Issue No: 32

Friday, July 17, 2015 | Vol. No. 3 | Issue 32 | Price Rs. 10 | www.goastreets.com | G-2/RNP/Weekly/Goa-05/2013-15

The Bridges 06

The Tiracol Saga

What’s more important, building a world-class golf course or preserving the village of Tiracol? As the Save Tiracol movement gains steam, the fight over the golf course heats up to an unprecedented degree.

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Goa’s Fifa Dreams

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Marinas In Goa

Of Goa

Before we build new ones, shouldn't we make sure the old ones don’t collapse?

How politics and internal rivalries are clouding Goa’s prospects of hosting what could be the most important football event the state has ever witnessed: the FIFA U17 World Cup.

A state-of-art harbour in Goa would attract many visitors and put the state on the domestic and international boating map. So why has it been so difficult to construct a marina in Goa?

Inside:

• Goa’s First Agro College • Electric Cars • Race Controversy • Zumba • Brass Music • Scuba Diving • Hello, Pluto!

• Light Installations • Bad Manners

ALSO INSIDE: COMPLETE FOOD/EVENT/NIGHTLIFE GUIDE

Peace, Serenity, Beauty and Comfort In Mapusa

SHARAYU LIFESPACES offers a wonderful opportunity to live in a premium gated residential development comprising of the finest two and three bedroom residences, featuring the highest design standards and quality amenities at affordable price points. Sharayu Lifespaces has built a solid a reputation for quality, honesty, luxury, affordability and a keen sense of what it means to live very, very well.

SHARAYU ETERNITY Sharayu Eternity at Mapusa is a new, highly attractive project comprising of eight 2-bedroom and five 3-bedroom residences, with a clear focus on providing you and your loved ones every amenity that suits your comfort. The project is spread over 71,000 square feet, out of which approximately 17,000 square feet are utilized for construction purposes, with the rest devoted to gorgeous grounds designed to provide a sense of serenity and beauty. Yes, Sharayu Eternity boasts expansive terrain bordering lush paddy fields. But remember, it’s perfectly located right in Mapusa city!

Amenities at Sharayu Eternity The amenities at Sharayu Eternity are thoughtfully planned to give you the ultimate home advantage. Here are some of the highlights:  Inviting Club House  State-of-the-art Fitness Centre  Indoor games facility  Pools with associated changing rooms  Dedicated kids play area  Elders zone  Party venue  Utility hall  24 hours security along with CCTV/individual video door phone facility  Rooftop Cabana  Yoga Pavillion/meditation area  Cafeteria/Convenience store  Dedicated society cabin  Power back up for common areas  Doctor/Massage therapist on call  Wide Internal Roads  Well–illuminated complex  Landscaped gardens  Waterscaping  Elevators  Organic waste converter  Toilet facility for staff  Grand entrance About Sharayu Lifespaces Sharayu Lifespaces offers a lifestyle brimming with high design and joy away from the noise and pollution of modernity. It’s a perfect blend of luxury and elegance. We all nurture a dream of living in a place where we are at harmony with nature, yet connected to the positives of urban life. Sharayu Lifespaces is deeply committed to delivering the very best to their clients. With wide-open spaces, beautifully landscaped lush green surroundings and gorgeously designed construction erected with the highest standards of excellence.

Contact: 0832 6515122/7030333221

Distances from Sharayu Eternity The residents of Sharayu Eternity enjoy the convenience of being strategically located within a short distance from all of life’s conveniences. They have easy access to the market area, schools, hospitals, public transport, restaurants, railway station, etc. The project is just 150 metres away from the NH17 highway connecting Mapusa to Panjim. The pristine beaches of North Goa can be reached within 15 minutes’ drive.

04 lifestyle

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By Aliya Abreu

f you’re the kind of person who wakes up sometime before midday, and then interacts with the world, I’m pretty sure you’ve heard the word ‘Zumba’ being thrown around by your weird fitness freak pals. And if you don’t like getting into shape (any shape other than a potato, that is) you’ve probably found yourself wondering what all the fuss is about! Hence, I bring the fuss right to your doorstep to tell you …

What the heck Zumba is all about and why people find it awesome You’re right! … and you’re wrong as well. Yes, it’s to do with all those boring words like ‘fitness’ and ‘working out’ and ‘weight’ … and all those other words you’d much rather not talk about in the hope that someday they will be summarily thrown out of the Oxford English Dictionary. (And that will somehow make munching nachos in front of the television all day long legal or something.) However, Zumba isn’t just a workout, it is the most awesome workout ever! A zumba student exercises his or her entire body by dancing.

These cardiovascular exercises allow the dancer to lose between 800 and 1000 calories per hour. Which is far more efficient than my favourite activity, reaching for the TV remote.

What music is used for Zumba?

Since Zumba originated in South America, Latin music and dance styles are generally used: Salsa, merengue, cumbia, calypso, reggaeton. However, hip hop and Bollywood music is also used very effectively. Students get excited on hearing popular tracks to which they know the lyrics, so enthusiasm levels automatically increase. Oye como va, amigo!

Are there different kinds of Zumba?

Of course! There are different methods of Zumba for different purposes. There’s Zumba Basic for beginners, Zumba Step

to strengthen leg muscles, Zumba Gold – for those young at heart, but whose bodies can’t quite keep up, Aqua Zumba – pool workouts!!!, Zumba Sentao – zumba with chairs…and loads more to choose from.

Erm…but where them boys at?

Okay, so you’re probably wondering why Zumba is popular with the ladies, and not so popular with the men?

Nothing like that, dude. Zumba works great for everyone – children, adolescents, adults, and older adults! It helps build up stamina, destress, and makes you feel light and energetic.

There’s definitely no age limit, and there’s most certainly no sex bar.

So if you’re a guy, and wondering

how you should be working out before your next date, join the Zumba party!

So how does Zumba help? I mean, do I get to lose weight and look hot?

Um… well, if you take it seriously and also cut down on chocolate brownies and French fries, you do get to look as hot as Jennifer Lawrence and Novak Djokovic, yes. But that’s really not the main focus of Zumba. This ‘dancercise’ focuses on your overall health and well-being. So yes, you burn calories and you also become stronger both mentally and physically. Zumba helps you think positive and become a tad happier, and come on, who doesn’t want to be a tad happier? Zumba also helps

focus better and build concentration. The Zumba stretches especially help for this.

But why would I want to choose Zumba over the gym?

Zumba is all about enjoying yourself while you workout. It’s no point losing all that weight and looking oh-so-hot if all the time your mind is troubled and in turmoil. At Zumba class, you’ll be forced to let go of all that’s worrying you. Your mind focuses on the music and dance steps. Also, Zumba classes are held in big groups, so you can’t help but have fun.

I’m a horrible dancer and am scared of making a fool of myself.

It doesn’t matter that you’re a bad dancer. The instructor is in front and leads. The steps are quite simple, and you’ll pick them up within a class or two. Besides, you don’t really have a partner for Zumba. All dances are done individually. So you don’t have to worry about stomping on someone’s toes or embarrassing someone else with your two left feet. Nobody laughs at anyone else, as each one is busy figuring out the steps themselves.

Hush, a Zumba guru speaks.

In keeping with Indian tradition, we give importance to gurus. We ask a Zumba guru what Zumba means to him.

Jonathan D’Mello, a licensed instructor based in Margao who has been teaching Zumba since 2012. “ Zumba for me is not only about physical, but also about spiritual growth,” says the cool dude. “We thank the universal God through positive thinking at Zumba. I enjoy Zumba best when my students have fun and benefit from Zumba in every way.”

But hey, where do these classes take place and how do I enroll?

So now that we’ve got you all fired up, you probably want to put on your dancing shoes and start right away. All you’ve got to do is Google “Zumba classes in (name your location)”. A list of the classes closest to you will appear, along with the name and phone number of the Zumba instructor. All you have to do is call and ask when you can join. So ditch the workout and join the party! 

