Issue No: 42 by Goa Streets

Intrigue At Goa University

The Coral Reef of Goa

Page 02

Page 10

Protesting In India

This is no North Korea. India has a glorious tradition of protesting that works.

Keep Goa Beautiful

Clinton Vaz on how to make a major dent in Goa’s garbage menace.

StreetSmart

Pretty soon you’ll be able to shop till you drop at Goa Streets! But first, tell us about your amazing wares.

Inside:

• Music & Nightlife • Top 10 Views of Goa • Roger Ballen’s Photography • Halloween • Smart City, Smart Transport

ALSO INSIDE: COMPLETE FOOD/EVENT/NIGHTLIFE GUIDE

02 education

Questions And Intrigue At Goa University Why Did The Goan Government Push So Hard To Keep The University’s Top Official In Place Even After He Reached Mandatory Retirement Age?

By Goa Streets

egardless of what you think about the Goa government’s recent manipulation of the law to extend the tenure of Goa University’s top official, one truth seems undeniable: that if the energy and alacrity displayed in this strange move were applied to other needs in the state, like removing garbage or fixing infrastructure, Goa by now would be virtually problem free. It remains a mystery why the government led by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar went to such great lengths to keep GU Vice Chancellor Dr Satish Shetye in office past the mandatory retirement age of 65, including passing an emergency ordinance changing the Goa University Act. “Is the continuation of one VC after the age of 65 years of such importance that rules of succession be overlooked?” asked Prof Peter Ronald deSouza, a member of the Goa University Executive Council. It’s true Shetye has earned relatively good marks for his performance as head of Goa’s premier educational institution (the Vice Chancellor is the de facto leader as the Chancellor, Goa Governor Mridula Sinha, has much else on her plate). But the university under his watch is also the target of a lot of criticism, and the efforts to keep him in place have opened the government

to serious allegations of chicanery and favouritism. What’s worse Dr Shetye, a son of the soil who graduated from IIT Bombay, achieved his doctorate in Washington in the USA, was director of the National Institute of Oceanography in Goa and Vice Chancellor of Goa University for the past three years, seems to have sacrificed what could have been a stellar legacy for the image of a man who clung to his chair rather than exiting with grace. Dr Shetye declined to comment for this article. Behind the intrigue and the unanswered questions lie a number theories as to why the government did what it did. Perhaps it was accustomed to getting its way at the university, including building a stadium and road for its own purposes on the institution’s grounds, and didn’t want any future obstructionist to spoil the party. “If there’s a man in charge who’s prone to be amenable, why have him changed?” said one university lecturer who asked that his name not be used. Or maybe other university leaders, facing their own impending forced retirements, secretly appreciated the precedent. Still others might be toeing the government line in hopes of receiving post-retirement benefits from the powers that be. Whatever the case, the sequence of events has raised more than a few eyebrows. In March this year, the university inexplicably decided to ask the Chancellor (who is also the Governor) to extend the term of the VC beyond the age of superannuation. For several months no reply was received from the government. However, on Oct. 15, ten days before the VC was to turn 65, a special meeting of the Executive Council was called to endorse a change in the statute enabling the VC to complete a full five-year term. The Director of Higher Education wrote a letter saying the government had examined the issue and that after careful examination and consultation with the Advocate General, officials decided to ask the University to amend its statute to allow the VC to hold office for five years from the date of entering office

regardless of his or her age during the term. On Oct. 22, the Governor of Goa refused to endorse this decision and instead wrote back to the government that the VC should vacate the office the next day. She was perhaps mindful of the fact that university statutes prevent the institution’s decision making bodies from changing their own age of retirement. Unfazed and quite brazenly, the government (at whose request, we don’t know) hurriedly circulated a law among the ministers and by consent passed an emergency ordinance changing the Goa University Act and sent it to the governor for her assent! Within the space of 24 hours, the governor changed her decision and voila, the vice chancellor got another year in office (officials initially wanted a two-year extension but then settled on a single year). “It was a government decision. We have done it because he is a Goan and think he is deserving of an extension,” explained Chief Minister Parsekar. When pressed further by reporters, he said, “The issue is settled” and walked away. Prof deSouza was the only member of the university’s Executive Council who spoke out in dissent. “Succession, conducted in a routine manner according to rules ... is one of the most important features of a constitutional democracy. It enables us to strengthen the legitimacy of institutions and to establish the key principle that an institution is more important than a person however competent that person maybe,” said deSouza, who now functions from New Delhi where he is a senior fellow of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS). He had lectured at the Goa University for 16 years, including several of them as head of the social sciences department. “On no occasion has the argument been entertained that because the incumbent is competent, and maybe even exceptional, the rule of succession is to be set aside. This has happened in places like Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka and Russia to name just a few countries. These are not shining examples to follow,” Prof deSouza said in his dissent note.

“It seems that our legal system is being severely undermined by those in power creating a public culture of disregard for the rule of law,” he added. Other university officials are simply refusing to speak. “Why should I respond? I do not think it is appropriate that I speak about this issue at this point in time,” said the University Registrar, Vijayendra Kamat. And Dr Maria Aurora Couto, another member of the Executive Council, said simply, “I do not wish to speak to the press.” Others say the move is symptomatic of larger problems at the university. “Secrecy and sycophancy, for which people are rewarded, promoted, nominated on key committees etc, has become culture in this university,” said Dr Nandakumar Kamat, a Goa University lecturer. If that weren’t the case, he added, there would have been loud voices denouncing what’s been done. One recently retired university lecturer sounded a different note, however. “There’s no doubt that he (Dr Shetye) was better than his predecessor; he’s a good scientist, has a recognized track record as well as pushed the university towards research publication and during his tenure admissions to the university almost doubled.” “However, for every good thing he did there was always a flipside. Take for example the increase in admissions, while the numbers no doubt increased, students have been taken in after the last date, arbitrarily taken in without checking on merit and some of them were children of influential people,” said the retired lecturer who requested anonymity. One of the few voices expressing support for the extension is that of BJP party president Vinay Tendulkar, who has said Dr Shetye deserves an extension because he’s competent and Goan. That, too, raised eyebrows among people who wondered why a political party was defending the actions of a university that’s supposed to be an independent body free of political control. Perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Goa University ranks nowhere near the top universities of the country, despite having a large pool of talented Goan youth to pull from. 

opinion

Unlike Saudi Arabia and North Korea, India Has A Glorious Tradition of Successful Agitation By José Lourenço

n email pops up in your Inbox, saying the whales of Timbuktu are in great danger of extinction. You can join the mass protest at so-and-so website by signing the petition to ban whaling. Oh, how terrible, you think, and sign the petition right way. And then you lean back, feeling a slight flush of pride at having done your bit to save the world. A few days later there’s some more petitions shared on Facebook, so you sign them too. Just a click of the mouse button, and you can lean back again, proud of your activism. But have you really done anything real and effective? Or are you indulging in slactivism? Aye, that’s actually a word in the Oxford dictionary, of early 21st century origin, from a blend of slacker and activism. Slactivism means “Actions performed via the Internet in support of a political or social cause but regarded as requiring little time or involvement, e.g. signing an online petition or joining a campaign group on a social media website”. Wikipedia defines slacktivism as “…the act of showing support for a cause but only truly being beneficial to the egos of people participating in this so-called activism. The acts tend to require minimal personal effort from the slacktivist. The underlying

assumption being promoted by the term is that these low-cost efforts substitute for more substantive actions rather than supplementing them, although this assumption has not been borne out by research.” Another term, ‘clictivism’, also has a similar meaning. Even if the petition website ‘Change. org’ claims that so-and-so was saved from execution, and some offensive ad was removed, and someone else was released from prison, how sure are we that signing those petitions really had an impact on the action taken? Are armchair slactivism and clictivism just an ego-pampering feel-good waste of time? In the last fortnight, scores of Indian writers returned their awards to the Sahitya Akademi, protesting the silence of India’s top cultural institution on the murder of MM Kalburgi, an award winning rationalist and writer. The writers’ protests were also aimed at the violent incidents that have recently occurred around the country, indicative of a spreading intolerance. These award-returning protests also provoked counter-charges and some mockery from rightwing supporters. But the question is: What impact do these protests really have? The writers’ ire was targeted at the Sahitya Akademi leadership, while the central government which is responsible for security in the country watched from the wings. It seems to be a herculean as

well as nebulous task to protest against and to cut down religious and cultural intolerance in such a large and populous country, where such incidents are now popping up frequently as can be seen in the daily news. Do protests work? A candlelight vigil is a protest. So is a nationwide strike. Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent satyagraha was also a massive protest. When goals are clearcut and tangible, protests do work. In Goa, in the 1970s the PSU (Progressive Students Union) carried out violent protests demanding a reduction in student bus fares. They achieved that goal. In 1986 a bloody agitation demanding that Konkani be declared the official state language of Goa halted only when the Goa, Daman and Diu Official Language bill was presented to the legislative assembly. The protest resisting the Thapar – DuPont Nylon 6-6 plant being set up in Keri claimed the life of young activist Nilesh Naik, but succeeded in its aim. Mahatma Gandhi led protests in India for many years, and eventually drove the British colonial rulers from India. Though many may pour scorn on ‘slactivists’, there can be no denying that such petitions bring about an awareness of atrocities that we would otherwise be unaware of. Education and awareness can spur outrage, which could well turn a Slactivist into a dynamic warrior. The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 were ruthlessly crushed. The socalled Arab Spring produced dubious results. Protests in authoritarian states like Saudi Arabia and North Korea simply don’t stand a chance, at least for now. But India has a glorious tradition of successful protesting. In 1915 Rabindranath Tagore was conferred a knighthood by the British government in India, he renounced it after the gruesome Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919. For any artiste, the returning of an award is a powerful emotional

statement, expressing great anguish and solidarity with the aggrieved people. The spectre of violent intolerance in India may seem to be a nebulous and multi-headed monster that cannot be vanquished. But there is a button that can protest and defeat such an enemy. It’s actually a vertical row of buttons, of which you have to choose one, every five years, at election time. The act of pressing an ECM button to choose an electoral candidate may seem a simple physical act. But this is no slactivism. Years of news reports, discussions, angst-filled thinking and finally a righteous decision lie behind that click of a button. This is no clictivism. It is Protest, with a capital P, and it can humble the most gigantic politician, his party and his propaganda, and banish them to obscurity. In India, all those signed petitions, writers’ protests, candlelit marches and courted arrests and bloodied heads invariably conclude in that single finale, that simple button of protest. 

