands of the law with imposed deadlines and curfews that have party lovers cringing in despair alongside club owners.

The session featured impassioned calls for DJ Unions and Nightclub Associations.

This talk got me thinking about our situation here in Goa. People from around India and the world love our beautiful state and its eclectic nightlife.

When was the last time you had to head home on a Friday or Saturday night by 11pm? Most of us here get ready to leave our houses by 11pm; for Goans, the night is always young. Viva la Goa! Hamza Rahimtula, another very well known DJ, producer and label owner, spoke of the fine reception his company Wind Horse has been receiving both at home and abroad for its forays into commercial and original music. He noted with some pride the warmth and hospitality associated with working in India, but lamented what he called a lack of professionalism in the local scene.

Another speaker, British promoter Mark Cowan, urged those involved in the nightlife industry to be more candid about what they can and

DJ Kushi Soni with Saarthak Gupta at the awards ceremony cannot deliver. It “not pleasant,” he said, if you promise a crowd of 10,000 and only a handful show up. For his part, Steven Gutkin, who runs Streets along with his wife Marisha Dutt, offered helpful tips on how to capture people’s imagination through the media. He spoke of his own experience as a young reporter covering the paramilitary armies of Colombia when he neglected to highlight that the death squads were offering classes in dance and pottery. His Bureau Chief at the time admonished, “You buried your lead!”

The Nightlife Convention was the brainchild of Saarthak Gupta, CEO of www.MyPurpleMartini.com, India’s first

nightlife and social networking portal.

The theme for the convention was was ‘It’s Pleasurable Business as Usual’.

From the entrance, one saw puffs of smoke emitted in an air-conditioned enclosure. Two Marlboro hostesses gave away free packs of Marlboro. David and Daniel Taylor promoted a product called Eshish by Vapelux. I tried to understand the mechanism of this e-shisha stick (electronic) which had no tar, no tobacco, no nicotine and no harmful toxins. They said it was 99% safer than cigarettes (what happens to the 1%? I don’t have an answer). It comes in flavors ranging from

Turn to page 6

6 The Lowdown

The Lowdown

The fashion crew at Nightlife From page 5 Famed DJ Kushi Soni took to the stage and stunned audiences with a profanity-laced but ultimately deeply heartfelt diatribe against what’s happening in the world of Indian nightlife.

“Everybody is just trying to fxxx each other,” he said repeatedly, denouncing the industry’s inability to get together and fight for their mutual interests. Chief among Kushi’s and DJ Aaron James’ complaints were police actions, especially in the big Indian metros, that shut down nightlife venues well before things can get going, often making it unprofitable to stage events. The DJs said nightlife was suffering at the hands of the law with imposed deadlines and curfews that have party lovers cringing in despair alongside club owners. The session featured impassioned calls for DJ Unions and Nightclub Associations.

This talk got me thinking about our situation here in Goa. People from around India and the world love our beautiful state and its eclectic nightlife. When was the last time you had to head home on a Friday or Saturday night by 11pm? Most of us here get ready to leave our houses by 11pm; for Goans, the night is always young. Viva la Goa! Hamza Rahimtula, another very well known DJ, producer and label owner, spoke of the fine reception his company Wind Horse has been receiving both at home and abroad for its forays

Nightlife

into commercial and original music. He noted with some pride the warmth and hospitality associated with working in India, but lamented what he called a lack of professionalism in the local scene. Another speaker, British promoter Mark Cowan, urged those involved in the nightlife industry to be more candid about what they can and cannot deliver. It “not pleasant,” he said, if you promise a crowd of 10,000 and only a handful show up. For his part, Steven Gutkin, who runs Streets along with his wife Marisha Dutt, offered helpful tips on how to capture people’s imagination through the media.

He spoke of his own experience as a young reporter covering the paramilitary armies of Colombia when he neglected to highlight that the death squads were offering classes in dance and pottery. His Bureau Chief at the time admonished, “You buried your lead!”

The Nightlife Convention was the brainchild of Saarthak Gupta, CEO of www.

MyPurpleMartini.com, India’s first nightlife and social networking portal. The theme for the convention was was ‘It’s Pleasurable Business as Usual’.

From the entrance, one saw puffs of smoke emitted in an air-conditioned enclosure. Two Marlboro hostesses gave away free packs of Marlboro. David and Daniel Taylor promoted a product called Eshish by Vapelux. I tried to understand the mechanism of this e-shisha stick (electronic) which had no tar, no tobacco, no nicotine and no harmful toxins. They said it

We want to begin this ‘Lowdown’ section by asking a very pertinent question: For whom is Goa Streets? The answer, emphatically, is ‘everyone’!

Yes, we have lots of information and listings of great use to tourists, but we are not just for tourists! Our hope is that these pages will be enjoyed equally by both Goans and visitors to Goa. Take this edition of Goa Streets, for instance. On these pages you will find comprehensive listings of restaurants, nightlife, museums, events and so many other happenings. At the same time, our cover story on the social media boom in Goa reveals a great deal of previously unreported facts about this extraordinary phenomenon. As we say in our headline, Goa is Facebook crazy.

That’s of interest to anyone with any kind of connection to this land!

On these pages, we asked a retired lieutenant colonel to present his views on how to prevent terrorism like the recent attack in Kenya. We give you the full picture of last week’s Nightlife Convention in Arpora that Goa Streets joined as media partner. We tell you everything you need to know if your pet falls ill or gets hurt in the middle of the night in Goa. We showcase a fabulous new e-journal from the Goa Writers Group featuring art and literature.

In addition, we hope you enjoy our now regular sections Mind, Body & Soul, which this week focuses on yoga in Goa, and Wheels on Streets, with its quirky tale this issue from writer Salil Chaturvedi.

Yes, dear reader, whether you are from Goa or just visiting, we hope you savour this issue of Streets, and every other edition as well!

The Goa Streets Team

7

Thursday, October 10, 2013

streetspicks Curlies Beach Shack

Curlie’s is a beach shack, located on the Anjuna Beach strip.

What started as a small shack has today become a landmark, recently extending to a second floor, with plans for further growth.

Facilities include a roof top lounge bar serving excellent liquor and cocktails, and a restaurant.

It is host to party nights with international DJs. Curlie’s is open all day and into the night, and is great for watching the sunset, grabbing a bite to eat, enjoying drinks with friends and partying at night.

It is famous for its wood fired pizzas, Goan, Indian and International cuisine, and fresh fruit juices.

At Anjuna Beach +91 9822168628 goacurlie17@yahoo.com

49er’s bar and restaurant 49er’s is a get-the-familytogether restaurant whether you are hosting dinner party or an intimate dinner for 2. It’s in an eco friendly ambience and a memorable destination for your next dining experience.

At Colva Beach, South Goa, Salcete-Goa +91 832 3255783/3263964/2781250 / 2780931/ +91 9822124531 www.49ers.in

Time 11am-12 midniht non stop food service, open everyday.

Home delivery: 0832-2411959 & 9764159686 Caterin Service Contact: Mr. Roland Rodrigues @ 9890422440

The Goan Pão

More Power to the Pão What can be more Goan than this simple but soul-warming bread?

By Sasha Pereira

T

he bread or Pão in Goa is more than an element of food; it is an insignia of our most talked about virtue, hospitality. People in Bombay have nicknamed us Goans ‘Pão’, simply because we cannot do without it.

Nowhere in India will you find a bread like the Pão of Goa. As every Goan reader of this story will know, it has an indifferent taste when eaten by itself. This plainness and its crusty exterior allow it to soak in tangy curries or gravies. Once the combination is in the mouth, it’s transformed into the really Goan experience. What makes the Pão (called undey in its most popular shape) and its cousins the kankon, the poiee, the bota, the butterfly-shaped katre Pão and the pokshe (slit at the center) so

Turn to page 9

8 Food & Drink Oct 10

The ‘poder’

October Bahar- e- Basmati

With live music At Hotel Calangute Tower, Calangute +91 8888886700/ +91 8888886703

October 16 Eid Wishes and Festival Dishes At Cidade de GOA, Vainguinim Goa +91 832 2454545

Oct 1 to Oct 31 Corn on a Cob

Enjoy a variety of corns – buttered corn, roasted corn, boiled corn, etc At Pool Side Sandwich counter and fresh fruit Bar, Taj Exotica Hotel, Benaulim @ 11 am to 7 pm +91 832 2771234

Oct 4 to Oct 13 Navrasoi Food Festival

Stick Around For 9 Nights of Revelry.

Unlimited Veg Thali @ 849 At Spice Studio, Alila Diwa Goa, @ 8 pm onwards 0832-2746800

Oct 3 to Oct 31 Month for Starters!

Pick up any two starters and get a kingfisher to accompany At Pan Asian Bowl, Panjim +91 832 6455547

Every Sunday Champagne Sunday Brunch

Enjoy brunch at the Grand Hyatt with French champagne & food from five interactive & live stations dishing out Asian, Italian, Middle Eastern, Indian cuisine & desserts. At Rs 2,200 + taxes (includes buffet, champagne, wines & select drinks.)

At Grand Hyatt, Bambolim Beach @ 1 pm – 4 pm +91 832 3011125

Sunday Family Brunches

Rejuvenating cocktails, soul warming gourmet cuisine from around the world, activities to keep the kids entertained.