Publisher Marisha Dutt • Chief Mentor Steven Gutkin Correspondents/Writers: Ethel Da Costa, Sheela Jaywant, Charlane Pereira e Rebello, Bina Datwani, Jose Lourenco, Karan Bhagat, Perin Ilavia,

Dielle D’Souza, Anzil Fernandes, Crespo D’Souza, Sanket Sharma, Richa Narvekar, Vivian Maverick Martins, Claron Mazarello, Kanchi Mehta, Sapna Shahani, Jeena Jose, Skyla Janice Pereira • Marketing Co-ordinator Radhika Naik • Marketing & Event Co-ordinator Rahul Rivonkar • Marketing Executive Alvira Rodrigues • Circulation & Accounts Co-ordinator Nilesh Shetgaonkar • Circulation Vijay Gadekar

06 environs

The Fight Over A Proposed Golf Course Reaches Boiling Point

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By Goa Streets

esidents, activists and environmentalists say the proposed resort and golf course will destroy the village of Tiracol. The developers say it’s exactly the sort of infrastructure Goa needs to reach its goal of becoming a world-class tourist destination.

Regardless of who’s right, it’s fair to say the fight over Tiracol has heated up to a degree never seen before in the state.

Activists are using protests, agitations, marches, meetings, musical concerts and media events to get their point across. Several different NGO’s, rather than just a single organisation, have come together to oppose the project – a rare case of solidarity in Goa. Musicians, artists, writers and professors have joined the movement, which is enjoying a momentum rarely seen in the state.

Still, the project’s prospects are far from dead. And powerful forces in the state, including the government itself, are determined to see it to fruition. The proposed resort and golf course, combined with a new Rs 77 crore bridge coming up connecting Tiracol to the village of Querim (and modeled after the Sydney Harbour Bridge), are sure to transform this once isolated outpost, known mostly for a picturesque old fort, at Goa’s northern tip.

“Goa is naturally beautiful and it should not be destroyed for commercial benefits. Tiracol is one of the most generously endowed areas in Goa. We need to protect Goa’s unique identity from such mega projects” said Sudeep Dalvi, convenor of the Save Goa Save Tiracol protest group.

In Goa, any project that has the word ‘mega’ attached to it can count on stiff opposition, with folks often viewing them as fronts for real estate mafias and politicians colluding to destroy Goa. For its part, Leading Hotels Ltd, the company behind the proposed golf course & resort, argues that its multi-crore project is being built in a relatively barren part of the village, a safe distance away from the 30 families consisting of 200 people who inhabit it. Not by coincidence, the company is labeling its endeavor “Barren to Beautiful”. And Leading Hotels is assuring Goans that the village’s natural beauty will be preserved and that the project will be in harmony with nature and the life of the villagers.

“The Golf course is one part while the village is the other part, and we do not intend to acquire the village. It’s an eco-friendly project and won’t affect the locals. All the agricultural activities practiced by them can carry on and more trees will be planted in the golf course area,” Leading Hotels spokesman Gerson Rebelo told Streets. He added that the company has set aside Rs 50 crore to build health centres, schools and other facilities meant to better the lives of the villagers.

Villagers and activists, however, have accused the company of all sorts of irregularities and crimes, including the use of “goons” to clear land slated for the golf course. The controversy was stirred further this past week when Dominic Pereira, one of the leading voices opposing the Tiracol project, died of a sudden heart attack at age 70. Pereira had claimed that his name as a registered

tenant in the vicinity of the proposed project had been erased from public land records. Leading Hotels insists that version is a fabrication, and that Pereira’s name never appeared on any record.

Whatever the case, Pereira’s death has breathed even more life into the conflict, with activists calling him a “martyr” and vowing to press on in his memory.

“The employing of goons was a trigger that made us start this movement to unite Goans to take on Leading Hotels and stop them from destroying Tiracol forever by using muscle & money power,” said Dalvi.

Tiracol’s residents have been farming the land for generations, with extensive cashew and coconut plantations. They fear their traditional way of life is being threatened. The tenants of Tiracol say they are facing forced eviction and destruction of livelihoods to make way for the golf course and resort.

Francis Rodrigues, Panch member and President of St Anthony's Tenant Mundkars Association (SATMA) said the entire village is dependent on traditional cultivation.

“There was a division amongst the people of Tiracol with a few families giving up their tenancy rights for money, which is again illegal. The nexus between politicians, bureaucrats and corporate houses is to be blamed for the current situation, but we will not allow the Golf course to come up in Tiracol in the guise of development and prosperity to the village,” said Rodrigues.

Leading Hotels vehemently denies any illegalities or other involvement in dirty tricks to win approvals from the

government and support from tenants.

When Streets questioned Rebelo, the company’s spokesman, on the alleged high-handed behavior over the last few months, he agreed that the situation could have been handled differently but maintained that the golf course project is in the interest of both Tiracol and Goa as a whole.

Rebelo said a handful of misguided activists are stirring the passions of Tiracol’s villagers. He said the company plans to provide the village much-needed services such as schools, electricity, new roads, water connections and hospitals.

Asked about the apprehensions raised by many regarding the water required for the golf course, Rebelo said, “We will harvest rain water that will benefit the golf course throughout the year.”

Environmentalists call that assertion patently absurd, arguing that a golf course will use up an inordinate amount of water in a region already struggling with shortages of this vital natural resource.

Government officials are backing the project, in the belief that a golf course will attract the sort of high-spending tourists the state so desperately wants.

A senior official from Goa Tourism echoed the sentiments of Leading Hotels, saying that the proposed golf course will boost high-end tourism, send the state exchequer soaring and also provide much needed employment. Tellingly, however, this official spoke on condition of anonymity, reluctant to be seen defending such a controversial project.

The question is not a new one. Are these mega projects essential for Goa’s prosperity, or do they destroy the state’s natural beauty and traditional ways of life? Clearly, public opinion is divided, though in this case the Save Tiracol sentiment seems more prevalent. Who in the end will decide Tiracol’s fate?

The answer to that question is not clear, but developers and activists alike are watching closely, because the outcome is sure to have far-reaching consequences for the future of development in Goa. 

08 wheels on streets

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Electrical Vehicles

By Deepak Pathania

n the early 90s the world looked down on digital cameras, with photographers declaring “Digital? It will never be as good as film, I will NEVER switch!” Today a photographer using film would be like me penning this story on a typewriter!

Why then hasn’t the electric car enjoyed its heyday? Electric car technology has also been growing since the 70s, and by the 90s it was at par with the IC (internal combustion) engine cars in terms of performance. Of course, there were a few issues like battery charging, range, charging time, etc.

But today, almost twenty years have passed and do you think it’s possible that electric is behind IC in any way? What will it take for this seemingly obvious solution for sustainable transport to become the star alternative to fossil fuel?

Let’s look at the issues at stake here:

Performance:

Electric Vehicles, or EVs, were slow, but that was in the last century. Today electric bikes are faster and torque-ier than most petrol fuelled sports bikes.

Electric cars like the Tesla Model S are faster than performance sports cars with specs like 0-100 in 3.2 seconds, a top speed of 250 kmph and a range of 450 km. It generates 682 bhp! How’s that for performance?

It’s high time they got some respect Emissions and Engine Efficiency:

There’s a strange argument that anti-EV people have, saying EVs pollute equally because the electricity comes from polluting thermal power. This is a stupid argument that doesn’t consider two basic things: First, the IC engine remains on and burns fuel to keep the engine running even when standing still. But the EV uses electricity only when it moves.In a traffic jam, when your foot is off the accelerator, the motor is off. That itself is a case of more than double efficiency over the IC engine.

Secondly, the thermal power issue is a thing of the past and current significance only … not in the future. As the world moves on to sustainable power generating options like solar, wind, wave energy, and other sources, EVs then become ZERO emission vehicles!

Besides, can an IC car produce fuel? Electric vehicles can. All EVs have regenerative systems to generate electricity when braking or if the car is

coasting downhill. Think about this, if you live on top of a hill and your office is at the bottom, you’ll have more charge when you get to work as compared to when you started.

Engine Parts, Maintenance and Carbon Footprint:

Taken apart fully, an IC engine has more parts than you can count in a day.

More parts mean more industries, more pollution. Besides, the small explosions happening in the engine every second mean more heat and wear and tear. EVs only have a large motor as the ‘engine’.

That’s it. Fewer parts mean fewer failures, less maintenance and much less carbon footprint in manufacturing.

Battery as a Power Pack:

The EV is like a power station on wheels, which can power smart homes or even be used as an UPS. This can be a lifesaver in a situation if one is trapped in a forest or snow where it might take long for help to arrive. You will have power for communication, light and heat for days before the battery runs out.