José Lourenço is a Goa-based civil engineer, author, educator and historian. He writes short fiction in Konkani and English, and is the author of The Parish Churches of Goa—a study of facade architecture. He is also Contributing Editor for Goa Streets.

Publisher Marisha Dutt • Chief Mentor Steven Gutkin

Correspondents/Writers: Ethel Da Costa, Sheela Jaywant, Charlane Pereira e Rebello, Bina Datwani, Karan Bhagat, Perin Ilavia, Dielle D’Souza,

Anzil Fernandes, Crespo D’Souza, Sanket Sharma, Richa Narvekar, Vivian Maverick Martins, Claron Mazarello, Aliya Abreu, Kanchi Mehta, Sapna Shahani • Contributing Editor José Lourenço • Photographer Brendon Sapeco • Marketing Co-ordinator Radhika Naik • Marketing & Event Co-ordinator Rahul Rivonkar • Marketing Executive Alvira Rodrigues • Graphic Designer Amol Kamat • Circulation & Accounts Co-ordinator Nilesh Shetgaonkar • Circulation Vijay Gadekar & Valentino D'Cruz

Friday, October 30, 2015

Oct 30 Beach Party Café Lilliput Beach Party with DJ’s who will set the place alive At Cafe Lilliput, Anjuna 6 pm onwards. +91 9822137767 Laguna Alive Fun Food Dance! The Steve Sequeira Quartet – Steve Sequeira, Kitu Sequeira, Clifford Sequeira and Mark Fernandes At Laguna Anjuna 8:30 pm onwards +91 832 227 4131 Electric Zoo Birthday Bash A journey through jazzy lounge music to pumping dancing techno beats. A 10th anniversary of Electric Zoo India At Waters Beach Lounge & Grill 12 noon onwards +919767200012 & 9702025555 & 9850561111 Halloween Eve Costume Party With Ryan Nogar, Ashton, Benz, Flowtek At Down The Road (DTR), Panaji 9pm onwards 9049630982, 9823173757

October 30-31 Goa Rhythm & Blues Festival 2015 GF’s first edition of Goa Rhythm & Blues Festival, its latest fundraiser event. This music festival is all about harmonising musical strings and tugging at heart-strings for the benefit of critically ill under-privileged children! At Taj Vivanta, Fort Aguada, Aguada 3 pm onwards +91 9999380203| +91 9711311662 Halloween Party GOOSEBUMPS High Energy, Glow Painters, Face Painters, Costume contest.. and many more exciting surprises! At Club Zero Gravity, Anjuna 8pm onwards +91 7757052204, +91 7757052205

Oct 31 Halloween Party A SPOOKTACULAR Halloween with Live Act, Spooky face painting and unlimited cocktails* At Barcode Lounge & Grill, Porvorim 7pm onwards 7050961333/08322410027 Halloween Party Fire Dancers | Fireworks | Special Decor | Face Painting Drala | JJJ | Violeta | Mista H | Kads Kitchen At Cafe Lilliput, Anjuna 6pm Onwards +91 9822137767 Halloween Party Let the fright nights Begin! At Hhaathee Restro Bar, Candolim 7pm-12am 9657368436/9527533375

Halloween with The Mad Scientist The Witch and her mad scientist husband will be conducting ‘scientific’ experiments in their lab and some of the resulting concoctions may be poured into your plate or injected directly into your mouth without warning. Food will no longer be called so. Do not let your children near these Evil Souls. If you are crazy enough to reserve despite these warnings, call them! Dress Code: Think ‘Evil’ with a sense of Humor At The Black Sheep Bistro, Panjim 7pm onwards. 9881731901 Halloween Party Feat Asad aka Free AATMAH, Cyrus(Urban Distortion), Tejas Belkond, Mohinesh At Marbela Beach, Morjim 7pm onwards. +91 9158881180 Halloween Night (Goan Edition) in association with VH1 Skeletron, And, Electro Smashers & DJ Vicky At The Park, Calangute 8pm onwards +91 8805028194, +91 832 2267600 Halloween Massacre Feat. Mel (Jungle Terror) alongside Sid, Chris Joy, Saboo Delight. At Nyex Beach Club, Anjuna 8pm onwards 7387410421 / 9545550571

Nov 1 Sunday Night Jazz Mac Dourado - Guitar, Colin D'cruz - bass, Denis Coelho -drums At Bar Code Lounge & Grill, Porvorim 7 pm onwards. +91 7050961335

Oct 24 to Dec 26 Sunset Serenade at Park Hyatt Latin Connection with guest artists from all over the world will fill the air with magic while Peruvian chefs cook up some amazing seafood against a breath taking sea view. 7 pm to 10 pm At Palms restaurant, Park Hyatt Goa, Cavalossim +91832 272 1234

Every Wednesday Free bird nights at Cotinga Free bird nights at Cotinga presents, Elvis and Anirban, with a classic rock and blues session, this Wednesday 8:00 pm onwards. At Cotinga at the Tamarind Hotel, Anjuna 8:00 pm onwards +919822851155, (0832)6519999 Live music at Mustard Krishna Vamsee is live on Wednesday, only at Mustard playing the best in blues, mo-town rock, and country tracks, 8pm onwards.  Come savour the flavours that binds cuisines together at the the newest culinary destination in Goa. 8:00 pm onwards  At Mustard, Sangolda +91 98234 36120

Every Thursday Karaoke Nite Come & be with Mojo Rockstar Kdj Seby At Cafe Mojo Pub & Bistro, Panjim 7 pm onwards +91 7774054353

Every Fridays Wet and Tech Gear up for an amazing session of electronic music acts playing Deep house, Tech, and tech house music At Waters Beach Lounge and Grill, Ozran beach, Vagator 8:00 pm till late +919767200012 & 9702025555 & 9850561111 Friday Night Live with Alcatrazz For the first time in Dona Paula : Retro, Pop and Dance music by the amazing Alcatrazz only at Bay 15. At Bay 15, Odxel beach, Dona Paula 8:00 pm onwards 095610 06715

Music Spots in Goa Cavala Every Wednesday: Cavala Acoustic Latin Retro Every Friday: Tidal Wave’s live act Every Saturday: Piano played by Bosco Cavala, Calangute - Baga Road, Baga 8:30 pm onwards. +91 832 2276090 sales@cavala.com | www.cavala.com

The Park, Calangute Every Monday: Retro Night By Jus Leo Every Thursday: Retro Night Every Friday: Karaoke Night with KDJ Tony The Park, Calangute 8 pm onwards +91 8805028194, +91 832 2267600 resv.goa@theparkhotels.com www.theparkhotels.com

Casinos in Goa Casino Carnival Casino Carnival Goa, offers premium entertainment in Goa, anchored in the Mandovi River overlooking the charming city of Panjim. Offers High Quality Entertainment and Live Gaming experience in Goa comparable with the best practices of international casinos. At Goa Marriott Resort & Spa, Panjim +91 8888885314 Deltin Royale Casino Get lucky on a big boat. D.Bandodkar Road, Panjim +91 9820 616515 or email: groups@deltin.com (If you’re based in Mumbai) +91 7875 024455 or email: groupbookings@ deltin.com (If you’re based in Goa)

06 keep goa beautiful

Goa’s Dirty Little Secret The Garbage Menace In Goa Is Dire, But It’s Not All Gloom And Doom By Clinton Vaz

es, we all know it, Goa stinks. The Goans blame the visitors, the visitors blame the bad Government infrastructure and the Government keeps working hard on ways to spend money on white elephants instead of workable solutions to solve Goa’s Garbage Menace. And all this while, Goa’s garbage has gone from bad to worse. Can it get any worse? The truth is, yes it can. But this article is not just about the Bad & the Ugly, there’s a lot of good happening too. First of all, let me introduce myself. I’m Clinton Vaz, and I’m a garbage junkie. That’s what I think about, write about, work for and often, I also eat it too… (It’s called dumpster diving, but more on that later…) together with my wife Emma, we run a business in Waste Management. Our tiny enterprise employs 17 staff and helps over 7000 homes in Goa manage their waste without any problems or pollution. While we know that we can’t help everybody in Goa, we do encourage other interested people to follow our model which is cost effective and decentralized enough to be resilient. If you think you are that person, then perhaps you should be writing an email to me. Back in 1999, when I was 19, I heard that the Government was going to solve the garbage problem. The real problem is that while successive Governments promise the sky and end up delivering only dumpsites, people just waited and did nothing. They mostly criticized, complained and added to the garbage heap. Today, this heap of waste, consists of an estimated 400,000 kgs per day and

Editor’s Note: This story is the latest instalment of Goa Streets’ Keep Goa Beautiful campaign, working toward a cleaner, greener Goa. If you are involved in efforts to #KeepGoaBeautiful and would like to spread the word about it, please email us at streets@goastreets.com or call +917774009156/ +917773927153.

is growing. Most of this waste ends up being burnt in villages, and whatever is picked up, ends up getting trucked to one of Goa’s many dumpsites. These dumpsites can now be seen from space. I have located six such places in Goa thanks to Google earth. Burning causes greenhouse and toxic gasses, and dumpsites leak out a toxic liquid called leachate that percolates into the groundwater table. Open dumps of waste attract animals and it’s now a weekly occurrence for vets to operate cows and extract upto 14 kgs of plastic that they ate while foraging for food in the dumps. As simple as it may sound, separation of waste is the key. This is where I come in. When people are willing to do this, I can help. Separated waste need not be burnt or dumped. In fact, at my tiny warehouse, all the waste that enters the doors goes to recycling factories and the leftovers get turned into energy. There’s almost nothing left behind to even warrant the use of a landfill. We do have problems however. We can’t force people to separate their waste. Usually, after a detailed explanation on why separation is important, most people

happily oblige, but then, there’s always the odd village idiot or city smartass that will mix his waste and think that that’s their birthright. Very often, the holiday mood causes people to be lax about their waste quality. Takeout thalis are the worst! All those multiple packets of dahl, chutney and sambar, each wrapped and knotted in its own layer of plastic bags. Just imagine us trying to deal with that without causing a mess! Then there’s diapers and sanitary pads that nobody seems to know what to do with. Waste handling also is a taboo profession. Perhaps that’s why my only Goan employee is our driver. Goans do appreciate the work we do,

but rarely join in our work. Sometimes people pick on our staff, think that they’re unhygienic and uneducated. Little do they realize that our staff are the ones cleaning the planet while they create the mess. But moving beyond our little team of waste warriors, there’s so much happening in Goa. The Tourism Department started picking up the litter on the beach. They even have a WhatsApp number to complain to if you notice a mess on the beach. Another department, GSIDC, has started cleaning up the highways, and finally, the Pollution Control Department now picks up dry waste from almost every school, village and city in Goa. All these efforts are recent, and hopefully will make a difference to how clean Goa finally is. However, with a word of caution. Many of these initiatives run only because of the interest of those participating. There's a lot of people out there in Goa that don’t. Villages in Goa won’t get clean until every resident realizes that he or she has to involve themselves with the initiative. So whoever you may be, stop being part of the problem and join in to keep our Goa clean. Pick just one or two initiatives that you could handle, but Start today.