At Latitude, Vivanta by Taj, Panjim @ 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm +91 832 6633636

Bikini Brunch

Sunday BBQ Brunch at Rs 950 with unlimited alcohol. Enjoy live Karaoke with Emmanuel.

At The Park, Calangute @ 12.30 pm – 4:30 pm +91 832 2267600/8805028194

Sunday Brunch

A glass of our delicious Sangria is free with your first a-la-carte or buffet purchase.

At SinQ Tavern By Bodega, Sinquerim +91 9011662233

Baga, Calangute & Around Eat Street

Multi-cuisine, a place to dine, drink and dance.

At Hotel Calangute Towers @ 24 hrs a day +918326636000

Curry Leaf

Multi cuisine restaurant specializing in Chinese, European, Goan and north Indian cuisine.

At Hotel Calangute towers, Calangute +91 832 6636000

Fish Tales

A different masala used in every fish preparation.

At The Glitz, Calangute @ 12.30 pm to 2.30 pm & 7.30 pm to 10.30 pm +918322281800

Caravela

A multi cuisine Restaurant on the lawns of the Goan Heritage. Sit facing the poolside as you try some of the cocktails.

At Hotel Goan Heritage, Calangute @ Noon to 2.30 pm & 7 pm to 11.30 pm +91 832 2276761/64

Infantaria

A selection of Goan-style pastries, cakes; Chinese Mughlai, Continental dishes.

At Baga road, next to Calangute Association, Calangute. @ 7.30 am to midnight +91 832 3291290/ +91 9922202526

Flame

Rustic Indian flavours from Punjab, Hyderabad and even Goa. At Double tree by Hilton, Arpora, Baga @ 7 am to 11 pm +9183266556672

Golden Eye

This family run restaurant serves the choicest Goan. prawns amti, chicken in green curry with baby potatoes, and other seafood specialties.

At Holiday Streets, Calangute @9 am to 3.30 pm & 6.30 pm to midnight +91 832 2277309

Jamie’s Baga

Anjuna & Around Gunpowder

Doing south Indian peninsular food, covering all the southern states At Saunta Vaddo, Assogao @ 12 pm to 3.30 pm & 7 pm to 11 pm +91 832 2268091

Sai’s Restaurent

European, Goan, Israeli, North Indian, Seafood dishes and Tandoori.

At Dando, Near Flea Market, Anjuna @ 9 am to 11pm +91 9822164483

Blue Tao

The menu ranges from specialty barbecue to plated main courses. It also has an imported wine list..

At Sauntawaddo, Baga @ 6 pm to 11 pm +91 9764362379

Specialises in Italian, Seafood and Organic Food At Anjuna beach Rd, Anjuna From 9 am to 11 pm +918975061435

Danny’s Grill

Global Cuisine. Start with the chicken satay- skewered chicken supreme grilled in Chinese marinade.

At Sun Villege, Fankwadi, Arpora @ 7.30 am to 10.30 pm +91 832 2279409/14

European, Goan, Mughlai and Oriental food. At Hotel Riverside, Baga-Calangute @ 7.30 am to 11 pm +91 9767591368

Frangipani

Mamma Mia

Italian cuisine with a blend of imported Italian ingredients & local organic produce with a nice view of paddy fields and coconut trees of Baga’s backwaters.

At Resort Rio, Arpora @ 12:30 pm – 10:30 pm +91 832 2267300

Coba

Specialising in Indian cuisine, Grills and Seafood At Double Tree by Hilton, Arpora @ 10 am to 11 pm +91 832 66556672

Curlies

Serves you charcoal fired oven pizzas/ bakes Indian, Chinese & continental dishes, plus fresh seafood (Anjuna­style), with wine & beer.

At Anjuna Beach @ 9 am – 2 am +91 9822168628

Guru Bar

Specialises in Chinese, European, Goan, Indian and Italian cuisine At Praisevaddo, Anjuna @ 7.30 am to midnight +91 832 2273319

Food & Drink 9

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Candolim

Aunty Maria

It’s a sea view deck on the Beach. With soft music, a live two piece band, Indian cuisine. @ 7 pm to 10.30 pm At The O Hotel, Candolim +91 832 3047000/ 9/ +91 9890800073

24 hours coffee shop in the heart of Panaji. A favourite meeting spot for journalists, politicians and businessmen.

At Hotel Fidalgo, Panaji @ All day +918322226291

Banyan Tree

Peep Kitchen

Addah

Specialises in Thai food. An open airy Restaurant surrounded by lush green lawns At Vivanta Holiday Village, Sinquerim @ 12.30 pm to 2.30 pm & 7.30 pm 10.30 pm +918326645858

O’Asia

Specializing in Pan Asian food At The O Hotel, Dando, Candolim @ Noon to 3 pm, 7.30 pm to 11 pm +918323047000

Stone House

The restaurant started in 1989. Serves Seafood salad, tzaziki with papadam, Swedish lobster, and chicken stroganoff At Souzawaddo, Candolim @ 10 am to 12 pm +91 9890392347

House of Lloyds

Try their Goan roast pork, apple salad with tender greens, crispy sardines, stuffed crab and steaks At Saipem Road, Candolim @ 7 pm to 3 am. +91 9823032273

Chilihip

Specialises in Thai cuisine At Fort Aguada Road, Candolim @ noon to 3 pm, 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm +918888610500

Flambée

Specialises in Chinese, European, French, Goan and Indian foods. At Souzawaddo, Candolim @ 9 am to 11 pm +919326114271

Café Chocolatti

It’s a Coffee Shop with a fab Greek salad At Fort Aguada Rd, Candolim From 9 am to 7 pm +918322479340/+919326112006

Panjim & Around A Pastelaria

It’s a Bakery & Confectionary, Gateaux, Pastries and cookies, traditional & at affordable prizes. It’s Maska all the way. @ 9 am to 9 pm At Hotel Mandovi, Panjim +91 832 2426270/ 73

Alfama – chef’s Speciality restaurant

Specialising in Goan, Portuguese, world cuisine. Has romantic balconies and alcoves for musicians to serenade guests during the course of a candle-lit dinner.

At Cidade de Goa, Vainguinim Beach, Dona Paula @ 7.30 pm to 11 pm +91 832 2454545

Courtyard

Specializes in world fusion cuisine At Hotel Campal, Panjim @ 11 am to 3 pm, 7 pm to 11 pm +919822384084

Enjoying Pão

Authentic Goan and Multi Cuisine RestAURANT and Bar. Near Caranzalem Petrol Pump.

Panaji Goa Contact 0832 6454474

Goenchin

Specialising in Chinese, Pan Asian cuisine At Nr. Mahalaxmi Temple, Panjim @ Noon to 3 pm, 7 pm to 11 pm +918322227614

Global Shore Restaurant

Global Shore Restaurant serves in Goan Seafood/Chinese/Thai/Indian & Tandoor.

At Hotel Chandrageet, Porvorim +91832 2414125/+9193731113205

Margao & around Peppers

If your weakness is Goan cuisine, head to Pepper’s for a wide range of local delicacies .

At Gold Road Pajifond, Margao @ 11:30 am – 11 pm +91 9822133506

Leonora’s

It’s a multi-cuisine restaurant specialising in Goan, Seafood, European, Chinese food At Opp Agnel Ashrem, Matol, Verna @ 7.30 am to midnight +91 832 2791263/89/90

Café Tato

All day pure vegetarian eatery. Menu here is puri bhaji , lunch in goan style etc etc ..

At Apna Bazaar complex, Margao @ 7 am to 10 pm +91 832 2736014

Canacona Dersey’s

They serve fried fillet of kingfish with chips and their fish curry rice is delicious too.

Specialising in European and Goan fare At Agonda Beach Road, Canacona @ 9 am to 11 pm +91 832 2647503

Café Inn

They serve international-style mini-meals and snacks, sandwiches, smoothies, wraps, salads, etc. Besides, they offer herbal and healthy salads, juices, milk shakes, and some superb coffees. @ 8am to 10pm At near Wavelet Beach Resort, Palolem, Canacona

Casa Fiesta

Casa Fiesta is a good place to sample Mexican specialties.

The menu hasTacos, Enchiladas, Burritos, Fajitas and other Mexican dishes. @ 8.30 am to 11 pm At Palolem Beach Road, Goa, +91 9823928548

From page 7 distinct?

Gracy Sequiera explains: “The Pão has a very important stage of ‘fermentation’ which gives it that unique taste and texture.” Gracy had got married soon after her schooling to help her husband in the family business, which has been baking Pãos for three generations in Socorro.

However, besides the zymological procedure, there is another important aspect that makes the bread inimitable (Translation for all haters of big words: besides the way we bake it, there’s other stuff that makes it hard to copy). “The wood or mud oven, locally known as the ‘forn’, is also responsible for the unique taste,” reveals Juliet Dias, who comes from a family who has been ancestrally associated with a traditional bakery in Nuvem.

His wife tells us another secret, “The breads are baked on the floor of the oven. The effect of baking it on the earthen tile floor gives it a texture and bakes it uniformly.” Patience seems to be the key here. A leisurely process. Akin to the easy going unruffled nature of Goans.