EV Issues:

Charging has been a problem because you have to remember to charge it and if you run out of charge then you’re pretty much stuck. The time taken to charge was also an issue. Both these issues are now almost redundant. The new-age batteries like Tesla’s ‘Powerwall’ and other solutions like swappable batteries eliminate all these niggling issues.

Main Obstacle to the spread of EVs:

There’s simply too much to lose for the twin powers worldwide, Corporations and Governments. Oil companies

are making trillions of dollars while governments make billions in taxes and trade, on a regular basis. So why would they throw it all away in the name of sustainability, environment and convenience? It’s Utopian to think that’s possible.

Solution:

Corporations are driven by profit, so not much can be reasoned there, but Governments have responsibilities other than just earning revenues based on taxes and trade. My proposed solution is based on the LPG cylinder system in India. You

buy the gas but don’t own the cylinder it comes in. Once the cylinder is empty, you exchange it for a filled one. Similarly we can create an infrastructure system of swappable batteries for EVs. Each vehicle would have multiple battery modules according to its required performance.No one needs to charge batteries. We would drive to these swapping stations, like race cars halt at a pit stop, and simply swap empty batteries for fully charged ones.

We could even get a battery delivered like a pizza at home or elsewhere if required.

Government revenue and control:

We don’t buy the battery (which will also bring the cost of the car down), we simply rent the battery through new corporations appointed by the government (like LPG is done). This allows corporations and governments to earn steady revenues like they do with oil, and it lets governments retain some of the current control too.

This way I feel they might not only allow EVs to spread organically, but also provide infrastructure to support the electric-propelled journey.

Please do check out the video on ‘IC vs EV’ on www.youtube.com/ dartofscience that talks about all this with supporting visuals.

Deepak Pathania is the Creative Director and Host of D’Art of Science, a website aimed at understanding and popularizing science. (www. dartofscience.com).

Friday, July 17, 2015

By José Lourenço Editor’s Note: As part of our Keep Goa Beautiful initiative, Streets is running a series of stories on the myriad ways people are working toward a greener, cleaner Goa. This extraordinary college, the first of its kind in the state, is a shining example.

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hink Goa and scenes of verdant paddy fields, swaying coconut palms and lush forested hills come to mind. Over two thirds of Goa is forested or cultivated land, hosting thousands of species of flora and fauna.

Yet it is more than half a century after liberation that Goa now has its own College of Agriculture. I set out on the 80 km journey to visit this new institution, with Miguel Braganza, a popular agriculture professional, who is also an assistant professor at the college.

Nestled in the hills of Sulcorna village in Quepem taluka, the Don Bosco Agro-Educational Complex is as old as liberated Goa itself. The sprawling area of 810 acres was donated to the Salesian Fathers in 1962 by Humberto Mascarenhas and his family. Fr Joseph Moja and Fr Ludvik Zabret, hailing from Italy and Yugoslavia respectively, started the task of farming this huge tract of land.

They were followed by Goan priests Fr George Quadros and Fr Crisologus Da Cunha. Fr Crisologus is now 73, but is still active at the farm, having worked there for the last 16 years. Farming seems to add years to his life and life to his years.

Fr Allwyn D’Souza, the Economer (Treasurer) of the Salesian PanjimKonkani province and Fr Felix Serrão, the youthful Director of the new college are upbeat about the new venture. “Our superiors thought of such a college very early, and the State of Goa was also interested, so we had applied to start a college in 1981,” says Fr Allwyn. “But then the state-appointed commission declared that Goa would not be able to absorb the 40 students graduating each year. Then we applied again in 2013.”

The college was inspected by the Directorate of Higher Education on 15 January 2014 and given the go-ahead in March 2015. The special Board of Studies perused and adapted the ICARrecommended syllabus and it was approved by Goa University in April, 2015. A total of 72 students applied for this B.Sc (Agri) degree course. The admitted 40 students comprise 37 boys and girls from all over the state of Goa, and 3 from outside the state. 20 students who got in on the merit list pay a fee of Rs 10,000 per semester (8 semesters in the 4-year course). The other twenty pay a fee of Rs 40,000 per semester.

There are 14 female students in this historic first batch of the agricultural college. Dr Cassie Rodrigues, a doctorate holder in Botany, will be the officiating Principal. Mr. Satish R. Patil, M.Sc (Agri) will teach Soil Science while Ms. Sumati Chavan Parab, M. Tech (Agri) will teach

#keepgoabeautiful 09

The First Agricultural College in Goa Yes, It’s Still OK To Work The Land In The 21st Century!

Agriculture Engineering, Statistics and Mathematics. Miguel will be handling horticulture.

“Many of the students come from under-privileged backgrounds and cannot afford the fees. We are seeking wellwishers who will sponsor these students over the four years of study. Three persons have committed to sponsor one student each so far,” says Miguel.

Isn’t farming work looked down upon by the modern youth, I ask Miguel.

“These graduates may not have to actually work in the fields. There are many jobs in the government, as officers, scientists and research associates. But the main objective of this course is to nurture farming entrepreneurs, to be self-employed in landscaping, garden maintenance, urban farming, post harvest processing and managing agri-clinics and to employ others.”

The Director, Fr Felix shares this vision. “We were critical of admission aspirants who said that getting a government job was their purpose in applying here. But there were the others who spoke of wanting to farm their family property or other agricultural lands. We want such students.”

The first year students will study Botany, Agronomy, Soil Science, Horticulture and Plant Pathology. The latter years will include Entomology, Agricultural Microbiology and Agricultural Engineering. After 3 years of college study, the students will spend an internship year, including a semester of village stay and another of training on a nursery or farm to refine a specific trade.

Miguel shows me around the polyhouses, nursery sheds with polythene

covering erected under a central government scheme through the Directorate of Agriculture, Goa. The infrastructure of classrooms, painted bright green, and four large laboratories, is all ready. Miguel himself is a veteran of organising agro-based events and projects. The Konkan Fruit Fest, and the 24 year old Festival of Plants and Flowers at a Siolim school, are among his pet projects, which have over 25,000 visitors every year. He spent four years with the NGO Organic Farming Association of India, travelling across India to propagate organic farming. He is best known as a person who is available to anyone on phone or email for information about plants and problems with them.

“The language of instruction will be English. We want the students to be confident in English communication. But we will use the local languages to help them understand what is being taught,” informs Miguel. “We also have an earnwhile-you-learn scheme, where students will be given a patch of land to grow vegetables and fruits and will benefit from the sale proceeds.”

“Our main focus will be on organic farming,” says Fr Felix. Miguel Braganza also draws the line at GM foods.

“Genetically modified foods are not allowed in organic farming. Hybrid techniques to improve yield and pest resistance are acceptable. But not GM plants which brings in non-plant genetic matter into the crop. These are also proprietary breeds, and the economics causes havoc with local farmers.”

As we travelled to the farm through the villages of Tilamol, Zambaulim, Colomb, Rivona, Kevona and Namoxim,

Fr. Allwyn D'Souza, Fr. Felix Serrão and Miguel Braganza

Miguel had pointed out the various mining sites that flanked this scenic route. The mining operations are halted now, owing to the ban in 2012. “There were 22 mining leases on the Sulcorna farm land. These were cancelled in 2007 to preserve this farm,” says Miguel.

Thanks to the efforts of the Salesians over 270 acres of the land are now farmed with sugarcane, fruit and other trees.

Sugarcane covers 65 acres, yielding about 3000 tons per year, which is supplied to the Sanjivani sugar factory. The Salesians also distill cashew feni in the traditional ‘lavnnicho soro’ method, and their feni is highly appreciated by connoisseurs.

The Kushawati river runs for over two kilometres through this farmland.

It’s raining heavily now and I watch school boys gleefully playing football on the slushy ground. The Don Bosco staff of five priests and two brothers has been running a primary and high school, as well as a creche and a Boys Home with over a hundred boarders for many decades now. “Many of these boys come from troubled homes. Here they are happy and taken good care of. Our Rector, Fr Bernardino de Almeida, spends a lot of time counselling and caring for them.”

This group of compassionate priests and veteran professionals are now geared to yield a rich crop of enthusiastic young professionals who will in turn bring about the next Green Revolution in Goa. Streets and the rest of Goa wishes them all luck! 