Clinton Vaz is a waste management consultant and proprietor of vRecycle Waste Management Services based in Margao, South Goa. Clinton is also part of the Government’s monitoring committee for waste management. He can be contacted at klintvaz@ gmail.com www.vrecycle.in +91 9890936828

Friday, October 30, 2015

Oct 30 'Twisted Testicles' Live, Extended and Uncensored Back with a Bang! Join Mark and Jeff for a Gang Banging Good Time At Citrus, the Banquets, Panaji 8 pm onwards +91 8007770063 Kantha workshop By Amina Yasmin and Majeda Khatun. At Alliance Francaise, Panjim 5.30 pm onwards +91 832 242 0049

Oct 31 Preschool Morning A Fun Early Literacy Program A two and half hours of pure fun filled with songs, games, reading, colours, food and film for preschoolers. This week's story is ' Where the Wild Things Are'. From 10.00-12.30 pm. At Bookworm, Taleigao +91 9823222665/+91 832 2451233.

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday Scaravelli Inspired Yoga Based on Body Awareness through the Principles of Ground Breath Spine, Asana, Self Enquiry & The spirit of Vanda Scaravelli. At Shala 142, Assagao 8 am to 9.30 am +91 9821138131 Salsa Workshop A Series of Salsa Classes will be conducted. At Carpe Diem, Majorda 6 pm to 7 pm +91 88888 62462 Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday Yoga With Nikhila Trikha at Carpe Diem At Carpe Diem, Gomes Waddo, Majorda 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm +91 832 2881 035/+91 8888862462

Dance Classes David Furtado Dance Classes Salsa & Waltz for beginners At Casino Motel, Porvorim 6.40 to 7.40 +91 9975914195 Jason & Sylvia Dance Academy  At Las Viegas Dance Studio, Taleigao  +91 9822161652/ +91 9822151614 Snaden Shawn Dance Academy Dance Style: Hip hop, Bollyfunk, jazz, contemporary At All Over Goa +91 7798609859/ +91 9890163433

Great Goan Experience Froggy Land Froggyland is a venue for all the water lovers. Some of our activities would include the wave pool, lazy river, slides, rain dance, children’s pool etc. At Pateipur, Nuvem +91 9823480057

Birds & Breakfast Have your morning breakfast watching birds. The Best time of bird watching is October to Mid April. At Gauro Waddo, Calangute +91 832 2276711/ +91 9822149002 Horse Riding Majorda Beach Horse Riding It offers riding on Goa’s longest beach At Majorda 5 pm to 7 pm +91 9822586502 Wildernest Crocodile Safaris Offers boat safaris starting from Britona Jetty (Near Panjim) through the backwaters and mangrove-lined canals, which are home to fresh water crocodile locally called ‘Muggers’. At Kamat Centre, D.B Marg, Panjim +91 9595553799/ +91 9341112721 Seaeaglecruises.com Canopy Eco – Tours Offers a wide variety of experiences including nature-treks, butterfly tours, dragonfly & damselfly tours, and boat safaris on the Zuari River as well as their original bird watching tour. At Housing Board Colony, Margao +91 9764261711, +91 9764052225 Canopygoa.com Goa Butterfly Park & Conservatory A small park on a hill that’s a great place to spot stunningly beautiful butterflies. Near Tropical Spice Plantation, Ponda +91 832 2985174, +91 9822125474 Bcogoa.org The Bushmasters Owner Rahul Alvares is one of our state’s most experienced snake rescuers. Snake Watch programmes costs Rs. 1600 per person inclusive of transport and breakfast. At Almeida Vaddo, Parra 6.30 am to 9.30 am +91 9881961071 Rahulalvares.com Off the Grid Offers a unique home stay experience in a secluded village in the Western Ghats At Western Ghats John +91 9623451758 Sylvia +91 9049081097

Go Karting Track I Goa Karting Single and tandem go karts are available for Rs: 180 for ten laps or Rs 200 for ten lap’s tandem At Panjim - Margao Highway, Nuvem 4 pm to 10 pm +91 832 2757899/ +91 9850736334 Track II Goa Karting Single and tandem go karts are available for Rs: 180 for ten laps or Rs 200 for ten Laps tandem At Anjuna - Calangute Rd, Arpora 4 pm to 10 pm. +91 832 2914526

Outdoors Tropical Spice Plantation The Tropical Spice Plantation guided tour is certain to refresh your senses and make you feel at one with Mother Nature. At Arle Bazar Keri, Ponda +91 832 2340329

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 Pascoal Spice Village A wide variety of spice plants and cash crops is grown here. For visitors there is a restaurant with an open-air party facility along with boating At Khandepar, Ponda +91 832 2344268/ +91 832 2344536 -39 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 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 PondaBelgaum Highway, Curti, Ponda +91 832 2312394 Email: info@sahakarifarms.com

Book Centres Literati It’s a Bookshop and Café At Gauro Vaddo, Calangute 10 am to 6.30 pm +91 832 2277740 Broadway Book Centre Broadway Book Store offers great books at amazing prizes to passionate readers of all ages At Aguada Fort Road, Candolim 10 am to 9 pm +91 9860030339

Notable Forts Aguada Fort Fort Aguada and its lighthouse is a well-preserved seventeenth-century Portuguese fort Daily 10 am to 5.30 pm At Candolim Reis Magos Fort This Fort, surrounded by sturdy laterite walls studded with typically Portuguese turrets, was erected in 1551 to protect the narrowest point at the mouth of the Mandovi estuary. The fort stands on the north bank of the Mandovi River at Reis Magos, and is visible from the Panjim side of the Mandovi River. At Verem 10.30 am to 5.30 pm +91 832 2410711/ +91 832 2410715 Tiracol Fort The fort was originally built by Maharaja Khem Sawant Bhonsle, the Raja of Sawantwadi, in the 17th century. Now, in a state of ruins, Fort Tiracol has been converted into a luxury hotel, the Fort Tiracol Heritage. At Tiracol, Keri

Cabo de Rama Fort Interesting fort named after Lord Rama. Inside the fort, check out the church of Santo Antonio, still used by devotees. At Cola Beach Chapora Fort One of the most loved forts of Goa; it was built in place of an older fort on the same location after the Maratha-Portuguese war. At Vagator Chapora Fort One of the most loved forts of Goa, it was built in place of an older fort on the same location after the Maratha-Portuguese war. At Vagator

Museums Museum of Goa Art Museum At Pilerne Industrial Estate, Pilerne 10 am to 6 pm +91 7722089666 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 Naval Aviation Museum Displaying a number of vintage aircraft and armaments used at different stages by Naval Aviation dating back to the 1950`s and a vast number of memorabilia related to Naval Aviation history. Near Bogmalo Beach 10 am to 5 pm +91 832 2538668 Wax World Museum A brainchild of Mr. Shreeji Bhaskaran, the man behind India’s first wax museum at Ooty, here’s Goa’s very own Madame Tussuad’s. With over 30 lifelike wax statues of the who’s who of India, including the most eminent personalities from culture, religion, politics, heritage and more, it’s a huge attraction. At Gandhi Circle, Old Goa 9.30 am to 7.30 pm +91 9970126202 Museum Of Christian Art Open all days of the week Located at the Convent of Santa Monica, you may pray if you wish to, else just soak in the ambience of peace. At Old Goa From 9:30 am – 5 pm +91 832 2285299 Goa State Museum Has some 8,000 artifacts on display including carvings, paintings, manuscripts, rare coins and stone sculptures. A museum shop is planned soon with the aim of popularizing Goan culture through museum objects. At EDC Complex, Patto, Panjim 9.30 am to 5.30 pm +91 832 2438006 / +91 832 2437306 Goa Science Centre The Centre has a science park with interactive exhibits, 3D shows, galleries on oceanic science, explaining mysteries of the underwater world. At Miramar 10 am to 6 pm +91 832 2463426

Xavier Centre of Historical Research See exhibitions of paintings, browse through rare books and attend symposiums with particular emphasis on contemporary cultural & social issues affecting Goa. At BB Borkar Road, Porvorim +91 832 2417772 Archaeological Museum Check out the sculptures of Hindu gods and goddesses, antiques from the Hindu period and currencies leftover by the Portuguese. At Old Goa 9 am to 5 pm +91 832 2285333 Monsoon Heritage Studio Treat yourself to some amazing collection of mirrored mosaic art and handpicked artifacts at this upscale studio by Yahel Chirinian. At Mainath Batti, Arpora 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM +91 9822122771