The Pão has allowed itself to be cut and stuffed with meats and vegetables. Legend has it that the art of baking bread with toddy as the fermenting medium was first taught by the Portuguese to the people of Utorda-Majorda, in coastal South Goa. Locals from this village who mastered the skill further migrated to bigger towns and cities increasing their business.

In recent times, the traditional business ventures have been facing a lot of hardships like the lack of labour, especially skilled. “Baking these local versions of the Pão is a cumbersome task. One has to work next to a hot oven, wake up in the wee hours of the morning and compromise on proper sleep,” points out Mr. Sequiera who considers himself very fortunate to have found a life partner who shares the drudgery. “She’s been a great help. Ever since we got married, she helped me lift up the business, which was in the dumps ... I am fortunate to fall in love with someone who is the perfect mother at home and a partner and support at work.”

Why do new generation bakers hesitate to invest in baking bread? Juliet says: “It is time consuming and since families are now nuclear and we have fewer children, fewer members in each home, we have to employ labour, which … is scarce and expensive.” Besides, the earnings don’t match the effort put in.

The local bread has been struggling to survive. “Bread gives you less margin for a profit. Confectioneries made from the same measure of ingredients like patties give us a bigger profit margin,” clarifies Gracy. She wishes the Government grants schemes/subsidies to purchase raw materials like ‘maida’.

The bakers have been agitating to raise the cost of each Pão to Rs 3 from Rs 5. But the poor won’t be able to afford that, which is why they want the Government to subsidize the ingredients.

In spite of so many kinds of bread available in the market, Gracy tells us why the Pão reigns: “Sliced bread falls apart easily when you dip it in gravy or sauce. The Pão on the other hand mops it up comfortably and can be chewed so it blends with the flavours and textures of the dish.”

Her husband nods and agrees: “There are also less health problems if you eat fresh food. Our Pãos are fresh, and home-delivered several times a day. Sliced bread is packed in plastic, bought and consumed even after 3 days. Preservatives are used to keep the bread fresh. It’s not really fresh.”

A healthier version of the Pão is the ‘cuniachi poiee’ which is a whole wheat bread ground in the local flour mills. The husk of the wheat is deliberately used to increase is dietary value, making it a good source of nutrition for diabetics.

Man, even a baker, cannot live on bread alone; thus bakers venture into other bakery items like the patties and cutlets which are popular tea time snacks.

The Pão brings smiles and warms up the lives of people. The poder (deliverer of Pão) is your alarm in the mornings and nap-killer in the evenings. Through the chill and the rain the poder comes home to deliver us our daily bread. Long may he live to bring us our Pão!

The

Corner

10 Christmas treats on display

Stefan radstrom and Chef Nicole Illa in action, demonstrating to the guests

Grand Hyatt Goa Celebrates the age-old ceremony of cake mixing Victorinox Swiss Army reveals ‘Chrono Classic 1/100th‘

The Swiss watch-maker company, Victorinox Swiss Army, revealed their newest version of the “Chrono Classic 1/100th’ on September 30th at Taj Exotica.

Mr.Anish Goel (MD–Victorinox India) & Mr. Alexander Bennouna (Global CEO– Victorinox Swiss Army) were present.

The Chrono Classic has evolved but remains faithful to its genetic code.

The dimensions and lines of “Chrono Classic 1/100th”, one of the brand’s undisputed bestsellers of all time can be recognized from the fluid forms of its case, elegant horns, and the oblong buttons on both sides of the crown. A radical transformation has taken place in the way it performs its many functions. It is now a “threeway” watch, an innovative tool of as simple to use as the Swiss Army knife that inspired it.

Victorinox Swiss Army watches and knives share the same values that embody: high quality, ingenuity, multi-functionality and durability.

They meet the strictest standards of the Swiss watch-making industry and carry a three-year guarantee. They are precision instruments, designed to last.

The Corner is a regular space where businesses, entrepreneurs and all those with noteworthy projects can ‘strut their stuff’.

C

onfeitaria at Grand Hyatt Goa - the 17th century Indo-Portuguese inspired architectural resort, celebrated the traditional cake-mixing ceremony with much aplomb.

Dried fruits and nuts were mixed with liquor and wines and left to soak in a secure place and mature in time for December. The kids had a great time as they mixed the ingredients with juice and honey. This mixture will be used for the special cakes that will be served for the Bebo’s Kids Christmas Party, on 14 December.

“This 17th century tradition is a community event that marks the arrival of the harvest season,” said Stefan Radstrom, General Manager.

Tufan Kobanbay, Executive Assistant Manager Food & Beverage said, “It is a wonderful opportunity for our guests and associates to come together as a family, to soak dry fruits in brandy, rum and other types of liquor enriching the experience of preparing Christmas cakes.” Pastry Chef Nicole Illa added, “The ceremony is a harbinger of good tidings and happiness. The ingredients comprise raisins, black currants, prunes, dates, candied cherries, candid orange, lemon rinds, hazelnuts, almonds and pistachios. The longer the dry fruits are left soaking, better the end result.”

Rakhi Salgaocar, Payal Jain, Beena Philip, Shalini Saxena and others were part of this early holiday cheer that will bring in the festive season.

Goa Marriott Joy of Giving Week!

P

anaji’s Goa Marriott Resort & Spa supported the Joy Of Giving Week, from 2nd-8th October 2013, through a combination of fundraising and CSR activities.

On 8thOctober, players of the Salgaocar Football Club and associates of Goa Marriott visited the ASRO Caritas home for children afflicted with HIV/AIDS, in Tivim.

They played games with the children, and shared life experiences with them, followed by refreshments. The giddy smiles on the faces of the children were worth every minute spent with them.

At the All-Goa Drawing and Painting Competition

for mentally challenged kids organized by DISHA, Goa Marriott provided refreshments for around 600 kids.

Throughout the week, Goa Marriott associates undertook an active Donation Campaign within the resort premises. Guests checking in were oriented at the reception with the concept and cause of the week, with a request to donate as per their wish. Inroom letters urged guests to get in touch with the hotel team should they wish to donate at any time. Non-residential guests in the lobby, restaurants, spa & fitness centre were also informed.

Proceeds obtained from the week’s efforts will be channeled towards the ASRO project of Caritas-Goa, an orphanage for children afflicted with HIV/AIDS. For the last several years, Goa Marriott Resort & Spa has maintained close ties with ASRO CaritasGoa (supplying regular monthly provisions, extras like clothing and toys whenever possible). Hotel associates visit the children every month and bond with them.

They also donate a part of their salary every month to the Associate Fund, which is channeled into providing educational and counseling services to the kids.

Feature 11

Thursday, October 10, 2013

A Colonel’s Perspective

By Satish M. Vaidya

What does it take to prevent a terror attack on the scale of Bali, Mumbai or Nairobi? How safe are we really, even here in seemingly insulated Goa? To get to the bottom of these and other questions, we approached Lt. Col. Satish M. Vaidya (Retd), who served in the Indian Army’s Parachute Special Forces for 21 years.

His experience includes two years in the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka, two years as Instructor in the National Security Guards (Black Cats), some 12 years in Hotel Security, with two years in Six Sigma. He now works as a consultant.

I

f I were asked if terrorism was likely in Goa, my answer would be ‘no’, considering the current situation.

Would I therefore take security in Goa lightly? Again, my answer would be an emphatic ‘no’. Did anyone expect Pune’s German Bakery blast?

Shortly before the recent fifth anniversary of Mumbai’s 26/11, terrorism again raised its ugly head.

Nairobi’s Westgate Mall was caught unawares with arms and ammunition cached by collaborators in a shop.

Preventive measures were inconvenient to implement, although known and understood. Merely posting guards may give an illusion of security, but is no deterrent for terrorists. Clearly, terrorism is an irregular form of warfare. We are at the wrong end and must understand terrorists to defeat them.

Terrorism is the use of threats or acts of violence by fanatics fighting for a cause, in order to achieve political aims or to intimidate. An old Chinese proverb calls it ‘killing one to frighten ten thousand’. Terrorist tactics include bombing, taking hostages, kidnapping and killing. Their aim is to spread terror and stretch the security apparatus to the maximum. Terrorists get sustenance from the population. They get shelter, food, transport and most importantly, anonymity. Active supporters collaborate while others are hired without knowing their motive. Terrorists aim to provoke harsh retaliation from security forces, which alienates a section of the population. Security measures cause inconvenience and delay to the general public and are ultimately diluted, to the terrorists’ advantage.

Terrorists use a society’s freedom and openness, its greatest strength, against it. They move freely inside society while aggressively working against it. They use democratic rights to help perpetrate attacks, and also to defend themselves.

When a separatist movement in our country was at its peak, I was posted with an elite anti-terrorist force and travelling in a city bus (alone, in civvies). Two suspicious looking men talked loudly and one narrated a joke about ‘people asking God to save them from militants; and God expressed helplessness as militants troubled even Him (ha ha ha…)’. The passengers were the intended audience for this innocuous joke. This was psychological terrorism, but not an offence.