If you wish to support a student at the agricultural college, please contact Miguel Braganza at 9822982676 or email braganza.miguel@gmail.com.

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Friday, July 17, 2015

That good old foot-stompin’ swing sound Garden Central Music Studio’s 2nd Annual Brass Music Concert

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By José Lourenço

he most celebrated musician in recent Goan history is Chris Perry, who fused jazz melody with the Konkani lyrical ethos to give us numerous soulful as well as foot-stomping hits. And the musical instrument synonymous with his name is the trumpet. Besides this, the tradition of brass bands to celebrate every Goan Catholic event, from feasts and ladainhas to funerals, meant that there were always scores of brass music players in every Goan village. But there was suddenly a lull in the last few decades, and the only sax or trombone toting musicians seen around were the seniors. The new kids on the block would twang away on their electric guitars, not wanting to be seen as old fogies with wind instruments.

Yet, a few passionate brass music aficionados kept the flame alive. Last year the Garden Central Music Studio, a collective of music teachers led by Rui Lobo presented their first All Brass Concert at Panjim. On the 10th of July the GCMS got its act together to present the second edition of this unique concert.

Being a Chris Perry and Satchmo fan, I get to Institute Menezes Braganza to hear the Goan brass sound for myself.

The GCMS Brass ensemble kicks off with a brisk rendition of The Brass Bell Boogie and Triple Tango, composed

by Stephen Roberts and The Truth composed by James Rae. This is going to be a concert where bright-eyed boys and girls stood with the pros, so next we are treated to a series of solos by the students of Rui’s music school, nattily clad in deep red shirts and black trousers . The swing track ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ made famous by Frank Sinatra is played by young Adelino Alvares, followed by Nash Noronha blowing to ‘Soldier’s March’. I am delighted when Leroy Noronha plays my favourite Glen Miller tune Chattanooga Choo Choo, originally composed by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren.

Rui Lobo conducts his ensemble the Ultra Bass Sound next. UBS has Nolvert Cota, Senon D’Souza and Selvyn Braganza on trumpets and Semy Braganza on the trombone. These musicians have worked with the music production for the hit Konkani movie Nachom-ia Kumpasar. Rui himself joins them on the French horn, when Roque Lazarus takes over the baton. They play a march, and then another – Walking Balkan Brass – which brings back Goan brass bands to my mind. Their closing piece of the set Proclamation is a strange blend of dissonant sounds, which would seem to be desafinado, but yet sounds haunting to the ear.

The kids are back again, as 9-yearold Aaron Dias picks up his trumpet to play German Dance. His notes are tentative, but his confidence builds up literally in the next swingy upbeat solo ‘Ready, Aim, Fire’! Then Adelino is back with a melancholy rendition of John Miller’s Bothie’s Ballad, which brings him a strong round of applause. Prakash Amonkar, the GCMS drums teacher, provides steady accompaniment to the

school’s proteges.

The audience is appreciative, and I can see men, women and children all there, and there’s something vaguely familiar about them. They are the same faces that throng Vem Cantar, the Portuguese song contest hosted by Fundacao Oriente, as well as the English plays staged by Isabel Santa Rita Vas’ theatre group Mustard Seed Art Company. Isabel herself is there, listening proudly when UBS plays

Friday, July 17, 2015

music & nightlife

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On-going Bay 15 Enjoy an evening of jazz, blues, rock 'n' roll & Latin Every Wednesday: Mantra Every Thursday: Smoking Chutney Every Friday: Shine On Every Saturday: Triads Every Sunday: Amoderas de Music At Bay 15, A Justa Resort, Odxel beach, Dona Paula 7.30 pm onwards +91 7350146000 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 tunes that were originally composed by Rui for Isabel’s plays Those Ragamuffins and Cator Re Bhaji. The tunes ‘If I were Born Without a Heart’, ‘Aixillean Poixillean’ and ‘Catarina’s Song’ demonstrate Rui Lobo’s sensitive talent to capture subtle moods. Art generates art, they say, and theatre and music are close cousins in Goa.

For their final set, the UBS blow Michael’s Boogie by John Humphries and Another Day

by Andrew Norman. Both musicians have been pillars of support for this music school, and their messages are read out by the evening’s host Victor D’Lima, himself a classical guitarist. Both tunes show the mastery of their composers, with Norman’s piece evoking a sense of deep longing and saudade.

The showstopper of UBS’ closing set is a debut performance of an original ‘Selvyn’s Swing’, composed by Selvyn Braganza. This is a classy composition that makes Goan hearts in the audience proud. A few lads seated next to me have been busy playing with paper airplanes made from the program flyers, but they stop to sway and groove to Selvyn’s Swing. And then the brass concert closed with an allmember performance of Bugler’s Dream by Leo Arnaud. The melody reminded me of the Alvorada, a melody played early in the morning on feast days, heralding the dawn.

With all these young boys and girls proudly taking centre stage to blow their hearts out, it’s a wonderful world for the future of brass music in Goa. Chris Perry and Louis Armstrong would be mighty proud of Rui Lobo and his merry crew. 

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Every Tuesday Acoustic Sunlight With Anselm Francis (Flute & Vocals) and Rodden ‘Ollie” Dsouza (Acoustic Guitar & Vocals) At Tamarin, Near Calangute Mall, Calangute. 7.30 pm to 10.30 pm +91 9545477670

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12 Friday, July 17, 2015

A

Triple-Nut-Guglhupf

By Kornelia Santoro

guglhupf was a common sight on our dining table: My grandfather could not get enough of his favorite cake. His guglhupf was made with yeast and a lot of eggs – light dough melting in the mouth, crowned by roasted almonds and dusted with icing sugar. My grandfather shared the habit of eating guglhupf with royal Europeans. According to legend around 1800 the Austrian Emperor discovered the guglhupf, making it his daily breakfast.

Following Emperors like Franz Joseph and his wife Sissi could not imagine beginning the day without guglhupf.

The original guglhupf goes a long way back: Archaeological excavations near Vienna show Romans used a mold for ring cake in the form of a rotating sun identical

to the guglhupf.

My recipe for a triple nut guglhupf combines three different kind of nuts (very healthy) with whole wheat flour, coconut oil, and eggs (very healthy, too). To balance this it also got some chocolate chips for my chocoholic men and of course sugar, but only a moderate amount. I have used a vanilla pod grown in Goa for this recipe. If you don’t want to spend the money for the vanilla pod, use vanilla extract. Experts say artificial vanilla leaves a bitter aftertaste, but I don’t share this opinion. I think real vanilla is only required for vanilla ice cream and custards. When vanilla only contributes to a lot of other ingredients, artificial vanilla extract is perfectly acceptable for me.

Ingredients:  150 grams desiccated coconut  100 grams roasted almonds  100 grams roasted cashew nuts  100 grams chocolate chips made from

dark cooking chocolate  6 eggs  1 vanilla pod  2 ½ cups sugar  2 ½ cups whole wheat flour  4 teaspoons baking powder  1 cup cold pressed coconut oil  1 cup milk  butter for greasing the mold  icing sugar for dusting the guglhupf

Method: Prepare your vessel: Spread butter carefully over the inside of your guglhupf mold. If you don’t have a guglhupf shape, you can take any round, big cake mold. A silicon mold needs greasing only the first time you use it.

Spread the almonds and the cashew nuts over a cookie sheet and roast them in the oven. Keep the flame low and pay attention: Nuts burn easily. They are done when the cashew nuts have turned golden brown and the almond skins show some dark brown spots. Let the nuts cool down and grind them finely. The easiest way to do this is using a blender. Take a piece of dark cooking chocolate, place it on a cutting board and shave off chocolate chips with the help of a big knife.

Place the eggs into a big whisking bowl.

Slice open the vanilla pod and scrap out the insides. Add these aromatic bits and the sugar to the eggs. Beat everything with a hand mixer until you have a light colored,

thick cream. Incorporate the coconut oil, the nuts and the coconut flakes into the mixture.

Combine the flour with the baking powder and stir it into the batter. Finally add the milk. Fill the batter immediately into the mold and bake it for 1 ¼ hour at lowest temperature in the oven. The guglhupf needs quite a lot of time for baking as it is a big cake. You can check if the cake is done with a toothpick.