WATER SPORTS Champion’s Yacht Club Unlimited fun on water. Drive exciting luxury cruise boats and enjoy other rides. At Mayam Lake, Bicholim +91 832 6517080 www.championsyachtclub.com Water Splash Cruises A large fleet of Catamarans, Boats, and Cruisers & Yachts: take to the water, the sea, the sky. At Models Status, Dona Paula www.watersplashcruises.com +91 8888864347 Sea Wave Water Sports Enjoy parasailing, boat rides, banana rides, bump rides, jet skiing, water skiing, dolphin trips and more. At Calangute +91 832 2276362 Atlantis Water Sports Everything under the sun and in the water, with a premium placed on safety and quality service. At Baga Bazar, Next to Tito’s Lane +91 9890047272 www.atlantiswatersports.com Aqua Sports India Fishing, Motor Boat Rides, Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, Water Scooter Rides At 5th Floor, Nizari Bhavan, Menezes Braganza Road, Panaji +91 832 2231215, +91 832 2426967  Bogmalo Beach Park Plaza Resort Body Boards, Motor Boat Rides, Parasailing, Water Scooter Rides, Water Skiing, Windsurfing At Bogmalo Beach, Bogmalo +91 832 2538222   Dolphin Adventure Sports Ltd. Boating, Entertainment At Survey No. 251/25, Kurkuta, Dona Paola +91 832 – 2453838 Goan Banana’s Water sports Backwater Crocodile Cruise, Banana Rides, Boat Rides, Bumper Rides, Dolphin Cruise, Fishing, Parasailing, Water Skiing Special Feature Opposite Hacienda Hotel, Baga Road, Calangute, Goa +91 832-227636

the corner ADVENTZ GROUP’S ‘YOUTH FOR TOMORROW’ FESTIVAL CONCLUDES STAGE-1

he ‘Youth For Tomorrow’ Festival 2015, a grand youth festival organized by the Adventz Group across 16 prominent schools in Goa, has concluded Stage-1, that is the Intra-School stage of the festival, which has been completed in all of the sixteen participating schools. While eight of the schools completed the intra-school stage in the first half of October, the remaining eight schools went through the intra-school stage with guns blazing over the last two weeks! The 16 participating schools that have completed the first stage of the festival include The King’s School, Vidya Vikas Academy, Sunshine Worldwide School, The Navy School, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Deepvihar High School, Regina Mundi High School, People’s High School, Fatima Convent High School, Loyola High School, Presentation Convent, St. Theresa’s High School, Don Bosco, Sharada Mandir, Mushtifund Saunstha and Our Lady of the Rosary High School. The atmosphere at all festival venues has been charged with excitement and eager anticipation of the results, with celebrity judges and much-appreciated support from all the participating schools. The semi-finals

stage of the festival, will be held on 28th November 2015. Eight finalists will then make their way to the grand finale to be held on 2nd December 2015 at Kala Academy, Panaji. The ‘Youth For Tomorrow’ Festival represents Adventz Group’s commitment to Goa and its people by inculcating in school children the hunger and quest for progress and development, which alone can ensure a glorious tomorrow for all. The festival, encompassing two categories namely Elocution and Solo Singing, has “Envisioning Tomorrow” as its principal theme, and aims to provide a huge platform to promote beneficial inter-mingling of thoughts, ideas and experiences between students of different schools, which is essential to widen their developing horizons. This vibrant youth festival will be spread across the months of October & November, comprising participants from the 8th, 9th and 10th standards of sixteen prominent schools of Goa. These students will compete for the coveted Adventz Challenge Shield, attractive scholarships and other prizes.

Celebrate the festive cheer at Resort Rio, Goa

he festive season is around the corner.Soak in the celebrations by planning a perfect festive break as Resort Rio, Goa brings to you its unrivalled Festive Packages. Add some zing to your festivities by treating your loved ones to bespoke experiences, memorable spa sojourns and signature culinary delights. The packages have been carefully designed to ensure that guests enjoy a sparkling holiday set against a classic backdrop. Nestled on the banks of the Baga river with the famous salt pans of Goa beyond, Resort Rio is conveniently located, close to Goa’s renowned beaches and night markets. What’s more, this 10 acres of riverside paradise with its inimitable offerings is a destination in itself. So, whether you wish to revel in the traditional festive celebrations with all the trimmings, savor the sea and sun or sit back, relax and have a good time, Resort Rio promises to give you memories that you will cherish for a lifetime. Grab these enticing offers and discover the magic of the festive season. Royal Celebration: Designed to celebrate the rich and diverse Indian flavors, this package includes lunch and dinner at Resort Rio’s specialty restaurant, Jalsa. Royal Celebration is a beautiful amalgamation of traditions, luxury and pampering and offers a host of other delightful inclusions like a 60 minutes Royal Thai massage, complimentary round- trip airport transfers, buffet breakfast, stay in beautifully appointed and spacious Cozy Rooms, free unlimited Wi-Fi access during the stay at all public areas in the Resort. Package Cost - INR 11,999/- per night on double occupancy inclusive of all taxes. Validity – Till 30th November 2015 Rio Eleven: If you want to celebrate the festivities by making merry, this package will prove to be your best bet as it offers unlimited premium liquor from 11am to 11pm. Rio Eleven also includes daily breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet at Pickled Mango, the all – day dining multi - cuisine restaurant overlooking the pool, 20% discount on treatments at `Zaara’- The Luxury Spa. It also offers a host of other benefits like two way shared airport transfers, complimentary shuttle service to Baga Beach, unlimited Wi-Fi access during the stay at all public areas in the Resort and fun filled activities at “Hoya Kids Club” Package Cost - INR 10,999 /- per night on double occupancy inclusive of all taxes. Validity – Till 30th November 2015

satire 09

Friday, October 30, 2015

Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road? Arun Jaitley

Ernest Hemmingway

There is no doubt that there needs to be some scrutiny of the crossing, but the government must build a consensus on this.

Barack Obama

Let me be perfectly clear, if the chicken is walking down the right path and is willing to keep walking, eventually he will reach the other side. Period.

Rahul Gandhi

The chicken tried and tried to cross the road but never made it. I relate to this chicken.

Grandpa

In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough for us

Laxmikant Parsekar

The chickens can cross the road, but not in the hot sun as it will make their complexion dark and they will not find a good cock.

Sheila Dikshit

The chicken is a woman and should not be adventurous. She should stay on her side of the road.

Manohar Parrikar

The chicken is a spy, and the road is on the border with Pakistan.

Bill Clinton

I did not cross the road with that chicken.

Al Gore:

I invented the chicken.

Narendra Modi

The chicken crossed the road. No PM or Minister went. It was the chicken who did it. So can’t we create a Clean India?

Mahatma Gandhi

To my mind, the life of a chicken crossing the road is no less precious than that of a human being.

Manohar Lal Khattar Eat him, not beef!

Deepak Chopra

The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how silly he is acting by not taking on his current problems before adding any new problems.

Ramesh Tawadkar

Because the chicken was gay! That's why they call it the 'other side.' Yes, that chicken was gay. If you eat that chicken, you will become gay too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination.

I drink to make this joke more interesting.

Shoma Chaudhury

Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heartwarming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream of crossing the road.

Mother Teresa

The chicken crosses the road in silence. Silence gives us a new perspective.

Aristotle

It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

John Lennon

Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, as one.

Mukesh Ambani

I own the road, and I decide when the chicken crosses.

Mark Zuckerberg

If every Indian could see it crossing the road on internet.org for just one dollar, I’d have 1.2 billion extra dollars!

Albert Einstein

Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

Colonel Sanders Did I miss one?

Donald Trump

I will build a great big wall along this road so that no Mexican chicken will ever cross again.

Don’t Let Daddy Know

Barkha Dutt

We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

Arvind Kerjriwal

That chicken crossed the road because he's guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he holds his beak.

A Raja

No one called me to warn me which way the chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

Manmohan Singh

The chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

Colin Powell

Now to the right of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.

Dr. Seuss

Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

fter debuting at the world’s largest club, Privilege Ibiza just over 3 years ago, rated as the number 1 clubbing concept in the world, Don’t Let Daddy Know, has taken the world by storm. The world’s biggest party is all set to continue its world domination and will be setting foot on Indian shores with their epic homegrown version of the one night dance music concept - DLDK India. DLDK is known for its’ larger than life production and top of the line acts such as Martin Garrix, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Tommy Trash, Steve Aoki, Showtek, Major Lazer, Sander van Doorn, Skrillex, Sem Vox and many more. DLDK takes fans on a roller coaster ride through an intense way of clubbing by fulfilling every individual desire by creating an exceptional reminisce of music. Alex Hes and Essam Jamsen, Founders, DLDK states,”India is one of the top 10 countries that is zealous about dance music. We found an ideal collaborator in

Ferriswheel Entertainment that shares our enterprise and hence they are the preferred partners for the India leg of the world tour.” Shubhra Bharadwaj, Founder & Creative Director, Ferrishwheel Entertainment & Partner, DLDK India states, “This will mark the company’s foray into the dance music segment that caters specifically to the youth. We hope to unite dance music fans across Asia with this annual property and give them a unique experience with the way India parties and strategically position India as one of the preferred destinations on the global dance music map. Moreover this is the debut showcase of a concept that is very well acknowledged globally and if all goes well we will explore possibilities of making this concept travel to different cities that are responding well to the culture of dance music in recent times” Join us for a rollercoaster ride that brings you the most intense clubbing experience fulfilling every individual desire. Just remember #DontLetDaddyKnow #DLDK #DLDKINDIA