A few days after the Ghatkopar bus bomb blast in Mumbai, I was travelling in a B.E.S.T. bus and listening to the radio on my ear-phones. As I adjusted them to hear the news better, one man sitting behind the driver on the rearward facing seat thought I was tracking him, dropped a small cloth bag under the seat

and left the bus at a traffic signal. No one else noticed this but my conditioned response was to get the bag out of the bus immediately. Its contents felt like fine gravel. I called out to the man and threw the bag to a roadside hawker. This culprit walked away briskly but sneakily looked back and then took away the bag. The police later told me that he was a courierboy and I had thrown away diamonds worth over Rupees One Crore.

Another time, a bag was abandoned in the lounge of the hotel where I was working. The group of men who left it had a small outstanding bill and the staff had been waiting for them. Knowing that an abandoned bag could be a bomb, the matter was reported when they did not return. The CCTV recording showed the group in a vigorous discussion when moving out of the hotel. The bag did not seem to be surreptitiously left behind, hence it was unlikely to contain a bomb.

We opened it at a safe place outside the building and found in it a lot of cash and some business cards that helped locate the owner.

Preventing and countering a terrorist attack is like a complex jigsaw puzzle that requires good team-work. Physical security is a small (but critical) part of the defensive mechanism. Trained personnel operate tools such as metal and explosive detectors, X-ray baggage scanners and a CCTV system. Israelis have effective checks to detect weapons/ intentions well in time and as far away from a public location as possible, which puts people at ease through discrete, unobtrusive and low-key security measures within the premises.

Security personnel are often engaged in a monotonous and thankless task of detecting hazards. In case of a false positive, where a threat is wrongly indicated as present, security personnel who are expected to take action as if

Indian Mujahideen co-founder 30 year old Yasin Bhatkal, arrested along Indo-Nepal border on August 29, is alleged to be involved in a series of blasts from 2006 onwards across the country. He was brought to Goa by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on September 16 to probe his links in the state.

The teams took Bhatkal to places like Anjuna beach, Mapusa, Panaji and Vasco, which he had reportedly visited in the past ten years. It is likely that Bhatkal had been recruiting gullible youths from Goa into his terror network.

Goa, which attracts 25 lakh tourists annually, was on alert last year following inputs that it may be on the hit list of terrorists.

Bhatkal, who co-founded Indian Mujahideen (IM) in 2008 along with brother Riaz, is also wanted in the German Bakery bomb blast case in Pune. The blast, that took place on February 13, 2010, left 17 people dead. The IM was designated a terrorist group by the government under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in June that year.

the threat was real may be berated by someone taking offence.

Let me tell you a story about the VIP Syndrome. Nittu, a huge mountain dog was our Regimental Police mascot and stayed at the Main Gate. As Second-inCommand, I moved around the unit on a bicycle. Cyclists normally dismounted at the gate, but the sentry made an exception for me by opening it before I reached and I cycled on without dismounting (this rule didn’t apply to me as I was one of the bosses). Nittu, who was dozing nearby saw this and charged at me with a low menacing growl, opened her huge jaws wide to encompass my ankle with her teeth and snapped at me just a hairbreadth away, which stopped me dead in my tracks. The sentry came running and dragged her away, scolding her for not recognising ‘2 I/C sahib’. I stopped him, as I had broken the rule as Nittu understood it.

Most people suffer from information overload. They might be engrossed in mobile phones (or their own thoughts) and are completely tuned out in public places. Situational awareness is necessary for people to see potential threats before and as they develop; and enables potential victims take proactive measures to avoid danger and alert authorities. Apathy, denial or complacency can be deadly and reduces chances of recognizing and avoiding the threat.

Terrorists often select a high value, vulnerable target after recce and surveillance (as David Headley did for the 26/11 Mumbai attack). They may leave bags unattended to gauge the response; just like Readers’ Digest dropped wallets with cash in cities around the world to compare their levels of honesty.

Terrorists also consider the target population and media attention they would get.

Security must be ‘by design and not by default’. Because there has been no attack so far in Goa, we cannot assume there won’t be. Just ask the survivors of Westgate.

12 Cover Story

Kids on facebook

By Revati Upadhya

M

angala Wagle from Panjim opened her own Facebook account last year at the age of 83. Now 84, she uses her ‘wall’ to connect with great-great-grand nieces across the oceans, and raise funds for the Hamara School for Street Children which she runs. Why did she decide to take the social media plunge at her age? Her 91-year-old sister-in-law in Portugal had done it two years earlier, and Mangala figured, “if she can do it, so can I.” “It’s good because you can stay in touch with people who you don’t meet or physically see,” Mangala explains. “You can present your ideas to the

world at large by sitting at home, whatever you think or whatever your ideas are.”

And this from a woman who before her Facebook foray was no fan of modern technology.

When you talk about social media in Goa, much like the rest of India, certain words cannot be avoided: boom, explosion, bonanza, avalanche are a few that come to mind. The Internet is taking over Goa like a tsunami, and with it so are social media.

Mostly Facebook and Twitter, to be sure, but also other up-and-comers like Pinterest, Google + and Instagram. India’s 2011 census showed that Goa has the highest percentage of Internet users in all of India, a country where overall Internet penetration is now growing by around 30 percent a year, according to global digital analyst comScore.

What does this mean on the ground here in Goa? It means you shouldn’t be surprised if a driver or a janitor or your 84-year-old mother tells you she’s on Facebook. It means if you want to get a message across in Goa, whether you’re a business, an organization or just a plain old individual like you or me, it’s a good idea to get wired and join the social media bandwagon, along with all the other fenidrinking, cashew-snacking Goans punching keys to stay in touch with the world.

Fifteen-year-old Swati had her nose buried in her phone, when I stopped to ask what could possibly be engrossing enough to make her want to risk walking down the road while looking intently into her phone (and not at the oncoming and potentially dangerous traffic!)

Cover Story 13

Thursday, October 10, 2013

dedicated to building communities. Here in Goa, I was able to locate a network for pet adoption, one to build citizen awareness (https://www.Facebook. com/SaveGoagroup) and another for recommendations on where to eat (https://Twitter.com/burrp_goa) !

Social media is helping Goans do much more than merely staying in touch. It’s putting business owners in touch with customers (https://www.Facebook. com/PaperboatCollective , https:// www.Facebook.com/HungryAndExcited , http://www.Facebook.com/ littlechocolatebox), hobbyists in touch with other enthusiasts and experts in

A group of friends chilling out at Nescafe in Panjim “Facebook,” she declared.

I asked Aladdin my vegetable vendor at the Panjim market whether he’d heard of Facebook. He had. He claimed that though he didn’t personally use Facebook, he was aware of what it did – connected friends and enabled viewing of pictures.

There I was smug, with my iPhone, scrolling through the day’s Facebook newsfeed and my Twitter TimeLine, feeling a touch proud to be among the ‘wired’ elite, and then discovered that pretty much everyone else around me was also social networking online.

A lot had changed with Facebook while I wasn’t looking. Now available in a few regional languages like Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam, it’s no wonder then that a larger population of Indians are under its wing. Chatting, leaving comments and interacting via Facebook just got easier.

According to figures from Facebook itself, around 98,000 Goans are on the site, which works out to 6.5% of our total 1.5 million (keep in mind that includes all the little kiddies too young for Facebook). An estimated 15 to 20 percent of Goans have access to the Internet, compared to the national average of around 12 percent. Interestingly, India, with 165 million people on the Net, is number 3 in the world in terms of total number of Internet users, behind only China and the U.S. Yet it ranks near the bottom of the list internationally, at 164, when it comes to the percentage of the population online. But with growth of Internet penetration at its current astronomical levels both in Goa and India at large, expect that ranking

to change very quickly.

We tried to get a handle on how many users Goa has on Twitter, but these statistics were not available. However, it’s safe to say the number of Goans on Twitter is in the thousands. One reason why Facebook leads is that it has spent time to develop a version for each phone that exists and not just smart phones.

That drastically increases its reach.

Out of the 82 million on Facebook in India, a whopping 62 million access the site through their phones, according to several organisations that track online usage.

A quick look at Facebook and Twitter showed me a number of pages and groups

14 Cover Story From page 13 the field (https://www.Facebook.com/ groups/69707669104/) and building communities of like-minded people, even though they may be strangers in the beginning!

Vivek Chugh, co-founder and business partner of Hungry & Excited, an online cake shop, believes that Facebook is likely to be his primary tool of engaging with local markets. “It’s the best way to catch the attention of young people in and around the neighbourhood, especially for businesses like ours that are location-specific and don’t have large advertising budgets,” he says. Similarly, Twitter provides a clean channel of communication for media houses, hotels and resorts and other business owners to talk directly to their audience.

Reasons for what has made social media so, well, social are many. They operate on the assumption that human beings love to be social. And when that connection can be made as easily through a screen, via a virtual platform, it effectively removes all barriers. But one of the most obvious reasons perhaps is the easy access to low-end technology that can link you up to these networks.

For just over Rs 4,000, a Nokia Asha smart phone can connect you to the world of Facebook and Twitter in just a click. For a little more, you can throw in a fancy camera and join the band of shutter-happy Goans (http:// instagram.com/goa#) that post snapshots of their daily life on Instagram – another social network that is fast gaining popularity.

Clever hash-tagging, mushrooming groups and communities and regionalization of these mediums has made getting online and social very easy.