Stick it into the cake: If it comes out clean, the cake is done.  Kornelia is a German food writer living in Goa, India, with her Italian husband and her son. She has published two cookbooks, Kornelia’s Kitchen - Mediterranean Cooking for India and Kornelia’s Kitchen 2 Cooking for Allergies. Both have won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award.

All her recipes are easy, fast and delicious - the right kind of food to keep your family healthy and happy without spending too much time in the kitchen.

food & drink 13

Friday, July 17, 2015

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 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 Sunday Brunch Relish a sumptuous meal over five interactive food counters along with free flowing beverages and live music

by Goa's singing sensation - Chrystal.

Enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi and access to our outdoor swimming pool while the little ones are looked after at Camp Hyatt - the kids club.

At The Dining Room, Grand Hyatt, Bambolim 1 pm to 4 pm +91 832 301 1234 Sunday Brunches@ 899/- per head Burger, Pizzas, Beer, Salads, Cocktails, Desserts, House – Spirits Beverages At Cheenos, Baga 12 pm to 4 pm. +91 8806564991 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 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

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 Every Sunday 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 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 Portofino Coffee Shop Multi-Cuisine This all day dining restaurant is an ideal place to head for a midnight snack or after party munchies.

At Kenilworth Resort & Spa, Utorda Open 24x7 +91 832 6698888 Ruta's World Café World Cuisine Located on a quiet street near the city’s Latin Quarter, Ruta’s offers some of the most delectable fares in Margao.

Dr Miranda Rd, Behind Nanutel, Margao 9 am to 6 pm +91 832 2710757 Peppers Gourmet Cuisine Seafood, Tandoor Indulge in innovative desserts and local flavours at this exciting food joint.

Near Child Care School, Margao +91 832 2711125 +91 9822133506 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 Casa Sarita For truly outstanding authentic Goan Food.

Open only for dinner, this classy fine dining restaurant is a delightful place to explore Goan and Portuguese cuisine.

At Park Hyatt Goa, Cansaulim +91 832 2721234

Allegria Goan, Portuguese This fine-dining restaurant at the Taj Exotica serves mouth watering food.

On offer are all the classic Goan dishes like Chicken Cafreal, Pork Sorpotel, and Kullanche Mass Kottnim, which is crab meat in a shell, and of course, the all time favourite, Fish Curry Rice.

At Taj Exotica, Calwaddo, Benaulim, Salcete 7.30 pm to 10.45 pm +91 832 6683333 A Tartaruga Multi – Cuisine This eating space is a great venue for weddings and parties with sprawling beach front lawns that can accommodate up to 1000 pax.

At Colva Beach, Salcete 7 am to 11 pm +91 832 2788068/69 Tato’s Fine Dining Goan, Indian, Chinese Tato’s fine dining makes its presence felt in the culinary circles in Margao.

Opp. New Collectorate, Margao 12 pm to 3 pm and 6.30 pm to 11 pm +91 832 2758590 Fisherman’s Wharf Authentic Goan It’s a fantastic restaurant to celebrate a special occasion.

At the riverside, near Holiday Inn, Cavelossim – Salcete +91 832 2871317

North Goa Restaurants 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 Desbue European Fusion Modern European Restaurant A traditional Portuguese heritage home in the Latin quarter of Panjim.

At La Maison, Fountainhas, Panjim +91 832 2235555 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 Indianized. 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.

At Off 18th June Road, Panjim +91 832 2423333 Casabela Continental, European A cozy place to hang around with your folks, it has been around since the 70’s and has mouth watering hand tossed pizzas.

Off Chogm Rd, Porvorim 7 am to 11 pm. +91832241558 mail@casabelagoa.com www.casabelagoa.com Mum’s Kitchen Goan Among the best upscale Goan kitchens in Panjim, this restaurant draws foodies from all religions and walks of life.

At Panjim-Miramar Rd 11 am to 11pm. +91 9822175556 Marbela Beach Italian, Seafood One of the finest beach resorts in the state, Marbela Beach is the ultimate destination to party or to unwind during the sunset with refreshing cocktails and decent food to hog on to.

At Morjim –Ashvem Road, Morjim 7 am to midnight +91 832 8450599 Hotel Sanskruti Chinese, Goan, Indian, Oriental It’s a pure vegetarian restaurant which is packed during lunch time. It’s really good for South Indian food, Thali, and chaat. At Near HDFC Bank, Porvorim 8 am to 11 pm +91 832 2414400/ +91 94233323822 Casa Bhonsle Indian & Goan All meals here are prepared in the authentic Hindu Goan Style.

Above Café Bhonsle, Near Cine National, Panjim Noon to 3.30 pm & 7 pm to 11 pm +91 832 2222260/ +91 9822100684 Chat Streets For a pop spicy and crunchy snack or fresh juice, this is the place to be.

On Sunday open only till 4 pm Near Don Bosco High School, MG Road, Panjim 11 am to 9 pm. +91 832 9922480076 Peep Kitchen Indian, Continental, Goan, Chinese A family restaurant with a bar run by a Goan family serves food with an authentic Goan and homely touch.

At Caranzalem, Near Petrol Pump, Panjim Noon to 2.30 pm and 7 pm to 10.30 pm +91 832 6454474 O’Asia Pan Asian This is the ultimate destination for your pan Asian culinary fix.

At The O Hotel, Dando, Candolim Noon to 3 pm, 7.30 pm to 11 pm +918323047000

Forrest Veg Food Court Continental, Chinese, Indian Serves a wide range of fast food including chaat, noodles, pav bhaji, sandwiches, burgers et cetera. At Bhagwan Mahavir BAL Vihar, Panjim 11 am – 11 pm +91 832 6454353/9225903392 George Bar and Restaurant This tiny little joint may seem tacky from outside but it is clean and hygienic, serving delectable Goan food.

Near Immaculate Conception Church, Panjim 10 am to 3.30 pm, 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm +918322426820 House of Lloyds Continental, seafood, and hearty Goan cuisine.

The restaurant recommends the 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 Bombay Darbar Take Away and Catering Services A family restaurant, replete with surprisingly scrumptious Indian fare.

At Sairam Residency, Shop no 1, Alto St.Cruz Road, St.Cruz, Tiswadi +91 832-2458877 / +91 832 2458588 A Lua Chinese, European, Goan, North Indian, Seafood 11 am to 11 pm At, Bella vista, Sangolda +91 832 2416671/ 73 At Porie Bhatt, Verna Contact: +91 832 2782760/ +91 9881272080 At Bhueem Bhatt, St Cruz, Merces +91 832 2448172/ +91 2448757 A Pastelaria Bakery An ideal place for pastries, cakes, cookies and other baked offerings. 9 am to 9 pm At Hotel Mandovi, Panjim +91 832 2426270/ 73 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 Avanti Bar & Restaurant Indian, Goan & Seafood Serves Goan specialties like Rawa fried prawns, stuffed squid, and gratinated stuffed crab masala among other Goan delights.

Near Patto Bridge, Panjim 11 am to 3 .30 pm, 7 pm to 11.30 pm +91 832 2435884/ +91 832 2427179 hotelavanti@yahoo.com Edu’s Restaurant Indian, Chinese, International and Goan Pizzas are one of their specialties.

There’s nothing fancy about it but it has the vibe of a street café.

Next to Magson’s on the main DB Road in Panjim, Miramar. +91 832 2463777, +91 832 2463888. / +91 9822122085

14 cover story

New Projects Are Welcome, But What About Fixing The Ones We Already Have?

T

By Crespo D’Souza

hick rods of steel jut out of the earth right on the sands of Querim, Goa’s northernmost beach.

The rods are just the tip of what are deep piles drilled into the sandy soil of the beach to eventually support a Rs 77-crore Querim-Tiracol bridge to join Goa’s Tiracol enclave, just across the River Tiracol. This little village stands right at the border of Goa and Maharashtra.

The Tiracol bridge is one of many bridges that Goa is going to see in the coming years, the most prominent of which is the third Mandovi Bridge costing upwards of Rs 470 crore, all of which is being spent by the State government.

While both the Mandovi and Tiracol bridges have their share of opponents, who in both cases argue that the bridges are unnecessary, there’s a whole lot of other bridges which are long awaited, and also a good number of existing bridges that desperately need repair and maintenance.

When Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari visited Goa earlier this year, he promised infrastructure projects to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore including a six-lane bridge across the River Zuari. Gadkari’s bonanza included the construction of a 5-km fourlane road from Varunapuri to Mormugao Port harbour with 3.2-km flyover, at the cost of Rs 586 crore.