10 COVER STORY

The Coral Reef of Goa An Extraordinary Natural Treasure Is In Danger

By Sanket Sharma

he vast marine world has fascinated and baffled humankind since the dawn of time. And there’s much about it we don’t know. One thing that’s not in doubt, however, is its importance to our survival. Coral reefs are among the most exotic spectacles of the seas. Chances are you’ve heard of the Great Barrier Reef, and perhaps the beautiful reefs found along the coast of Maldives, Philippines, Thailand and India’s Andaman Islands. But did you know a thriving coral reef is found in our own Goan sea scape? Unfortunately, Goa’s coral reef – like much of the rest of the state’s natural patrimony – is now in danger. Beer bottles, garbage, wayward anchors and careless tourism are taking a toll on this most precious of natural resources, though comprehensive data on the state of our reef are not currently available. Grande Island and Bat Island are two popular areas where coral reefs are found. Grande Island is a privately owned Island, three nautical miles from Sinquerim, and has now become the hub for Scuba Diving in Goa. It hosts six diving schools and about 40 island picnic boats operating every day. Bat Island, owned by the navy, gets less attention because of more difficult access. The reef around Grande Island is known as a fringing reef (one of three main types of coral reefs, the other two being barrier and atolls) and is found all around the island. On the reef you see majestic corals, which could easily be

mistaken for flowers or plants but are actually considered to be animals. The corals resemble the biological structure of animals, and have a defined mouth and specific bodily functions. They grow in vast numbers, work in unison and keep the balance of the sea. The corals feed on the water and absorb the nutrients from it, while fish use them for food and protection. The corals in Goa are in shallow water and are dependent on sunlight to survive. The average depth for corals around Grande Island is 20-25 feet. The corals are divided into categories of hard and soft. The main ones found here are called Table corals, Sea Whip corals, and Brain corals. “They work as a housing complex for the life around them,” says Puja Mitra, Programme Manager of WWF Goa, pointing to a display on her computer. “They provide food, shelter and protection to the fishes around them. Here you can see a Honeycomb Moray eel is using it as shelter and hiding behind it to get protection, and damsel fish hanging around for food.” Roshan Gonsalves, a professional dive instructor from Dive Goa, explains what you see around the reef. “You see all kinds of fishes there. Snappers, Butterfly fish, Angel fish, Parrot fish, Cuttlefish, Damsel fish, Groupers, Goat fish, Flatworms, Trigger fish to name a few. Also, these are all directly dependent on the corals for survival.” These creatures of the sea don’t just sound exotic, but are very important in keeping the balance of sea life. They

are part of a beautiful eco system which mirrors their biological adaptability and intelligence. The male Cuttlefish, for example, can change colours on two different sides of its body and pretend to be the other gender. On one side it shows masculine patterns to attract a potential female mate and on the other side feminine to show other males that it is not a threat. It also shape-shifts and camouflages to protect itself from predators. Other fishes like groupers (which only grow up as females till sexual maturity) and parrot fish also possess extraordinary biological attributes, including an ability to change genders. Explains Roshan, “It’s amazing that Goa has a coral reef. We are very lucky. When I take a dive, I see how amazing it is that the life there is so interconnected and together.” But there is sadness in his discourse. He says the current situation around the reef is “not very good” and is very “unfortunate”. Boat operators providing picnic trips to Grande Island are overwhelming in numbers, and the nature of these trips is dubious, with tourists who have little respect for delicate balances of nature. Beer bottles and cans are found in huge numbers on Grande Island as well as in the sea, causing disturbance to the corals. Two of the major issues hurting coral life are garbage and boat anchors. There’s no place to hook an anchor on the island, so they’re generally dropped in the water, at times causing breakage to the corals. Michael, a boat operator who runs picnic trips from North Goa, admitted that he “is weak in corals” and knows very little about them. He acknowledged that there’s “absolutely nothing” at the moment offered to operators like him to help protect the corals, and says he drops his anchors

randomly. The coral reef can provide Goa an opportunity to deliver a new segment for tourism. “The coral reef in Goa is still fairly under researched as not too many people know about it,” explains Puja of WWF. “Just because it’s not the Taj Mahal of coral reefs doesn't mean it’s not ecologically important. It takes millennia for coral reef to form and equal time for it to recover from breakage. The problem here is also that the tourism around the corals is not regulated at present. ” She added, "Tourism can be one way to generate awareness and interest in marine ecosystems which are not normally something we think about as it’s not visible to us. Good sustainable models and practices of marine tourism can be adopted from different parts of the world. There are basic rules to be followed and implemented which can solve a lot of problems.” Just 0.1 % of the earth’s surface is occupied by coral reefs, although they support 25% of all marine life. The ocean is vast and barren in many parts, and many creatures are indebted to the coral reef for acting as the 'rainforests of the sea’. The ecosystems of the world’s oceans would go haywire if coral reefs vanished. Fifty percent of all oxygen on earth is due to the ocean, and hence the oceans’ well-being affects us all. “Goa can take the lead in pioneering sustainable marine tourism and raise awareness about marine conservation, which will help protect the reef and its dependent livelihoods in the long term,” says Puja. It’s not just for the fish, but for all of us. 

13 Friday, October 30, 2015

A TASTE OF PERU IN THE

HEART OF GOA

Park Hyatt Goa Introduces Peruvian Ceviche and Pisco Cocktails at Palms

o, Ma’am! You do not need to head to Lima or Machu Picchu to get a taste of Peru. Palms, the scenic sea front restaurant at Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa, is introducing to Goa one of the world’s most exotic and delightfully tasting delicacies: Peruvian Ceviche. If you think you need heat to cook, think again. Ceviche is a wonderfully light and fantastically fresh Peruvian seafood dish that is “cooked” by marinating fish (or mussels or clams or prawns or even vegetables) in lemon juice, and best washed down with a glass of Pisco Sour, Peru’s signature cocktail. Along with Mexico, Peru boasts some of the most interesting food in Latin America, and being able to get it right here in Goa can only be described as a rare treat. Palms, a sea food grills restaurant, now has a delectable Ceviche menu and a selection of refreshing cocktails containing Pisco, an entirely Peruvian type of brandy made by distilling grapes into a high-proof spirit. The highly talented Peruvian Chef Bruno Andres Santa Cruz has been in Goa to share the secret ingredients and finer nuances of the cuisine with the Chefs at Park Hyatt Goa, including Chef Abhijeet Bagwe, who, from his work with Chef Bruno, has now developed a keen understanding of this cuisine in its most authentic forms.

simplicity itself. Ceviche comes from a mixture of a variety of cultures that settled in Peru. Some variations of the dish include influences from Japan as well. Of course, the Park Hyatt Goa Peruvian extravaganza is best experienced with Pisco-based cocktails featuring a variety of twists on the Pisco Sour. For example, Leche de tigre

The Peruvian offerings are in addition to Palms’ selection of tapas and grill offerings. There’s no doubt that it’s worth a special trip to the Park Hyatt Goa just to sample the ceviche (pronounced say-vee-chay), with its the tangy, lemony flavours featuring fish, mussels, shrimp, squid and a variety of vegetables paired with fine rings of red onion, green lettuce, yellow corn, coriander and chopped red chilli. Peru, like India, largely relies on a supply of humble ingredients that are easy to get at home but expensive and exotic anywhere else. What makes Peruvian food distinctive is not only its Spanish culinary traditions, but surprisingly also Asia’s. In fact, about 5 percent of Peruvians are of Asian background and this is reflected in dishes like “lomo saltado,” a stir-fry of beef and peppers with soya sauce. The ceviche menu, combining fresh seafood from Goa with the culinary expertise of Chef Bruno, is a true personification of food - thoughtfully sourced, carefully served. Signature dishes include the more traditional Peruvian Ceviche and Tiradito, the Raw Papaya Tiradito, Palms Hearts Ceviche, Scallops Pisco Pomegranate Seeds, SeaBass, Walnut Tiradito, Lobster Medallions and Choros A La Chalaca. It’s fair to say that any Peruvian food experience is incomplete without ceviche, Peru’s coastal staple that is

(Tiger's Milk), which is a small quantity of lime juice marinade served as a shooter with beer or mixed with Pisco. This is also usually served as a punchy drink appetizer. Chef Bruno is firing up a celebration of flavors served amid the serene, beachside ambience at the Palms. And the result is something extraordinary. For more details on the menu and the Peruvian experience, contact 91 832 2721234

14 food & drink Every Saturday

Cheese and Wine @ Grand Hyatt Enjoy Grand Hyatt Goa's finest selection of wines and cheeses every Saturday at The Verandah. Treat yourself to an exclusive wine tasting and exotic cheese table, carefully crafted by our very talented Executive Chef Mark Long At The Verandah, Grand Hyatt, Bambolim  7 pm to 11:30 pm  +91 832 301 1234

Brunches Every Sunday

Sunday Brunch Family Quiz at Cotinga This Sunday, it's all about fun, facts and food! Test your knowledge of the world with our brunch-time quiz hosted by quiz master Rajiv Dsilva, and you’ll be in for a chance to a tantalizingly delicious cake!12:00 pm onwards At Café Cotinga, Near St. Michaels Church, Anjuna +91 9822851155 Super Brunch The Super Brunch at Vivanta Panaji is a decadent affair with an astonishingly wide selection of Live grills. Serving up the finest cuisine from around the world. At Vivanta by Taj, Panaji, Off D B Bandodkar road, Panaji +91 832 6633636 Brunch at Cantina Bodega This is one of the more interesting spots in town to have a meal. Under the supervision of Vandana Naik, a former top chef in New York City and easily one of Goa’s most notable culinary experts, there’s a wide variety of delights on offer, including pizzas, soups, salads, hummus and meat balls, plus an eclectic mix of Indian, Mediterranean and other world cuisines. That’s not to mention the desserts, another top draw here. Noon to 4 pm At Cantina Bodega, Sunaparanta, Panjim. +91 832 2421315 info@sgcfa.org www.sgcfa.org Sunday Family Brunch Live Music by The Actacy At Gawin's Restaurant, Verna 12 pm to 3 pm +91 9822177179 Bikini Brunch Sunday BBQ Brunch @ Rs. 950 ++ with unlimited drinks Enjoy Live Karaoke with Emmanuel At The Park, Calangute 12.30 pm to 4.30 pm. +91 8805028194/ +91 832 2267600 resv.goa@theparkhotels.com www.theparkhotels.com Sunday Brunch Highlights: Free Use of Swimming Pool, Rain Dance with DJ, Lavish Buffet with live counters, unlimited house brands alcohol & cocktails & games & Activities Cost: Rs. 1500/- inclusive of all Taxes (with alcohol); Rs. 1100/- inclusive of all Taxes (without alcohol) At Resort Rio, Tambudki, Arpora 12 noon to 3 pm +91 8322267300 / +91 8322267302 Myra Vineyards presents 'Sangria Sunday Brunch' at Sol de Goa Sangria Sunday Brunch with the amazing Helen and Xavier Peres. Complimentary use of the pool for all customers. Italian, Spanish and Mexican delights and unlimited Sangria, beer and cocktails. Sunset set with Dj David Phimister Rs: 1200+ taxes per head, Rs: 600+ taxes for kids. At Sol de Goa, Nerul 12:30 pm onwards. 0832 671 4141