Chances are you will soon read about something local via a social network before you see it for yourself.

It’s clear: social media is no longer restricted to playing the role of helping friends stay in touch and be updated on each others’ lives. Also, it is no longer limited to just the uppermiddle class sections of society. Many others now have access to technology and the Internet.

It’s safe to say social media is a leveller.

It brings large segments of people under a common umbrella, whether it is to seek friends, launch a business or stay in touch with groups of people.

The screen guards you; it

doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from. Social networks help people drop all inhibitions and directly address their friends, customers or audiences.

It probably won’t be long before Swati and Aladdin are beaming details of their lives to the world, or connecting with likeminded people, via the mighty www.

Beyond Facebook, Instagram and Twitter lie Pinterest, Flikr, and others. All of them are popular in Goa. Among some of the popular Facebook groups in Goa are Goa United, Goans on Facebook, Goans Speaks (yes, that is ungrammatical), Ami Niz Goenkar, Goa Life, Goa Monitor, Goa + Classifieds, Konkani Rocks, Chapora People, Goa Tribe, Goanet, Goodmorning Goa, Goa for Giving, Together for Goa, Events in Goa, and many, many more. Those are in addition to a bunch of Facebook groups put up by bars and restaurants and shops.

The Goa Streets Facebook page now has nearly 13,000 “Likes” and the news & entertainment review is one of Goa’s most active media outlets on Twitter.

Twitter is essentially a dedicated micro

When I said write on my wall I didn’t mean THAT one!

blogging platform, enabling you to send out any message you like as long as it’s 140 characters or less. Facebook offers ways not just to share information but also to connect in groups, play games online with your friends, and discover new businesses and events in and around your city.

Twitter’s benefits: it provides people a platform to voice their opinions, escape from all the game invites and anonymous neighbours who feel the need to track your online activity.

Even the Government has woken up to the possibility of reaching out to their audience on social media. Goa Tourism can be found not only on Facebook and Twitter but also Instagram, and regularly hosts contests online. Apart from just talking about Goa, the department can now be directly reached through these mediums and if there are any concerns about travelling to the state they can be directly addressed. There are also pages that bring Goans together with no agenda at all, including Goa.me, Pao Tips and Goa for Giving, among others. While Goan businesses are yet to truly wake up to the possibilities social media have to offer, we can definitely say that Goa’s leading the way for the aam aadmi’s (common man’s) new-culture revolution.

From requesting blood-donors to come forward, helping track people in the Uttarakhand tragedy, pulling up television channels when they take sides instead of being objective to announcing the birth of a baby, the social networking sites are a major force in our land. If you’re still not on one, take notice!

15

Thursday, October 10, 2013

streetspicks

Art Exhibition- Spandan 2013 Spandan 2013 - a group exhibition of paintings and sculptures curated and organised by Dr. Vandy Jais.

Fourteen painters and two sculptors have teamed up to exhibit their appealing and beautiful piece of art.

All these art forms hail from various states, each one of them depicting the regional taste in their work.

At Kala Academy, Panjim Oct 10 to Oct 11 @ 10 am to 7pm +91 832 2420453

Goan Draamebazz Rotaract Club of Panaji presents Goan Draamebaz, an all Goa acting talent competition.

Contestants can perform monologue or soliloquy.

Mimicry or stand-up act will not be allowed.

Auditions will take place at Mahalaxmi temple of 6th Oct. Entries should reach Rotaract Club of Panaji, on or before 4th Oct. At Directorate of Art & Culture auditorium, Panjim on Oct 11 +91 9423531074/ +91 9850755196

Oct 11

Oct 19

The Goa Institute of Counseling will be conducting an Ericksonian Conversational Hypnosis Practitioner CourseA unique one of its kind course. +91 9049319910/ +91 832 2735839

College function At Dyanprasarak Mandal’s College of Mgt Studies and Technology, Assagao, Mapusa @ 9 am

Clifford W Desilva

Oct 13

Antique Arms Display

On Dussehra, Rashtrahit Manch Mapusa is holding an exhibition of various models of licensed arms.

At Main Hall, Mapusa Residency @ 10.30 am to 1 pm

Rangoli Contest

Organised by Shree Mahalaxmi Yuvak Sangh, Talaulim.

An entry fee of Rs. 50/- will be charged per participant.

At Mahalaxmi English High School, Talaulim @ 10 am to 5 pm +91 9922929979/ +91 832 2325168

Oct 16

Fugadi Dhalo Festival

Organised by the Department of Art and Culture At Shree Chandreshwar TempleQuepem, At Shree Mahadev Temple-Tambdi Surla, At Shree Devki Krishna Ravalnath Temple, At Mashel and Shree Sateri DevasthanShel, Siolim.

W

hat are the 10 best paintings in the history of the humanity? There’s no 100 percent agreement on the answer, given the subjective nature of art and the fact that, clichés not withstanding, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Still, we at Streets decided to bring you what, in our opinion, are the 10 best works since human beings began painting. We welcome both your agreement and disagreement. Did we leave something out? Did we include a dud?

Tell us about it by writing us at streets@goastreets.com!

ORION aiming for the Stars

Child’s Play (India) Foundation

is a not-for-profit music charity working with disadvantaged children.

For our 2013 Christmas cards, we invite designs, photographs and illustrations incorporating the theme ‘Music, Happiness and Children’.

Last date for submission of entries is October 15, 2013. Age no bar.

We would love entries from children as well. Email entries to luis@ childsplayindia.org.

1. Sistine Chapel (1512), Michelangelo

Oct 10 to oct 12 Odyssey 2013

organised by the undergraduates of Saraswat BBA, Mapusa.

The event will have standard rounds - Best Manager, marketing, Human Resource, Finance, Team Work, Quiz anf Junior College rounds At Kala Academy, Panjim +91 9673662728

Oct 10 to Oct 13 Homes & Lifestyles

Goa’s Biggest Pre-Diwali Exhibition on Home Furnishing, Fashion & Designer Lifestyle Products.

At Taleigao Community Centre +91 8380065979/ +91 9822689598

2. Guernica (1937), Pablo Picasso

16 Arts&Entertainment Akasha Art Gallery

Oct 10 to Oct 28 Crafts Fair

Demonstration, exhibition-cum-sale of exquisite crafts from the NorthEastern region brought to you directly by artisans.

Sponsored by Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles.

At Goa Kshatriya Maratha Samaj, Porvorim @ 10 am to 9 pm

Sept 21 to Oct 14 An Exhibition: The Pepper Cross

At Kerkar Art Gallery, Gaurawaddo, Calangute @ 5 pm to 7.30 pm +91 832 2276017

October 7 to 19 Concept of Drupad in Indian Classical Music

This new art space in the heart of Margao is the brainchild of Sidharth Yaji and Radhakant Divkar.

Near Yogita’s lifestyle store, Margao

Fundacao Oriente Art Gallery

Permanent exhibition of paintings

by António Xavier Trindade (18701935) – a painter from Goa. At Fontainhas, Panjim @ 10 am to 1 pm & 2 pm to 5 pm +91 832 2230728/ +91 2436108

Galleri Esperanca

Retrospective Art in Oils, Watercolours, Crayons Portraits, Landscape, Still Life Photographs.

Gallery celebrates Franjoão Centenary.

Everyday, 4:00pm to 7:00pm: retrospective art of artist Franjoao.

Near Our Lady of Merces Church, Merces +91 9922509704

Ustad Baha’ud-din Dagar Nana Shirgaokar Chair visiting Professor in Indian Traditional Music.

At Goa University, Dona Paula rudraveena@unigoa.ac.in www.unigoa.ac.in

Gallery Attic

Galleries of Note

This Art Gallery is a part of the three Heritage Hotels, Showcased are the works of artists from Goa, Mumbai and Karnataka; Suhas Shilkar, Jayshree Patankar, Kerky & Devi Prasad . @ 9 am to 9 pm At Fontainhas, Panjim +91 9823572035

4. The Kiss (1908), Gustav Klimt

A display of paintings by Goan artists.

Opp. Don Bosco, Panjim @ 9 am to 1 pm to 2 pm to 7 pm +91 832 2420929/+91 2257931

Gallery Gitanjali

Kerkar Art Gallery

The Kerkar Art Gallery exhibits installations and sculptures by local artists such as Subodh Kerkar and selected works by contemporary artists from all over India.

At Gauravaddo, Calangute @ 10 am – 7 pm +91 832 2276017

3. Starry Night (1889), Vincent van Gogh

The Panaji Art Gallery displays figurative & individual works of art by local Goan artists.

At Panaji Art Gallery @ 9 am – 8 pm +91 9822168703

Ruchika’s Art Gallery

Ruchika’s Art Gallery displays fine art, performing art and new forms of art.

Opposite Goa Marriott Resort, Miramar @ 10:30 am – 6 pm +91 8322465875/9850571283/988 1836400

Arte Douro Art Gallery

Surya Art Gallery

Carpe Diem

Xavier Centre of Historical Research

The gallery displays paintings on canvas of original art & international print arts.

At Porba Vaddo, Calangute @ 9 am to 9 pm +91 832 22882266/ +91 9822147148 Carpe Diem, the newly opened art and learning centre in Majorda brings to lovers of art, a number of exhibitions and workshops.