An eight-km-long new bridge over Khandepar River with four-laning of the

Curti bypass and two flyovers will be constructed at total cost of Rs 280 crore.

And then there’s the four-lane Dhavali bypass road with two flyovers up to Farmagudi temple, to be built at the cost of Rs 70 crore.

Goa has had three BJP ruled governments including the current one, and their most visible achievements have been the bridges they have constructed across the countryside. This time however, barring the Calvim bridge, none of the planned bridges have been inaugurated yet.

Though work is on at the TiracolQuerim bridge, the Amona-Virdi bridge found its work stalled over land disputes and the Rachol-Shiroda bridge faced opposition from locals at Rachol.

Several of the bridges announced by the government when it just came to power have not made much headway. The contentious Ribandar-Chorão bridge hasn't been spoken about in months. The same is the fate of the Camurlim-Tuem bridge, an area currently serviced by a ferry.

The most awaited of the bridges is the Zuari Bridge, which is long overdue amid increasing concerns that the existing bridge, built in 1983, will not last much longer. The new Zuari bridge is also the one taking the longest to materialise, while the third Mandovi Bridge which was thought of much after the Zuari bridge, will be completed within the next three years if all goes according to plan. The foundation stone for the Zuari bridge is expected to be put in place in December this year, but given the longer length of the wider Zuari River, it is likely to take much longer to complete.

“The bridge will include 1 km cablestayed part and the remaining four kilometres would be an elevated road,” Gadkari announced.

Yet, despite obvious benefits in some cases, many are questioning the government’s priorities.

“Right now, a bridge across Talpona is a dire necessity, but we hear the

government is bulldozing its way with the controversial Shiroda-Rachol bridge.

Similarly, when a second bridge across River Zuari is a necessity given the short life span of the existing one, the government has accorded priority to a third bridge over Mandovi,” says farmer’s rights activist Sidharth Karapurkar, accusing the government of giving the rural citizens of the state short shrift.

Even as the government pushes for more ‘iconic’ bridges, the condition of many of the present bridges has left much to be desired.

The present Zuari bridge which is of the balanced cantilever type, with the pier at the centre, has undergone several repairs since 1999. The prestressed cables were partly corroded due to poor waterproofing of the cable ducts. The collapse of the first Mandovi bridge (also of balanced cantilever design using prestressed cables) in 1986, just 16 years after it was built, has not been forgotten by the people of Goa. That T-shaped design has been subsequently abandoned for simply-supported-span design as in the two new Mandovi bridges that stand today.

The cable-stayed bridge between Aldona and Corjuem Bridge which opened as Goa’s first ‘iconic’ bridge in 2004, became an instant hit with many people flocking to the site just to ‘see’ the bridge. But a visitor today will be greeted with faded paint, non functional lighting and a greenish algae covering much of the bridge, all signs of state apathy towards this showpiece bridge.

The tale of the New Mandovi Bridge which was inaugurated more than two decades ago is no different. The surface of the bridge is uneven with blobs of tar deformed in the noonday sun and the weight of the heavy vehicles moving on it has made riding across the bridge no different than a pothole ridden road.

Except that even potholes are repaired now and then, while the bumpy wearing coat of the bridge and the commuters traversing it are abandoned to their fate.

Parts of the deck joints are also missing, leaving ruts which are hammered by the thousands of wheels that pass over them every day. All these unwanted dynamic vibrations cannot be good for the health of the bridge.

Even as everyone worries about the Zuari bridge which is known to be shaky, its cousin living further upriver, the Borim bridge, finds itself on shaky ground as well.

If through some unlucky coincidence, both the Borim and Zuari bridges crash at once, traffic between North and South Goa will come to a standstill with no alternative routes, save for the sluggish ferries, which would take us back to the sixties and seventies. And that’s not to mention all the potential casualties should the neglected bridges of Goa suddenly collapse. 

16 sports

T

By Vivian Maverick Martins

his is more than child’s play.

India in 2017 will host the FIFA U-17 World Cup, the global championship tournament for male football players under age 17 – and Goa has been chosen provisionally as one of the six venues in the country where the games will be played.

Sounds great, doesn’t it?

Take a look at some of the nasty politics, internal rivalries and blatant egotism, not to mention a hefty dose of old-fashioned stupidity, and you may begin to understand why Goa’s prospects of hosting the most important football event in the state’s history are now in jeopardy.

If you think these words are harsh, consider the explosion of public rancor that occurred just as Goa was chosen as a provisional venue for the games, during what should have been a celebration.

Or the potshots exchanged in the announcement’s aftermath between the Goa Football Association, or GFA, and the All India Football Federation (AIFF). Or the public squabbling between the current and former directors of the Sports Authority of Goa (known, rather unfortunately, as SAG.) Not to mention the ill feelings between the Goan association and the India U-17 Head Coach.

The result, dear reader, is that Goa’s FIFA dream – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – is beginning to look more like a nightmare. At this point, it’s anyone’s guess if the games will actually be played here, or if one of the “standby” venues who didn’t make the provisional list – namely, Bengaluru, Chennai and Pune – will take Goa’s place. God knows they’re hankering for the chance and

are ready to pounce, and no one in those places is engaged in any embarrassing display of public bickering.

Notably silent on this issue is Goan Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar, who appears to be content gaining worldwide notoriety by proposing “medicines” for LGBT youth to make them “normal” rather than normalising the skewed workings of Goa’s sports administration.

(No, I wasn’t joking when I mentioned stupidity.)

Of course this kind of intrigue is nothing new in the world of football (as anyone who’s been following this year’s horrific scandals at FIFA knows), but Goa is now writing a chapter of its own.

The latest round of clashes began when the GFA accused the AIFF of sidelining the state association from the U-17 WC plans. When asked about the issue, a fuming Elvis Gomes, President of the Goa Football Association, said “AIFF doesn't make an FA (Football Association). The FA's are sovereign and they collectively make the AIFF. The moment they realize this, there will not be issues.”

Gomes explained that Goa was not chosen as a venue overnight, that the process began in 2012, and “we have to protect local interests and our reaction has been against the sidelining of local interests.”

An official at the Sports Authority of Goa who asked not to be named (apparently to avoid being linked to these unsavory episodes) said sports administrators seem disinterested in working in unity toward attaining the common goal of ensuring Goa hosts the U-17 games.

“The hunger for power and positions in sports associations is leading to all the confusion as many disgruntled elements are working against each other and responsible for creating differences. The personal rivalry between current SAG Director Sandeep Jacques and former SAG Director/GFA President Elvis Gomes is also not helping the sport”, he added.

Another conflict has arisen between Gomes and the India U-17 Head Coach, with the former accusing the latter of ignoring Goan players. Here’s Gomes’s take: “There is no transparency in the process. It may be the coach’s call finally, but let the boys at least be seen. Scouting of 50 boys was to happen. Did it? Parents are asking us.”

It is pertinent to note that Goa’s selection as a venue is not official, and much has to be done before Goa gets an official nod from the FIFA delegation when it comes for inspections.

Kushal Das, General Secretary of the All India Football Federation, has vehemently refuted GFA’s allegations.

“For the FIFA U-17 World Cup we have to deal with the Government and every letter sent to the Government was copied to GFA. But the issues between GFA and SAG are creating problems. GFA was unable to get us all the necessary approvals and permissions from the Government, which left us with no option but to approach SAG directly,” said Das. The FIFA Under-17 World Cup India 2017 LOC (Local Organizing Committee) Tournament Director Javier Ceppi told a press conference that it’s up to Goa to ensure its certification from FIFA. He said Goa and the other five provisional venues - Kochi, New Delhi, Mumbai, Guwahati and Kolkata – must comply with a series of requirements.

The standby venues - Bengaluru, Chennai and Pune – will step in if any of the others fail to meet the requirements.

These cities also have a huge fan following thanks to the ISL and I-League, backed by mega corporate houses.

Explains Savio Messias, AIFF technical committee vice-chairman, “There is a lot of work to be done and all stake holders need to work in unison and GFA plays a very important role in its success. If it doesn’t happen, our chances of hosting the world cup will disappear”.