South Goa Restaurants

Palms Restaurant The Beachside Restaurant Palms with the Peruvian delicacy for the first time in Goa. Enjoy Ceviche delicacies and Peruvian drinks all night long! At Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa, Cavalossim +91 832 2721235 Gigi Park Restaurant and Bar Specialized in Goan, Pan Indian, Tandoor & Continental Delicacies At Next to Joecons, Near Taj Exotica, Calvaddo, Benaulim +91 9890263418/ +91 9552873785 Cafe Lovii - Healthy Food with Love Health Food Restaurant, Sandwich & Coffee Shop At Oorja Wellness Centre, Next to Old criminal Court, Margao +91 8308794850 Cavatina Thai, American, Chinese, Italian, Goan A restaurant in Goa brings to the state a whole bunch of international flavours simulated for the local palate. At Benaulim, near Joecons Resort, Salcete +91 832 2770607 Firefly Goan Bistro Bar Goan This happening bistro on Benaulim beach serves splendid Goan food and hosts live music acts all week long. At Firefly Goan Bistro Bar, Benaulim +91 9822123535

Spice Studio Contemporary Indian and Coastal Cuisine Enjoy Dine in the Dark special theme nights. At Alila Diwa Goa, Majorda +91 832 2746800 Da Luigi Experience flavours from the streets of Rome, Venice or Milan at this surprisingly authentic Italian fine-dining restaurant. At Park Hyatt Goa Resot and Spa, Cansaulim. +91 832 2721234 Alcoves Goan, Indian, Chinese Some excellent choices to be tried here would be Chinese Crispy Chicken, Cafreal, Veg Kolhapuri, Veg Crispy, and Chicken Vindaloo. Near Cine Vishant, Aquem, Margao 8.30 am to 11 pm +91 83 22735062, +91 832 2730536

North Goa Restaurants Suwadik The Coastal Cuisine This Shravan, treat yourself with some of the best veg delicacies. Introducing Unlimited Shravan Thali @ 175/Limited Shravan Thali @ 140- / At Dada Vaidya Road, Near Mahalaxmi Temple, Panjim +91 832 6516159

Brews & Bakes Brewing Smiles & Baking Memories At Shop No: 250, Abade Faria Road, Comba, Margao +91 8308800080 brewsnbakes@live.com

Voltaire Restaurant An exquisite restaurant dedicated to serve authentic Goan cuisine with an attempt to tickle your taste buds with flavours ranging widely from vindaloo and caldine to khatkhate and uddamethi which we are sure to leave you nostalgic! Opp.Ins Mandovi boat pool, Reis Magos Fort Road, Reis Magos +91 832 2402755/+91 9822588231

Café Mardi Gras Goan, North Indian, coffee & snacks. Pan fried Pomfret Recheado, Chicken Xacutti, Pork Vindaloo and Goan Fish Curry are some of their most popular offerings. At Holiday Inn Resort, Cavelossim All-day. +91 832 2871303 www.holidayinn.com

Veggie Deli Sharanam Green Resort One of the very few places in Goa that serve both alcohol and vegetarian cuisine at the same venue, with an all day restaurant. 124/3 Gauravaddo, Nr Calangute Mall, Calangute. +91 9545418554

Cozy Nook Bar & Restaurant Serves Indian, Continental, and Goan food. At Palolem Beach, Canacona +91 832 2643550

Ciao Bella Restaurant Authentic Italian food The décor is charming and romantic, and the ambiance, relaxed and inviting. At Assagao Badem Road, Assagao +91 832 2273065/ +91 9767557673 Ciaobella.goa@gmail

Peters Pub and Restaurant This is the place where you can spend your nights with live music and delicious food close to one of the most beautiful beaches in Goa. At Utorda, Beach Road +91 9922909432/ +91 9049066470 Casa Fiesta Mexican The menu is comprehensive, with Tacos, Enchiladas, Burritos, Fajitas and other Mexican dishes. Does it taste exactly the way Mexican food is supposed to taste? You be the judge 8.30 am to 11 pm   At Palolem Beach Road, Goa  +91 9823928548 Canacona Coffee shop. There’s Indian, Goan, European and some Chinese on offer with a contemporary, fusion touch to the items. Buffet Breakfast At Intercontinental The LaLiT Goa Resort, Rajbaga, Canacona +91 832 2667777

Gunpowder Indian At Cursino Villa, Sauntawaddo, Assagao Noon to 3.30 pm & 7 pm to 11 pm +91 832 2270091/ 92 Tropical 24x7 Restaurant, Bar and Pub Blistering Venue, Scrumptious Cuisine, Lip Smacking Drinks, Invincible Performers and more… At Main Road, Calangute +91 9820115921 Mamma Mia Ristorante Italiano & Pizzeria Italian Some of the best Italian food in the state. Tastes the way someone’s grandma in Sicily might book it. Definitely worth checking out. Also try the wood-fired pizzas. At Resort Rio, Tambudki, Arpora +91 832 2267300 fom@resortrio.com www.resortrio.com

Bar Code Lounge and Grill Offers Slow-Smoked Regional BBQ and Grilled Seafood items along with the most exotic beverages Goa has to offer. At National Highway, Porvorim +91-832-2410027 +91-7030961333  www.barcodeloungeandgrill.co.in info@ barcodeloungeandgrill.co.in Anandashram Hotel Chinese, Goan and Seafood This is one of the oldest eateries in Goa and is something of an institution for its affordable and delicious Goan Fare. At 31st January Road, Panjim 1 pm to 10.30 pm +91 9823195245 Aunty Maria This quaint little café in Hotel Fidalgo is an upscale coffee shop and bakery offering fresh home-made bread, cakes, cookies, chocolates and quick bites that could make for a wonderful breakfast or tea time snack. At Hotel Fidalgo, Panjim +91 832 2226291 secgoa@fidalgogroup.com www.fidalgogroup.com

Barrels & Bones BBQ - Steakhouse - Pizzeria Meal for Two: Rs.1000 At Fontainhas, close to the Maruti/ Hanuman Temple, Panjim 9673994064/7774078276 promobnb@gmail.com Goenchin Chinese, Pan Asian Yes the Chinese food here is Indian-ized. But is that necessarily a bad thing? It depends on your taste. At Mandovi Apartment, Dr Dada Vaidya Road, Panjim Noon to 3 pm, 7 pm to 11 pm +91 8322227614 reservations@hotelmandovigoa.com www.hotelmandovigoa.com Chicken Man The trademark dish here is their rotisserie Chicken. With healthy, delicious, rotisserie chicken in quarter, half and whole cluck sizes. Chicken Man is a Top choice for every meal. At off 18th June Road, Panjim +91 832 2423333

KTM hosts successful edition of Orange Day in Goa

TM, the European Racing Legend, organized yet another successful version of “Orange day” for its customers and motorcycle enthusiasts of Goa. The “Orange day” is conceptualized to make the customer experience the genes of the KTM bikes. It gives the KTM owner a formidable exposure to the powerful performance of their Dukes and RCs and also an opportunity to interact with the fellow KTM owners on a race track. With more than 250 world championship titles in the various categories, including the consecutive 14 prestigious Dakar rally titles, racing is an integral part of the KTM brand. Their core racing philosophy is demonstrated in the way the bikes are designed. By using light but high strength alloy components, KTM bikes have one of the best power to weight ratio in its class. The “Orange Day” was hosted at SGPDA Ground, Behind OSIA Mall, Margoa. The event started at 5.00.PM with the riders registering themselves for a performance session. A classroom session was organized by an expert on how to extract the most out of their KTMs, this was followed up by a demonstration on the track and an opportunity for the riders to savor their biking experience. There were separate races organized for the 200 Duke customers as well as for RC 200 customers. All the KTM owners in the city were invited to participate in the Orange Day. Podium finishers were awarded with KTM branded merchandise and power parts. Besides all the action on the track there were service-camps, stalls for KTM Power wear and Power parts, refreshments, music and a funfilled ambience of thrill, adventure and camaraderie. Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Amit Nandi (KTM India Head) said “The ethos of KTM brand is deeply rooted in racing and we want KTM owners to appreciate the ample thrills that a KTM bike can provide on a race track. The Orange days are conducted in every major city and will keep on growing in scale over the next few months. KTM holds the reputation of being an exclusive premium brand and we are keen to provide the KTM patrons with an experience that is uniquely KTM.” Till date KTM has organized “Orange Day” in Ahmedabad, Delhi, Pune, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Kochi and many other places. More KTM “Orange Days” would be organized in other Metro towns of India.

explore 15

Friday, October 30, 2015

Top 10 Views Of Goa Eye Feasts In The Sunny State By Goa Streets

t’s time to count our blessings. Often here in Goa, we gaze not at a concrete jungle or open sewage or monstrous edifices or block after block of bleak (no need to mention any names here, OK Mumbai?). Instead, it’s not unusual for our eyes to be soothed by open fields, swaying coconut trees and serene sunsets over the sea. Yes, Goa is the land of views. And as a service to our loyal readers (and even our not-so-loyal ones), especially those who may be just a tad bit sick of reading about intolerance, corruption, political backstabbing, and other assorted afflictions, let’s go over what can easily be said to be the most beautiful views in Goa. Sit back, and enjoy the read! (By the way, if you disagree with any of our choices or feel we’ve left out any important ones, write to us at streets@goastreets.com and explain to us how we went terribly wrong!)

Cansaulim

Ashwem Beach

This is arguably the most serene beach in North Goa that still comes with lots of amenities like restaurants, shacks, shops and massages. And it helps that the views here are very good (one could use a word like “breathtaking” or “spectacular” but a story like this, at some point, calls for a bit of adjective control!).

Dudhsagar Falls

If it’s views you’re after, check out the one of Dudhsagar, Goa’s largest waterfall, especially during the monsoons (that means get here fast, while the water’s still plentiful!). To get here, you can take a train to Kulem hamlet, get off at Dudhsagar station and then walk a kilometre along the railway track to the falls. An even better way to behold the natural beauty of the area is to track the 10 kilometres from Kulem to Dudhsagar, which afford breathtaking (OK, we’ll loosen the adjective control for just a sec!) views of the Western Ghats.