At Majorda @ 10 am to 6 pm +91 8888862462

6. Monsa Lisa (1519), Leonardo da Vinci

Panjim Art Gallery

Galaria de Belas Artes General displays of Indian Art At Calangute @ 10 am to 1 pm & 4 pm to 8 pm +91 832 2277144 / +91 9823217435

Art Chamber

5. The Birth of Venus (1486), Boticelli

7. The Scream (1893), Edward Munch

8. The Nightwatch (1642), Rembrandt

Surya Art Gallery is situated in a quiet location where contemporary works of canvas paintings & artefacts of Goa are displayed.

At Bandawalwada, Pernem +919404149764

Catch exhibitions of paintings, rare books and symposiums with particular emphasis on contemporary cultural & social issues affecting Goa. At BB Borkar Road, Porvorim +91 832 2417772

9. The Great Wave off Kanagawa (1832), Katsushika Hokusai

10. Mother India (2006), M. F. Husain

Thursday, October 10, 2013

streetspicks Sharing great thoughts If you want to know how great leaders function, this lecture’s for you. The topic: Gandhiji’s views on the conduct of business, trade and commerce.

Speaker: Dr. Arun Kumar, Ph.D. (Economics) Sukhamoy Chakravarti Chair Professor, Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

Professor of Economics, J.N.U. since 1984 Author of The Black Economy in India. (Penguin India.) Challenges Facing Indian Universities.(ed.)

Indian Economy Since Independence. (Vision Books, 2013).

At Don Bosco High school, Panjim Oct 12 @ 5 pm

Goa Trip by Adventure Club Time for the most awaited trip ever had in the history of Thapar University.

Adventure Club took this initiative to fulfil everyone’s dream for all students who wish to witness the beauty of GOA before they graduate.

Gear up adventure seekers! ACTU brings to you an opportunity to let out your pent up energy after your mid semesters. 16th to 21st October… This trip will include3 Days / 4 Nights stay in Goa in a beach side 3-Star resort with swimming pool.

1 day of water sports at the beach.

1 day of sightseeing (museum, churches, beaches) by bus.

One way by non a/c sleeper coach from Chandigarh to Goa A return flight from Goa to Chandigarh +91 8437844986/+91 8968005130

Oct 10

Oct 12 to Oct 20

With licensed Zumba Fitness instructors Alistair, Centina Lisa & Zaver At Marinha Dourado, Baga-Arpora @ 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm +91 8390054644

12th Oct.: Competition-cum-exhibition 16th Oct. 6:00pm: Italian music festival open to individual singers, choirs, bands as well as individual musicians and orchestras. 18th Oct. 6:00pm: Italian Cinema for film lovers. 20th Oct: Film screenings. At Krishnadas Shama Goa State Central Library, Panjim +91 9371703536

Free Zumba Class

Online Short Film Making Contest by Waves 2013

At Bits Pilani KK Birla Goa Campus @ 12 pm +91 9011463309/ +91 8308318099

Oct 11

Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training Course in Goa At Anjuna Beach

Cervical Cancer Detection Camp

Calangute Village Panchayat in association with the Goa Panchayat Mahila Shakti Abhiyan and the Candolim Primary Health Centre is holding this cervical cancer detection camp.

At Senior Citizens Hall.

Mapusa Calangute Road

Italian Language Week

Oct 14 to Oct 20

Seminar on Healthcare Management and Managerial Effectiveness

By Goa Institute of Management At The Goa Institute of Management Campus, Sanquelim +91 832 2490342 / +91 7774906149

Dalima’s Professional Bakery Classes

At Assolna, Church Hall, 7th to 12th Oct At Calangute, Church Hall, 14th to 19th Oct +91 9096901516/ +91 9326101493

Oct 14 to Oct 23

Oct 10, 14, 17, 19

At Prainha Resort, Donapaula @ 7 am to 8 am +91 9324711522

Workshop- kantha embroidery Classes will be conducted by Conchita Ribeiro. At NAM Centre, Panjim @ 10.30 pm to 12.30 pm . +91 9423883396

Discover yoga Course

Oct 10 to 11 Courses in Aquaculture At Fishermen Training Centre of the Directorate of Ela Dhauji, Old Goa The Directorate of Fisheries is conducting two short term training courses in Aquaculture and Fish Farming.

At the Fisheries Department, Panaji.

0832 2231049

Oct 11 to Oct 12

Yatra 2013 - A Conference

At The Lalit Golf and Spa Resort Goa, Canacona @ 9 am +91 832 2667777

Creative Art Classes

With elements of Craft, Music, Drama interwoven to develop out-of-the-box thinking skills. Or alternatively 4 sessions a month on Sunday Mornings.

At Caranzalem, Panjim +91 9763550980, +91 832 2462054.

Every Friday

Savoi Plantation

Barracuda Diving India

Museums

Dive Goa

Offers traditional Goan Saraswat cuisine served in mud pots & banana leaf plates along with seasonal fruits grown in the plantation. At Ponda +91 832 2340272/9423888899 Email: savaiplantation@rediffmail.com

Goa Chitra

With a collection of over 4,000 artefacts, Goa Chitra is an ethnographic museum that focuses on Goa’s traditional agrarian lifestyle and technology.

At Mondo Waddo, Benaulim @ 9 am to 5 pm. +91 832 6570877 Email: goachitra@gmail.com

Casa Araujo Alvares

Goa’s first automated sound & light museum. A 250-year=old mansion showcasing traditional inheritance.

At Big Foot, Loutolim @ 9 am – 6 pm +91 832 2777034 Email: bigfoottrust@gmail.com Website: www.casaaraujoalvares.com

Tabla Classes

Museum Of Christian Art

Every Monday and Wednesday

Water sports

At Swami Vivekananda Society Junta House, Panjim @ 3 pm to 7.30 pm +91 832 2224098

Capoeira Classes

@ 7 pm to 8 pm At Tito’s White House, Anjuna +91 9769341128

Open all days of the week At the Convent of Santa Monica, Old Goa @ 9:30 am – 5 pm. +91 832 2285299

Scuba Diving

Pool parties and underwater celebrations among other water sports activities.

At Sun Village Resort, Baga, Arpora & Chalston Beach Resort, Calangute +918322269409/ +91 9822182402 A dive shop and training centre established by Ajey Patil - marine engineer, naturalist, raconteur and PADI certified dive instructor.

At O’ Pescador Resort, Dona Paula, Panjim. +91 9325030110

Dolphin Sighting Trip

Four to five hours trip includes Bbq, free beers and soft drinks. Also offers No See – No Pay policy as far as dolphin sighting is concerned. S inquerim – Baga beach stretch +91 9822182814/ +918326520190 or Email: johnsboattours@gmail.com

Goa Aquatics

Offers Scuba Diving Equipment retail at competitive international price.

At Little Italy, Opp Tarcar Ice Factory, Calangute. +91 9822685025

Splashdown

Attractive corals, coloured and beautiful, shells and fishes all invite exploration.

At Scuba Diving India, Alfran Plaza, M.G. Rd, Panjim @ 9 am to 5 pm. +918326711999

Water Park that boasts of 5 pools, a variety of slides, flumes and other interesting features. At Splashdown Waterpark, Calangute-Anjuna +91 9637424023/024, +918322273008,

Everyday

Free Swimming Guidance

Organized by Walter Mascarenhas; everyday by prior appointment only.

At The International Centre Goa, Dr E Borges Road, Dona Paula @ 5 pm – 7 pm +91 9822911161

Spice Farms

Abyss Spice Farm

Located on high hills amidst stunning surroundings near Ponda. Many tourists visit it for the medicinal herbs grown here on a large scale. The Plantation also offers ayurvedic massage.

At Sai Farm, Savoi Verem, Ponda

Atreya Vedic Farms

Set amidst nature’s abundance at the foothills of the Western Ghats in Molem is Atreya Vedic Farm, a unique ecotourism venture. At Bondu Mol, Mollem @ 9 am to 5 pm +91 832 6570877

Sahakari Spice Farm

Spend a day among the lush green environs of the 130 acre Sahakari Spice Farm. Relax under a dense forest cover and take in the aroma of a variety of spices grown in the farm. Also, enjoy a traditional Goan lunch served in earthen pots & banana leaves.

At Ponda Belgaum Highway, Curti, Ponda +91 832 2312394 Email: info@sahakarifarms.com

Onshore

Crown Casino

Behind Old Secretariat, 1st Floor, The Crown Goa, Bairo Alto Dos Pilotos, Jose Falcao Road, Panaji. Goa - 403001. INDIA Mob: +91 9158883461 Land Line: 0832 2222822/2222833 Email: reception@crowncasino. in Open: 12:00 noon-06:00am | All days

Offshore Casino Carnival

Entry Rs.1500/ Enjoy free unlimited snacks, Veg & Non-veg Buffet-dinner, alchoholic & nonalcholic beverages and loads of live entertainment.