Even though the Government of Goa has earmarked Rs 15 crores for refurbishment of stadiums, it is doing very little to sort out the differences between GFA and SAG. It’s clearly time for all stakeholders to work toward their common goal, and to keep their egos – which at the moment look bigger than the game – aside.

GFA this week conducted trials for South Goa at Duler Stadium as SAG and AIFF chose to keep the newly built astro turf ground at Fatorda locked instead of opening the gates for the South Goa boys, who could help lead India to football glory if they get chosen by India U-17 coach Nicolai Adam.

“Raising a few issues doesn't mean speaking against the system. Even if it does, I will continue as I am only defending our rights and the dignity of GFA as an institution and that is not negotiable,” concluded a defiant Gomes.

The AIFF’s Kushal Das assured that he has great respect for the GFA as a member association, and expressed confidence that talented young Goans will be among those chosen by the Head Coach to play in the tournament.

If cool heads prevail, maybe those boys will even be able to play at home. 

18

Friday, July 17, 2015

July 19

MUSEUMS

Monsoon Trekking Expedition to Shivling The trekking expedition is open to All, Lunch will be prepared and Served by the villagers.

Vehicle will leave from Paryatan Bhavan, Patto 9 am +91 832 227 6109

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

July 18 and July 19 Reiki – Level 2 Workshop Traya announces Reiki – Level 2 workshop with pre requisites that participants must have completed reiki Level 1.

Session is conducted by Darpan Kaur At Traya, La Oceana 10 am to 1 pm

adults. And Hip Hop, Contemporary & Bollywood for children.

At Rosary Chapel, Miramar, Dona Paula Road, Caranzalem +91 9975914195

July 22 to July 24 Kripa Foundation Yoga Centre turns one Programme will include a presentation and demo by renowned Padma Shri award Winner Fr. Joe Pereira At Magnum Chambers, Above Carpenters Showroom, St Inex, Panjim @ 6.30 pm +91 9960910110

Great Goan Experiences Monsoon Fun Park Open for public 10 am to 6 pm At Resort Marinha Dourade, Arpora +91 9921604457 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 , childrens pool etc.

At Pateipur, Nuvem +91 9823480057 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 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 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

Canopy Eco – Tours Offers a wide variety of experiences including nature-treks, butterfly tours, dragonfly & damselfly tours, 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 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 Go Karting Track I Goa Karting Single and tandem go karts are available for Rs: 180 for ten laps or Rs 200 for ten laps 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

Dance Classes Jason & Sylvia Dance Academy At Las Viegas Dance Studio, Taleigao +91 9822161652/ +91 9822151614 David Furtado Dance & Aerobics Dance styles such as Waltz, Jive Salsa, Cha Cha, and Merengue & Salsa for

Snaden Shawn Dance Academy Dance Style: Hip hop, Bollyfunk, jazz, contemporary At All Over Goa +91 7798609859/ +91 9890163433 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. Well worth a visit 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 MarathaPortuguese war.

At Vagator Museums

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 Tussaud’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 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 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 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

20 opinion

O

By Selma Carvalho

ur children ask us curious questions in this brave new world that we now inhabit; about gender (can I change my gender?), about sex (what is samesex marriage?), about religion (can I be a Christian and still believe in Darwin’s theory of evolution?), about race (am I British or Goan?). This sample of questions has been catalogued from my own ten-year old’s inquisitiveness. Can you imagine the complexity of challenges facing our twenty year olds standing on the precipice of adulthood and howling like wolves for their independence?

We as parents must be ready to answer these questions honestly and

Who’s More Indian, the Head of the Congress Party or the Governor of Louisiana? with the humility that we don’t have all the answers. We must wait patiently, as if in a doctor’s consulting room, and trust that the future will unfold at its own pace. There is no point in agitating frantically or protesting loudly against things that we don’t understand. What is important is that we interpret life’s experiences with compassion and justice.

Issues of gender and sexuality, as gutwrenching as they can be, in the end are subject to certain biological imperatives.

But issues of race often take on a life of their own independent of biology, and are proving to be especially sensitive in the twenty-first century.

In the summer of 2004, India was in a quandary. Congress’s triumph in the general elections, presented Indians with the very real possibility of Sonia Gandhi, then the leading light of the Congress party, becoming their prime-minister.

Sonia Gandhi was born in the distinctly Italian town of Lusiana to modest but strong-willed parents, Stefano and Paola Maino.

Sonia’s early parochial education at the Convent of Mary Ausiliatrice was structured and constrained.

Her arrival in England, in 1965, introduced her to a wider world. Soon, Sonia would fall in love and marry an Indian man, Rajiv Gandhi and have his children, Rahul and Priyanka; mourn the assassination of her mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi, in 1984; see her husband become

the prime-minister in a chaotic postIndira era and then survive the turmoil, and the heartbreak, of his assassination.

Widowed with two young children to raise, she could have fled to the relative safety and comfort of Europe but she chose to stay, eventually taking over the reins of the Congress party and leading it to electoral victory.

Sonia has always maintained that she became Indian the day she joined the Gandhi household. She immersed herself in the lives of India’s first family, the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, learnt the language and adopted the sari as her dress of choice. Whatever one’s politics are, Sonia cannot be denied a legacy as a champion of India’s poor, the teeming millions who call her ‘ma’, and whose right to a life of dignity she has protected through schemes like NREGA, which guarantees 100 days of paid work per year in rural India, and the National Food Security Act of 2013.

What it means to be Indian as a member of the Nehru-Gandhi household, a family often accused of Anglophilia, is debatable. But where can one find a definition of Indian-ness, in a country so pluralistic that several dialects and cuisines can co-exist within a radius of a few miles? The same section of society the conservative, the overtly nationalistic - who harbour narrow definitions of what it means to be Indian, and to whom Sonia Gandhi could never be Indian enough, are the ones who are unashamedly proud of Bobby Jindal, running for the US presidency.

The forty-four year old Piyush ‘Bobby’ Jindal was born in Louisiana, United States, to first-generation Indian immigrants. His early precocity lent itself to a stellar academic record including being named in USA Today, All-USA academic team list. The deep South, of which Louisiana is a part, can throw up all sorts of politics. One can identify with the wounds of the Confederacy, still nursed a century and half after the American Civil War, and which keep alive much of the racism and violence inflicted upon black communities (all of which was in sharp display in the recent massacre of the black parishioners at a South Carolina church and the subsequent

debate over displaying the Confederate flag). One can embrace the thick politics of the religious right in this Bible belt. Or one can feel solidarity with the activisim of those disenfranchised by race politics and the hard poverty of the American south.

Jindal, a convert to Christianity, has chosen the former. Not only is he a conservative but he routinely champions the most extreme of right-wing positions.

Bobby Jindal does not identify as an Indian either culturally or racially.

He is an American; the defender of majoritarian white America trapped in a brown man’s body.

Which brings us to the question: what exactly is race? In the world we live in, we have to accept that race is as malleable as, we now believe, gender to be. We are forever in ‘mimic men’ mode (to borrow a phrase from Hanif Kureishi and Naipaul). We are forever borrowing ideas and ideologies to improve our lot in life. Perhaps, nowhere else is this borrowing more intense than in the life of an immigrant, for the immigrant exists only through the eyes of his host.

In every other way, his life is diminished and of little worth. His survival depends on mimicking his host as quickly as possible or what the western world calls assimilating. But, being a mimic is almost always a consensual act because survival is paramount in human evolution. By this relentless, if imperceptible act of consensual mimicry, the old ceases to exist and we evolve into something entirely new which cannot be defined by the colour of our skin, by the religions of our priests or by the birth places of our ancestors. Sonia Gandhi has not a strand of DNA originating from the sub-continent. And yet she is far more Indian than Bobby Jindal. Race is and will continue to be the most perplexing issue of our times and that of our children.  Selma Carvalho is a columnist and author of ‘A Railway Runs Through: Goans of British East Africa, 1865-1980’. Between 2011-2014, she headed the Oral Histories of British-Goans project.

opinion 21

Friday, July 17, 2015

I

by Karan Bhagat

t’s hard to write an article on moral standards without sounding pious. But what’s wrong with a bit of piety now and then?

That – as a broad generalization – we in this country have low moral standards is pretty well recognized. One just needs to look at any newspaper and examples abound – the Swaraj, Raje, Fadnavis and closer to home Dhavalikar affairs are just a recent few that illustrate the point. The interesting questions are: why is it important to pay a great deal of attention to this phenomenon, how did we get to where we are and what can be done to set us in the right direction?