If you’ve ever been to Thalassa, One Degree, Waters Beach Lounge & Grill or any of the other establishments along this seaside strip in Vagator, you know what we’re talking about. This is a story about views, not food, so we’re not commenting on that here (truth be told, not every place on the strip lives up to the best culinary standards – though some do). What we can say is that when it comes to dining with a view, especially at sunset, it’s hard to beat what you get here. One more tidbit: Former Masterchef Australia contestant Sarah Todd is said to be putting up a restaurant of her own here.

Reis Magos Fort

Before arriving, be sure to eat your granola because you will need energy to walk up the stairs and soak in the view from the top of this well-preserved fort erected 464 years ago by the Portuguese to protect the narrowest point at the mouth of the Mandovi estuary. Check out the typically Portuguese turrets and the 33 guns, and then behold the views of Panjim and the intersection of the River Mandovi meeting the Arabian Sea.

Restaurant Strip At Vagator

Agonda Beach

We were going to give this slot to Palolem Beach but then realised that if the story is truly about views, the overcrowded nature of Palolem keeps it off the list. Top party place? Top silent noise destination? Top place to have a blast in the South? Maybe. But not views any more, sorry Palolem. That honour now belongs to places like Agonda, just a short distance away and where serenity and beauty still hold sway.

Monte

This occupies slot No. 6 on the list, but the truth is it would hold its own at the top spot. That’s because on a clear day from this hill in South Goa, you can feast your eyes on an amazing (ok, to hell with adjective control) panorama consisting of South Goa’s top beaches, wide open fields, and white-washed churches in every direction, including the well-known Chapel of Three Kings. This is Goa at its best.

The Verna Springs

Also known as the Kesarval Springs, the Verna Springs undoubtedly provide one of the best views of Goa. The springs rise from the rocky plateaus and forests of Verna and are flanked by green hills. It’s not just a site (or sight) for your eyes, either. Your ears will also be pleased by the joyful sound of the water gurgling down the mountainside. Locals here believe the springs have magical properties. So do we.

Cabo de Rama Fort

It’s one of the oldest forts in the state and, according to legend, the place where Lord Rama and Sita sought refuse at the time of his exile from Ayodhya. The fort in South Goa is largely in ruins (except for the well-preserved Church of Santo Antonio at the site), but it provides superb views of palm grooves and crystal waters, and you can still see some of the canons left behind by the Portuguese.

Chorao Island

A great way to see this relatively untouched island is on a bicycle (some dispute whether you can really classify Chorao as an island, but the truth is it is surrounded by water on all sides, even if the water at some points looks more like a stream than a river). Head up a long slope to the Christ the King monument atop a hill, and from here you will see the best views of the island and rivers that surround it. While you’re there, be sure to check out the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary for a glimpse of some of our fabulous winged and feathered cousins. Do keep in mind that a new bridge is planned for Chorao connecting it to the mainland (most people arrive by ferry today), so the pristine quality of a visit here is not likely to last forever.

Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary

Who said a view has to consist of just land or sea? What about feasting your eyes on a Flying Lizard or Squirrel, a Sloth Bear, Golden-Back Gliding Snake, Slender Loris or a Velvet-Fronted Nutchatch? Yes, the exotic array of flora and fauna at this sanctuary in the southernmost Goan taluka of Canacona offers delightful views. But so does the multi-storeyed forest canopy that is so thick that sunlight hardly penetrates through to the forest base. The Gal and Talpona Rivers originate here, and on the subject of views, there’s something extraordinary on offer: a watchtower balanced entirely on trees. Of course to get here you need climbing skills, but if and when you do reach the treetop tower, you can gaze down at a water hole where animals come to drink water. Yes, this is No. 10 on the list, but on a delightfulness scale of 1 to 10, this is definitely a 10. 

16 Halloween

The Day of the Dead - Trick or Treat? Halloween Is Celebrated Everywhere These Days, Including Goa! By Rahul Rivonkar

“D

ouble, double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble,” said the three witches in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The day of the dead, better known as Halloween, will be celebrated all across the world this week and Indian restaurants, cafes and nightclubs are in full swing to get their “spook” on. The concept of Halloween is fast becoming a catchy routine in India. People bring out their scariest costumes and attend parties and get togethers much to the amusement of bystanders, many of whom have a bewildered look on their faces. Restaurants often cook up a theme menu where they name their dishes and drinks ghoulishly. Every joint plays around with their interiors, trying to make them look spooky. Many people

dress up as vampires and witches. But you can just as easily go as a nurse or a cop. For many, Halloween is just another party. Young crowds these days are adventurous, always looking for something new and different. You can check out the Spooktacular Halloween happening at Barcode Lounge & Grill, the Halloween Party at Café Lilliput, Anjuna and let your fright nights also go to Hhaathee Restro Bar in Candolim. At Halloween at The Black Sheep

Bistro, the Witch and her Mad Scientist husband will be conducting ‘scientific’ experiments in their lab and some of the resulting concoctions may be poured into your plate or injected directly into your mouth without warning. Goa has many parties going on, at venues like DTR, Club Zero Marbela Beach, The Park Calangute, Nyex Beach Club and many more..! Halloween is observed to remember the dead, including saints and martyrs. It had its beginnings in an ancient, preChristian Celtic festival of the dead in Europe. According to the Celtic calendar, this day marked the

beginning of winter. The festival observed by them at the time was called ‘Samhain’. The Celts believed that on this day, ghosts could mingle with the living as this was the time the spirits would travel to the underworld. Present-day Halloween festivities are enjoyed by people of all ages. Activities include trick-or-treating, attending costume parties, lighting bonfires, telling scary stories, watching horror films and carving pumpkins into ‘Jack-o’-lanterns’. This most common symbol of Halloween has many stories as to how it originated. According to an Irish folktale, the Jack-o’-lantern represents a spirit who was denied entry to both heaven and hell. As you try to think of the right costume this Halloween, think ‘evil’ with a sense of humour! It may be about the dead, but it’s all in good fun. 

Cafe Jazz Restaurant & Bar & Goa Intelligent Security Services Opp. Delfinos Super Market, Candolim, Bardez, Goa Prop: Vishwanath Hebbalkar +91 9049019085/ +91 9822587050

arts & entertainment 17

Friday, October 30, 2015

Nov 5 Dr. Subodh Kerkar - Founder – Director of MOG & Dr. Savita Kerkar seek pleasure of your company for the inaugural ceremony of MOG in the presence of several dignitaries. 6 pm – 9 pm Nov 5 to Jan 25 ‘GOPAKAPATTANAM – Exploring Goa’s histories through the lens of contemporary art’ Curated by Dr. Subodh Kerkar & Mr. Peter Mueller 10 am to 6 pm everyday At Museum of Goa, Plot No. 79, Pilerne Industrial Estate, Pilerne Email: subodh@museumofgoa.com / mail@museumofgoa.com Web: www.museumofgoa.com Fb: www.facebook.com/ museumofgoa

Nov 6

Opening Night Dress Code (Optional) - Black or White 'Kite Mika' 'Drawn into Black and White' Curated by Katherina Domscheit. On Nov 6 to Dec 6 At The Cube Gallery, Moira Satinderbir@yahoo.com +91 832 2470415/+91 8422806748

Oct 30 Fontainhas Fridays Between The Lines - The Reader's Club The Arrival By Shaun Tan a Geaphic Novel. 6 pm At Gallery Gitanjali, Panaji +91 832 242 3331

Oct 31 Art exhibition ‘Of Forms – Real & Fantastical’ A group exhibition showcasing the living forms in realistic as well as surrealistic styles will be on display. At Carpe Diem, Majorda 7pm +91 88888 62462

Nov 3 Designer Exhibition Exclusive exhibition of a beautiful collection of dresses, cocktail gowns, studded formal kaftan and many more collections. At Hotel Nanutel, Margao 9 am to 9 pm +91 832 672 2222

Oct 10 to Oct 31 Exhibition Priya Sundaravali will be holding her exhibition “SYNAPSE “of ceramic works and art installations At Gallery Gitanjali, Panjim 10 am to 6 pm +91 9823572035

Nov 3 to Nov 8 State art Exhibition The 41st State Art Exhibition of Kala Academy in the Artist Category. At The Art Gallery, Kala Academy, Panjim +91 832 242 0450

World-Class Photographer Roger Ballen Displays In Goa By Perin Ilavia

oger Ballen’s life journey has been far from conventional, and neither are his photos. “The images I have made since 1997 are much more metaphorical. They are psychological statements. Not political, social, nor economical. I want the people to see these pictures, to help them find a side of themselves that they keep in shadow. The side they refer to as ‘the dark side.’”

Every Saturday

Expressions By Artist Vaishali Lall, with a focus on exploring the skills of embroidery and mix media in painting. At The International Centre Goa, Dona Paula +91 9420820890

Galleries of Note The Cube Gallery Every architect, since the beginning of time, has secretly tried to create a vision of paradise in the buildings they design. Discover one such paradise and much more. At The Cube Gallery, Calizor Vaddo, Moira. 11 am to 7 pm +91 832 2470415/ +91 9422806748 thecubegallerygoa@gmail.com Surya Art Gallery This gallery is situated in a quiet location where contemporary works of canvas paintings from Goa and artifacts are displayed. At Bandawal Wada, Pernem 10 am to 6 pm +91 9404149764/ +91 9422064754 Galleria Esperance Retrospective Art in oils, watercolours, crayons, still life photographs etc. on display Near Our Lady of Merces Church, Merces 4 pm to 7 pm +91 9922509704 Kerkar Art Gallery Exhibition of recent works of Subodh Kerkar “The Pepper Cross” & “Indigo”. Besides a new series of Laterite Stone Sculptures on display. At Gaura Vaddo, Calangute 10 am to 7 pm +91 9326119324 Monsoon Heritage Studio Treat yourself to some amazing collection of mirrored mosaic art and handpicked artefacts at this upscale studio by Yahel Chirinian. At Mainath Batti, Arpora 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM +91 9822122771 Off The Wall Discover a collection of deeply astounding works of art displayed on a daily basis at this thoughtful art cafe. Fort Aguada Road, Sinquerim, Candolim 10:30 am to 11:30 pm +91 9820083497, +91 9823289123

The Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts recently saw this iconic photographer, who also happens to possess a PhD in geology, in conversation with writer Siddharth Shanghvi. Ballen was introduced to photography when he was 13, after his mother started working as an editor at the Magnum Photo agency. She became his guide. Born in New York, Ballen spent a great deal of time in Johannesburg, South Africa. He fell in love with the natural exquisiteness of that country and

Panjim Art Gallery Get a dose of the local culture with figurative works of Goan artists. Near Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church, Panjim 9:00 am to 8:00 pm +91 9822168703

Mario Art Gallery Discover the original paintings and other memorabilia of the great Goan artist/ cartoonist Mario Miranda. Here you can buy “The Life of Mario”, as well as prints, mounted prints, frames, tiles, mugs, card sets and other books. At ‘Houses of Goa’, Salvador-do-Mundo, Porvorim area 9:00 am to 5:30 pm +91 832 2410711 archauto@gmail.com www.mariodemiranda.com Gallery Gitanjali An elegant art gallery in Panjim’s Latin Quarter is worth hopping into when you’re in the area. Fontainhas, Panjim 9:00 am to 9:00 pm +91 9823572035 gallerygitanjali@gmail.com www.gallerygitanjali.com Art Chamber: Galleria de Belas Artes One of the more interesting and pleasant art centers in the state featuring confident acrylic strokes that are somewhat three dimensional, put across the canvas by Yolanda De Souza and others. The musical acts here are worth looking out for too.  Gaura Vaddo, Calangute 10:00 am to 1:00 pm & 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm +91 832 2277144 artchamber@gmail.com www.goa-art.com Moksa Art Gallery Here you will find some immensely conceptual paintings by Salvadoran Fernandez and others. Naik Waddo, Calangute 9:30 am to 8:30 pm +91 832 2281121 mokshart@gmail.com www.mokshartgallery.com Sunaparanta- Goa Centre for the Arts The centre houses several exhibition galleries, a large multi-functional space for workshops and lectures, an inhouse film club, sketch club, open air amphitheatre, pottery studio and an open courtyard that houses the al fresco café, Bodega. The red velvet cupcakes at Bodega are a must try! At Altinho, Panjim 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. +91 832 2421311 info@sgcfa.org | www.sgcfa.org

And Helps Catapult Our State To New Cultural Heights

settled there in 1982. The evening started with Ballen taking the audience on his journey through slides of photographs. His series from 1980- 2000 covering the Outlands around Johannesburg features incredibly dense and intuitive photography documenting social, financial, cultural impoverishment of its subjects. His first book titled ‘Shadow Chamber’ shows refugees and the destitute housed in small rooms. Ballen repeatedly points out the prominent feature in this series, the eye ball of the subjects. “The decisive moment to click is when the eye goes back to one feature in the composition of relationships, into the vortex of refugees, criminals and mentally unstable people, the eye ball”. There were explosive photographs of people catching and eating cats and rats. He documented a rat catcher, who got up every morning at 6 am to catch stray rats, only to release them in the evening in fields. His early documentaries caused a storm of negative criticism in Africa for their stark depiction of the plight of marginalised poor whites. “My critics have no idea about the reality of what I do or of the relationship I have with my subjects,” he said. After 2002, faces started to disappear, and drawings entered photographs. His work became more abstract and theatrical, with installations, symbols and signs. “My photographs evoke the absurdity of the human condition, and also record a personal psychological journey. For me, photography is a way of looking in the mirror.” It took six years to document the series ‘Asylum of the Birds’, songs of the birds as they connect sky to earth. Mine dumps and parched fields, a place where birds and animals mingle with humans not interested in being

photographed. “I often travel deep into the challenges that connect the eye and mind. How is your mind flowing out to these images? What is it coming up with?” he asked the spell-bound audience. His video on YouTube ‘Apparitions’ garnered 7500 hits in just weeks. Every frame evoked empathy, the stark difference between the wealthy and underprivileged. In conversation with Ballen, Siddharth Shanghvi talked about the photographer’s “visual hypnosis.” “I listen to my voice, work on a series for a long time, I don’t know why. It’s a two-way street. You give and take back. Finding the source, the event, I keep taking pictures, keep building constantly.” “I give money or food to the people in exchange for photographs,” he admits. “Aesthetics tell me the person has a problem, it screams at me. I see the mask in front of everyone’s face. My mind is way ahead of the debate.” When I spoke personally to Ballen, he told me, “I don’t plan my pictures ... You don’t know how they’ll fit together. Maybe out of a hundred pictures, you chose three or four.” He says he still shoots with film “because that’s the way I began.” And of black and white versus colour, he says, “Black and white project stark abstract reality, colour doesn’t. The future of photography is about people who take strong images.” On his first visit to India in the 1970’s, he said he meditated. Now he calls India a place for opportunities, and says our country is the most interesting he’s visited. He has created books, documentaries, paintings and sculpture with global exposure. And he is continuing his journey into a shadowy, out-of-kilter, and unreal makeshift world.

give back 19

Friday, October 30, 2015

Transportation in the

21 Century st

Ideas for Curing Traffic Congestion and Saving Planet Earth Shape China 2015- Changing the Way the World Moves

By Tallulah D’Silva

f we want a smart city, as apparently we do in Panjim and other Goan cities, it’s time to start thinking about smart transportation. Traffic has become next to impossible in cities around the world, not just impeding the movement of people but also contributing handsomely to global warming and the destruction of our planet. These were the hard realities I thought about as I embarked on a recent visit to China, where I led a panel discussion on “Ride Sharing” as part of Shape China 2015, held last month in Dalian, China under the auspices of the Global Shapers Community, a youth initiative of the Global Economic Forum. The way people travel in a city has radically changed and personal mobility is no longer just about moving from point A to point B. With rapid urbanization, cities across the world are grappling with issues of gridlock and congestion. And with 28 megacities with more than 10 million people -projected to quadruple by 2030 - improving transportation will be the most critical step in creating a people-friendly and sustainable system. While architecture, without doubt, remains my first passion, urban transport and mobility are topics close to my heart, and I was excited to be selected to lead the Ride Sharing discussion at the ‘Future of Mobility and Transportation’ session titled ‘Changing the Way the World Moves’. The conference in China was organized by Global Shapers’ Beijing 2 and Dalian Hubs. I was there to represent the Global Shapers Panjim Hub as its founding curator. The session was ideated by Ford Motor Company, which is doing some phenomenal work in many countries including India, with a focus on sustainability and smart transport. It has initiated ‘Smart Mobility’ as a first step in its vision to create a smart transportation system. And the icing on

the cake was when my name featured as one of the recipients of the Ford Shaper Grant besides the crucial involvement in the session! I was assigned the task of leading my team in a discussion about Ride Sharing and whether it’s a viable solution in Asia Pacific? Is it an option commuters could accept widely? What is stopping it from being used more? My team comprised of Ken (Kensuke) Fujishiro, a design professional from Tokyo-Japan, Ashwin Kaja (USA) an international lawyer at Covington & Burling based in Beijing, Ruby Chui a researcher on Consumer Behavior from Shanghai, Zhang Xiaomin a journalist from the local newspaper China Daily, Lea Renleilei from China, Leo from Dalian, Chengcheng Yuan from Dalian and Seymour Lin from DalianChina. The discussions concluded with the following insights: • Ride sharing is fun and enriches one’s travel or commuting experience. • It allows one to connect to other citizens, meet new people, and bond with the community. • It is a way of humanizing travel where one moves away from solitude to greater engagement with others. • It helps one pursue a less materialistic life, where folks do not feel so much

Editor’s note: This story is the latest instalment of the Goa Streets “Give Back” initiative inviting all those involved in efforts to make Goa and the world a better place to share their vision and accomplishments on our pages. Goa pressure to Streets welcomes submissions from all those purchase a car or involved in projects to help ease lives, protect the motorbike, and instead environment, eradicate poverty and disease, adopt a lifestyle with a lower or build a more peaceful and sustainable carbon footprint! world. If you have a worthwhile • Local taxi sharing services, often with cause and something to say an App and GPS, are already offering about it, email us at streets@ ride sharing and are very popular goastreets.com, or call with local residents. This will only get +917774009156/ better because it is convenient, safe +917773927153. and economical. The government can do its bit by promoting and making it more mainstream. and ideas of each group • There are cheaper options like with the aid of a projected informal taxis or vans but these need to be brought into the mainstream and word cloud on screen! The session followed with a short supported by the government without video recording of what mobility meant too many restrictions and red tape. to each of us and how we see the future • Governments can work to change the of mobility. I love meeting new people, reconnecting with others I have met at some point and making conversations, seeing the sights and discovering nuances along the ride. Mobility is not just about arriving at your destination. It’s also a fascinating journey! And I like the most ordinary of modes - walking, cycling, using the bus, scooter, taxis and ride sharing. The future of mobility as I see it is a combination of tech integrated nonmotorized transport becoming more mindset of citizens and help them popular, especially for small and medium avoid succumbing to consumerism, cities and those that have heritage purchasing expensive, gas-guzzling precincts (like we do in Goa), shopping cars rather than using public streets or hubs, activity nodes, etc. and transport. fast moving models like electronic buses • Prominent citizens and celebrities and trams. need to lead the way and use public I am hoping to see this happen soon transport and ride sharing, as this will as a requisite for the “smart cities” we’re help change the minds of others. striving to build in Goa!  • Small cities need local solutions like mini buses, taxis, etc, not necessarily large rapid transit buses, and these can be replicated in larger cities. • Non-motorized transport like buscycles (fitting multiple passengers, all pedalling!), electronic buses, etc remain unexplored and these can Tallulah make ride sharing and travel more D’Silva enjoyable. is an • Ride sharing using technology to architect and advantage is still in its nascent stage the Founding but has great potential to grow and Curator of the gain popularity. Global Shapers • There are many business Panjim Hub, opportunities for entrepreneurs an initiative to set up unconventional ride of the World Economic Forum. The sharing models and this Global Shapers Community is a network remains untapped. of Hubs developed and led by exceptional At the end of young people determined to effect positive change breakout session, in their communities, tackling issues ranging from each team leader basic amenities, support to startups, garbage, awareness presented the campaigns and climate change. suggestions