At Panaji, Goa. Open 24 Hrs. +918888807256

Deltin Royale

Deltin Royale, India’s premier casino & entertainment destination, and anchored in At Vainguinim Valley Resorts the Mandovi, creates an ambience that is at +918322456683/4/5/6 par with gaming destinations worldwide, with Email: sales@ international games such as poker, baccarat, chancescasinoresort.com blackjack, and roulette, and serviced by dealers trained to the highest global standards. A family Gold finger Casino At Vainguinim beach, Dona Paula destination, it also has a kids’ room where trained +918322454545 staff look after the little ones. Open 24x7. Entry: Rs 1,500 per person on weekdays (Mon-Thu) and Casinos Treasures Rs 2,000 on weekends (Fri-Sun).

At Majorda beach resort, Majorda Boarding Point: Fisheries Department Building +918322881111 (6 pm-6 am only), Opposite Mandovi Hotel, D. BandodkarMarg, Panaji; and Noah’s Ark Jetty, D. Casino Paradise Jamming World Tourism BandodkarMarg, Day at Inox Panaji At Neo Majestic,on Porvorim 0832 6519471, 0832 6519472. +918326710101

Chances Casino

18 Feature

tambdimati THE GOA REVIEW

Welcome to Tambdimati, a new e-journal from the Goa Writers Group featuring both serious and light articles for everyone: on art, architecture, ecology, poetry, photo-essays, philosophical articles, plays, fiction and more.

It’s worth visiting no matter which part of the world you live in or what you do.

There’s something of interest for everyone. This magazine is ‘managed’ and edited by volunteers, all friends of the written word.

To see it, check out www.tambdimati.com. Below is writer Prava Rai’s introductory essay in the first issue of Tambdimati.

T

o bring out a review of art and literature from Goa as an e-journal is a shared dream. Goa in the popular mind is a land of laid back people blessed by the bounties of the sea and the land. It is indeed this but it is also a lot more and this we can see in the burst of creative impulse that informs today’s Goan art and the literary efforts.

We decided to reuse the name Tamdimati, a blog that Vivek Menezes hosted for a while to showcase Goa’s art, literature and other important issues concerning Goa. Tamdimati is an evocative name referring to the red earth of Goa. The paradise, the plundered land and ever the heart string tug to the Goan diaspora.

The subjects covered in this issue are varied spanning from theatre, paintings, trees and photo essays. This issue brings to our readers the flavour of our concerns and work.

The inaugural addresses by Eunice Desouza and Mridula Garg and the valedictory poem by Jerry Pinto for the Goa Art and Literary Festival 2012 (third edition) partnered with International Centre Goa and the responses from a few of the delegates are included in this section. Victor Rangel Ribeiro’s

award winning novel Tivolem is revisited by Ben Antao and is accompanied by readings from the book by the author.

One of our aims is to promote publication of translations from the Konkani. We present here Hema Naik’s short story Resurrection translated by Govind Kamat Maad and two poems by ManoharRai Sardessai translated by Edith Melo Furtado. Poetry is one genre of writing that does not get the publishing support it deserves, so here we present three poems by Manohar Shetty and poems by Salil Chaturvedi.

In the fiction section we include José Lourenço’s Stopping at Nothing and Sheela Jayawant’s Opportunity Knocks Once.

The content we hope to improve with each new edition edited by a series of guest editors. Isabel Santa Rita Vas, Aniruddha and Anjali Sen Gupta, José Lourenço will edit the subsequent issues of Tamdimati. Like all our ventures, Tamdimati too is a volunteer driven efforts for we believe the best in us is brought out by passion and devotion, in this case passion for creativity and the need to share.

— Prava Rai, Editor

Wheels on Streets 19

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Wheels on Streets is a regular section featuring all things automotive

By Salil Chaturvedi

I

brake hard, harder, hardest and then harder still, flooring the brake, and yet my car, as if hurled on by its destiny, manages to kiss the car in front.

It feels soft, and that is a relief. I can see the face of a girl looking at me in the front car’s side view mirror. The girl raises her eyebrows. I shrug and smile. I’d like to get off and apologize, but being on a wheelchair has its limitations. We both sit still, blocking the highway. Finally the girl gets off her car and saunters up till where our cars are sinfully locked in a metal-plastic smooch.

She is casually dressed and has long hair. I reverse a little so she can get a good look at the damage, but immediately, the car behind me starts blaring its horn, and then is joined by a chorus of other cars.

“Want to pull over to the side?”

I suggest to the girl. She hasn’t said anything so far and that’s a bit unsettling. She nods and goes back to the wheel and pulls over to the side of the road. I tag my car behind hers and

Some things can only happen in Goa the traffic starts moving again.

I can see two guys looking at me from her car’s rear seat. I hadn’t noticed them earlier. The girl gets off again and comes up to me. There is a casualness and a self-assuredness in her walk that is attractive. She is young, in her mid-twenties and somehow I know that she is used to taking decisions.

“Sorry,” I begin. “I tried very hard but couldn’t stop in time.”

“The cars in front of me stopped suddenly,” she says, “so I had to stop suddenly, too.”

She looks at the rear of her car. I can see the dented dicky and the caved-in bumper. My car is strangely unaffected.

The girl opens the dicky of her

car with a key and then shuts it. She repeats this a few times. No problem.

Then she squats on the ground and puts her hand under and behind the bumper. She pushes hard and, slowly at first and then with a pop, the bumper comes back to its original shape. She looks at me and smiles.

“Not too bad, eh?” she says.

“Not bad at all,” I say, smiling widely and letting out a loud sigh of relief.

She gets back into the driver’s seat and drives off. I can see the red lipstick of my car on her bumper.

“End of beautiful story,” I think to myself, “Can happen only in Goa.” Then I notice that her car’s dicky is open. I give chase.

And I thought we came here to escape Twitter

20 Hot Streets

His ‘Crazy’ Family Acaricia May describes how all of us won the lottery Dear Acaricia May,

I

’m 22 years old, doing my MBA after having graduated as an engineer. I’ve really struggled through my college years because I wasn’t really a good student, but I’ve managed to get by so far. Before I did my MBA, I worked for two years to get some industry experience.

I’m finding MBA hard to do, but my father has paid a lot of money for the fees and I can’t now back out

and let all that go waste. My father is retired, but re-employed. Much of his savings have gone into my education so I have to earn it back.

Taking an education loan wasn’t feasible because my academic record wasn’t good enough. And I hadn’t imagined that I wouldn’t be able to cope with the course. That’s not my only problem. My mother and elder brother are psychiatric patients, both on medication.

She talks incessantly and is very

illogical. He is totally unsocial, very slow and rarely moves out of the bedroom. Home is hell. Now here’s the big thing with me. I have a girlfriend who I really like and I made the mistake of taking her to my house. She told her parents about our situation and they are now pressurizing her not to associate with me or my ‘crazy’ family. So now I’m feeling really bad about not being able to help my father, and really bad about possibly losing my girlfriend. I’m so confused.

I want peace of mind, a steady future, a life of my own with my girl by my side. At the same time, I don’t want to abandon my family. What do you think I should do?

Jackson (not my real name), Vasco Dear Jackson,

Let’s start with your girlfriend. If you are serious about each other and your relationship works, all the extra baggage in the world need not matter.

Have you ever heard the phrase ‘love conquers all’? If she is able to withstand the pressure of her family and stay by your side, then you will know that you have found yourself a very special woman indeed.

If, on the other hand, she abandons you at her family’s behest, perhaps this is a sign that she is not the right one for you. You are an individual in

the world who deserves to be happy, Jackson. Be good to your girlfriend and let her know how much she means to you. As for the other issues, none of us can be expected to do any more than our best. Are you doing yours?

Are these pressures and issues, from your mother to your brother to your father to your girlfriend, perhaps interfering with your ability to focus on your studies? Take a deep breath, Jackson, and focus on what needs to be done. Rather than seeing the whole mountain you must climb, concentrate on each step upward. You know what you have to do better than I do. Take it slowly. Stay calm and focused. Love all those who love you. Understand how very precious life is, regardless of the challenges it throws our way. Did you ever stop to think, Jackson, that at the instant you were conceived 22 years ago, some 250 million sperm were released – more than the population of Germany, France, Thailand and Argentina, combined?

Only one made it into the egg, and the result was you! What I’m saying, Jackson, is that your existence, like that of every other human being on earth, is akin to having won the lottery. Study, love, work, focus, enjoy... Don’t squander your time on this planet. Live it well!

Love, Acaricia May

Mind, Body & Soul 21

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Goa, Yoga and the Art of Breathing O

By Sasha Pereira

n a lazy Sunday morning convince yourself to wake up early enough to catch the sunrise. Stroll along Vagator beach. You will notice a group of people in white enthusiastically going through a fitness routine. This group of locals and tourists – both young and old - skip the snooze button every morning for a session of health therapy that includes yoga, dance, laughter and fun. “I take sessions of yoga to release suppressed energy,” says Felly Gomes, founder of Live Happy. “I try to find ways to help people channelize their energies and work for the community.”

Felly operates from his ‘Happy Home’ in Assagao.

Daegal Godinho, director of Carpe Diem, a home for art and culture in Majorda, says: “The trend of yoga as a health and fitness routine has been growing in Goa over the last few years.

I think a lot of people see yoga as an opportunity to get in touch with themselves more intimately and find some peace of mind. Yoga is one of the activities along with art, music and theatre that allow people to step out of their work routine.”

Daegal says people do yoga “usually for meditation and to maintain good health. ‎Some come because a doctor has recommended yoga as an option to doing strenuous exercise and for treatment of specific ailments (like back injuries or recovery from joint replacement surgeries?).”

Seby Akkara, who has been teaching yoga for the past 13 years, has practiced it since he

was a child. He’s an artist who spends most of his time painting and sculpting.

He believes one can start practicing yoga as early as 8 years of age. “We should introduce it in schools and even the panchayats,” he says.

The growing popularity of yoga is evident in the number of tourists taking to it to find inner peace and healing.

North Goa has witnessed many new avenues open up in the area of health and wellness tourism thanks to yoga. A lot of tourists enjoy the yoga classes being offered by the 5-star hotels and quiet jungle resorts. These people work hard in their homeland and want an escape from their monotonous routines.

Sonja Appel started the Sushumna Yoga School & Studio in Delhi in 2005.

In 2008, she moved to Goa and set up a school here with her partner Gita Sahni.

Sonja has been teaching yoga for the past 13 years. She says, “Ninety percent of our clients are tourists or people who come for specific residential programs – like the Teacher Training Program, or a Residential Retreat. These could be a week to a month long. My students are mostly tourists although for the first 2 years I campaigned endlessly to get the villagers to send their children to learn yoga in Morjim and Ashwem.”

“A lot of the locals connect yoga to the negative news about the ‘babas in

ashrams’,” says Felly Gomes. “People tend to misinterpret the whole concept. Some think it is physical exercise, some think it is a religion, and some think it is a psychological system.”

“The word yoga originated from the root word in Sanskrit yuj, and also comes from the biblical word, yoke. Both mean joining together or to unite,” says Gita Sahni .

“There’s a huge potential for the future of yoga in Goa. Active promotion by the Department of Tourism would help it to grow.

There are a few yoga schools, retreat centres and teachers who are doing their bit to promote it. There are two yoga festivals coming up this year and next year. If they are successful they could become an annual event,” says Sahni.

Like any physical activity, yoga is not completely without risks. Torn ligaments, dislocated joints, and back and neck injuries have been known to happen, especially if practitioners push themselves too hard or perform difficult poses unsupervised.

One way to minimize risk is to be acutely aware of breathing. Yoga experts say breathing is the link between body and mind. When practicing yoga, you shouldn’t be out of breath or catching your breath. And the yoga style you choose should be appropriate to your age, ability and general health.

22 Feature

Pet Emergencies in the Dead of Night If it happens, there are solutions in Goa (though not many)

By Pedro Menezes

I

f you’re a pet owner, it’s bound to happen eventually. Your pet gets hurt or turns gravely ill in the middle of the night. Major cities across the world have 24-hour animal hospitals that operate pretty much like any other hospital, except with patients who sport fur, tails and floppy ears. What about here in Goa? Well, there’s good news and bad news.

In most places in the state, it’s not easy to find off-hour medical care for pets in need. Our research came up with just a handful of veterinarians who offer round-the-clock service. In many cases, it’s a matter of developing a relationship with your day-time vet, cajoling a mobile or home number from them, and hoping a frantic midnight call will be answered.

The good news is that yes, lots of animals are in fact being treated when they are in need, no matter the hour.

While a small number of vets will come to your residence to check your pet, most likely you will have to take the pet to the veterinarian’s residence.

Most pet owners simply stay put till the morning and then take their pet to the vet – which can be fatal, as Rajesh, a resident of Calangute, realized last week. His pet dog, which he had rescued from the streets about a year ago, started vomiting in the middle of the night, waking him up. Thinking it would be alright by morning, he went back to sleep. When he woke up in the morning, the dog was dead.

Stunned, he simply buried him.

Astrid Almeida, director of the International Animal Rescue (IARC) centre in Assagao, one of the better animal care facilities in Goa, says, “About half the veterinarians in Goa are women and they don’t work in the nights or even take calls unless they’re familiar with the person. That’s because nobody can guarantee protection to the women. How do you know it’s a genuine call? They can’t go out at night.”

So generally only male veterinarians take calls in the night and not many of them. A majority of the vets who care for pets are women, while most of Goa’s male vets deal with farm animals.

IARC is one of the few organizations which has an animal ambulance, but it’s only available in the day, not at night, and it is only used for strays, not pets – pet owners have to do their own

transportation. Plus it’s only available in the coastal areas. When contacted, the State government’s Directorate of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services said that they are in the process of procuring some vehicles to be used as ambulances for animals, but they haven’t got any yet. None of the veterinarians have an ambulance.

Even the Goa government’s Animal Husbandry Department’s veterinary clinics which are spread all over the state, stay open only during the day, though if you work out a good relationship with the staff, they are at times most willing to come and help at odd hours.

Mapusa-based Dr Sacheen Bhosale is one of the rare veterinarians who make night emergency calls for animals, but

only within Bardez and surrounding areas if he knows the pet owner. “Night emergency calls have technical problems, how does one pay the workers, and you can’t have women, etc. We work seven days a week, so you have to schedule the staff, there are time management issues,” he says. In the last one month he’s made around 10 night-time emergency visits.

“Most of the emergency night cases I get are because of snake bites, poisoning, accidents and during the monsoon electric shocks. Sometimes we have to bear the brunt of the people because we might be attending to one call and get another call from a place far away which

we cannot rush to immediately. I’ve been abused many times for not responding fast enough, but we try and explain the situation to the pet owner,” says Dr Bhosle, whose wife Aparijita is also a vet.

Recently Nilesh Shetgaonkar, who serves as the administrative backbone at Goa Streets, found an abandoned puppy in the middle of a road in Mapusa. The two-month-old female mixed breed was lethargic and suffered from a bloated stomach. The animal, newly named Rani, spent several days in the Streets office in Sangolda, with staffer Kunda Salkar taking her home in the evenings. At first Rani spent her time in the office hiding behind a refrigerator. But within days she started coming out of her shell and warming up to human contact, though she remained somewhat listless. One night at Kunda’s house she started vomiting profusely, and none of the staff could locate a vet available at 2 am, despite a round of phone calls involving half a dozen people. By morning, Rani was dead. It was her story that prompted Streets to write this story.

Bewildered pet owners, like Archana from Siolim, often find themselves at their wits’ end trying to save their pets in Goa, which poses its own set of hazards to animals.

Archana’s dog had always been kept inside closed gates. But one day the gate was open and the dog ran on to the busy road outside – only to be dashed by a drunken tourist’s motorbike – breaking the dog’s back and ending its life.

There are times when you have no choice but to put your pet to sleep.

Regula, a Swiss woman married to a Goan who lives in Calangute, loves her pets deeply, especially mongrels which she picks up from the streets. Her father was a dog trainer back in Switzerland.

She says, “Early one morning I was taking my dogs for a walk on the beach as usual, with a stick in my hand. There are some really ferocious stray dogs on the beach which survive by eating the food waste from shacks and hotels. As I was walking, one really big monster attacked one of my dogs and injured it severely. By the time I could drive away the stray dogs, he had been badly mauled. I straight away took him to the IARC and got him operated and he was alive for some days. But it pained me to see him in such misery and after a while he started deteriorating, so I had to put him to sleep.”

In the end, it seems the best thing concerned pet owners can do is maintain a close relationship with a reliable vet who will rush in case of an emergency. 

Here are two doctors you can call 24-hours in an emergency: Dr Sacheen Bhosale, Mapusa – 9881578287.

Dr Brijesh Naik, Saligao - 9765632114

Names of some veterinarians in Goa: BARDEZ Dr. Marilyn Esteberio (some people say Marilyn is the best vet in the state, and Streets agrees with that assessment) Alto De PorvorIm, Bardez.

832-2417827, 9822125695 Dr. Fiona Ferrao Alto De PorvorIm, Bardez.

832-2417827

CARANZALEM Dr. Suvarnaraj Gaonkar, Shop No.4, Ground Floor, Mandovi Elite Building, Near Rosary Chapel, Caranzalem.

832-22239205, 9881656692 drgaonkar@yahoo.co.in Emergency Telephone No: 09881656692 MAPUSA Dr. A. K. Singh, Pets Clinic, LG-12, Gomes Catao Complex (Near Cine Alankar), Mapusa.

845/B-6, St. Mary’s Colony, Miramar, Panaji 832-2250527, -2221681. aksingh@goatelecom.com

MARGAO Dr. T. Kirankumar Vets4Pets Godwin Drive In Residency, St. Joaquim Rd, Borda, Margao Speciality : None 832-6484648, 9822159090

PANJIM Dr. Achina Joglekar Pet Land Veterinary Clinic, B 6 / 845, St. Marys Colony, Behind Reading Habit, Opp. Esperanca Hospital Miramar, Panjim.

VASCO Dr. Sudhir Kumar, BVSc & AH. PFA, Flat No.6, Gaur Apartments, Vasco – 403802, 832 -2530393, 0832-2530393. sudhir6277@rediffmail.com Pet Land Veterinary Clinic, Opp. Prem’s Bar & Restarent Gauravado, Calangute.

832-2462558, 9326020834

Dr. Veena S Kumar, Department of AH & VS, Panjim 083-2462649, 9860226570 bluevet@rediffmail.com Emergency Telephone No: 9860226570