It’s hugely important because the lower moral standards of each of us affect the quality of life of others in society.

Apart from the direct effect (for example, of money being lost to the exchequer in the case of an alleged money laundering and a tax evading individual not being accessible for questioning in the case of the Swaraj–Raje-Lalit Modi affair, or paying passengers being delayed by an hour and a half in the Fadnavis affair), there is also the more insidious effect of causing a kind of ongoing anger in the rest of us. This possibly has something to do with an inherent rebellion in the hearts of people against ‘unjustness’. To adapt a famous phrase, in some ways living in India and having a modicum of consciousness means living with a continuous feeling of low level rage.

Aside from everything else, this can’t be good for our health.

This brings us to the next question: how did things come to such a pass?

Is it to do with the fact that we have such a large population and relatively limited resources – so that to get ahead

Is it too oldfashioned of me to request a bit of morality?

one has to develop sharp elbows and morality becomes a casualty in the bargain? Perhaps. There are indications that things were not so bad a few decades ago. However, if this were indeed the major reason one would expect that as the country becomes more prosperous – as we have – that moral standards would rise. But there is little indication that this is happening.

Maybe it’s also because we have lived with this state of affairs for so long that low standards of morality have become the new ‘normal’. In other words, we don’t see things which others are likely to deem as being improper, in quite the same way. I think this is quite plausible.

For example, the whole idea of ‘conflict of interest’ seems not to be recognized very widely in India and indeed is rarely to be found enshrined in our laws.

Evidence suggests that Sushma Swaraj probably knew that following standard departmental procedures and channels in responding to Lalit Modi’s request for help with travel documents may have resulted in his request being denied or delayed so she contacted Keith Vaz with her ‘no objection’ directly. Who knows whether deep down she knew the action was ‘improper’, not only in the context of Modi being wanted for questioning in India but also in light of the fact that her husband had allegedly been on the payroll of Modi’s company for a number of years? However, for a senior government minister to take such risks it is quite possible she felt that it was both unlikely to come to light and also that it was probably ‘not a big deal’. I wouldn’t be surprised if the same broad line of reasoning applied in the case of Vasundhara Raje, Fadnavis et al. Certainly it seems to apply to a very broad swathe of our population when it comes to the subject of paying their taxes.

Finally, if we agree that both increasing awareness of what constitutes propriety and raising standards are important, then how do we go about changing things?

I’m convinced there isn’t a simple answer and this is where the preachy part of this article comes in. With low moral standards having been reinforced for so long and with those displaying them having for a similar period been seen as the ‘winners’ in society, the best hope for a turnaround is with greater consciousness and will at the individual level. This begins with closely examining ourselves and judging our actions based on our motives. It extends to making judgments about others based squarely on facts and holding those we vote for accountable for their actions. What will spur us into doing this? Sadly, it’s probably things getting so bad that there are few alternatives. On the bright side, we are probably close to that point.

Karan Bhagat is a teacher, journalist and former banker. He is based in Goa.

22

Friday, July 17, 2015

When Photography and Light Come Together to Become

By Sapna Shahani

D

eepti Malla Datt is an artist residing between Goa, Mumbai and Los Angeles, and has recently launched her collection of photo-paintings in the fast-evolving artists' destination village of Siolim, at the Beethoven Gallery. Malla Datt calls her work 'functional art and lighting design'. Her lamp designs are original art-image prints in a light-box best suited to create dramatic, atmospheric lighting for interiors.

"I find great beauty in light - the incredible transformation of spatial design with just the use of light. It's a relatively new field in the Indian milieu - to design the aesthetics of a space with light as a leading or equal element to furniture and objects.

Lighting has not been a prioritized aspect of decor in interior design and

architecture - and yet it has the most dynamic potential as a functional form of decor. I'm excited by the interior decor aspect of functional art in Goa given the pace of development in the state - a lot of creative people have made Goa home - I've seen some beautiful and innovative interiors here - this is really inviting for the context of work that I do."

Formerly on the founding team of both MTV and Channel [V] as well as the event manager for the iconic launch of Vogue magazine in India, she has been the creative producer on some of the better known events and campaigns in fashion,

recording of time, and has even greater meaning and value, now more than ever… My photo-paintings honor this ‘slow-consumption’ of aesthetics, if you will,” she explains.

The cultural multiplicity of Deepti’s life between the urbanity of Bombay, antiquity of Goa, and modernity of Los Angeles, is what impacts her work the most. 

music, and art on the sub-continent.

Deepti chooses a new approach to display photographs. “My work is about the still-point, the captured moment, a photograph is still an important

Friday, July 17, 2015

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

arts & entertainment 23

How Long Have Human Beings Loved Ceramic Tiles?

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 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-doMundo, 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 centres 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 +91 9326717386 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 in-house 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

T

By Perin Ilavia

he word ‘ceramic’ derived from the Greek ‘Keramos’ means ‘potter’ or ‘pottery’.

Another view holds that Keramos in turn originated from a Sanskrit root – meaning ‘to burn’. Ceramic tiles have been used for centuries around the world, and the versatile tile still continues to be an essential component in our aesthetic culture and built environment.

While pottery dates back to at least 25,000 BC, archaeologists tell us that tiles were made in Mesopotamia and India around 14,000 BC. Handmade tiles were popular during the Egyptian civilization. Glazes were used extensively in Egypt for murals, Roman baths, to decorate pillars and interiors of homes. Intricate designs were interspersed with semiprecious stone and mirrored glass. In those days clay bricks were sun dried, or baked and the first glazes were blue in colour, made from copper.

The Romans introduced tile making to Western Europe. As communication and transport developed, it became popular in other territories like Persia, Syria and Turkey. Northern Europe acquired this technology from Persia and the Moors brought African tiles with them when they invaded Iberia (Spain).

It was aboard the Spanish ships that decorative tiles found their way to the New World, where they were used primarily to decorate the churches of newly built missions. In the 19th century Britain pioneered mass-produced tiles and soon American tile makers too began to prosper. The floor tiles of Renaissance Italy, the faiences of Antwerp and tile iconography of the Netherlands all celebrated the use of ceramic in art.

Art and architecture became increasingly influenced by the migration of architects, artisans and craftsmen from Iran to Central Asia.

The tradition of tiling flourished in Delhi and its environs during the reign of the Lodhi Sultans (1451–1526 CE), initially in shades of blue, and later expanded in a palette of yellow, green, white and turquoise, especially during the reigns of the Mughal Emperors Akbar (1556–1605 CE) and Jahangir (1605–1627 CE). Tiles then were expensive for utilitarian purposes and were found almost exclusively in the homes of the wealthy.

Numerous buildings erected in Delhi were decorated in simple narrow composite bands outlining architectural features, complex geometric mosaic patterns on parapets, chhatris (kiosks), arches, and jharokhas (projecting windows), and in an uncommon instance, on an entire dome—the Nila Gumbad—the Blue Dome.

We still have tile mosaics created during the Portuguese rule in Goa, in homes, churches and public spaces, particularly the white and blue azulejos.

A ceramic tile is basically made with white, brown or red clay, fashioned into shapes in wooden moulds. Sand, feldspar quartz and water are mixed and ground in a mill that creates the ‘body slip’. The moisture content in the body slip helps the ingredients to adhere to each other. It is then heated in dryers to reduce the moisture, and baked in kilns that vary in shapes.

A monoculture tile is fired once, while tiles with elaborate designs and prints with glazes are fired many times at temperatures of 2500 degrees Fahrenheit. The higher the temperature, the stronger the tile.

Through the centuries, tile art has undergone a revival. Architects and builders are taking a fresh look at enhancing interiors and exteriors of spaces. There is a vast range in finishes and designs. We have glazed, unglazed, mosaic, glass, marble laminates, granite, slate and vinyl finishes, in innumerable designs.

Tiles are long lasting and low on maintenance.

They can function as a multipurpose material for hospitals, kitchen walls and counters, bathrooms, and table tops. You can embellish your compound wall, garden fountains and paths. Clever tiling can make your barbeque counter, gazebo or swimming pool a focal point of decorative interest.

Though tile laying is not rocket science (you can lay them yourself), it’s best to get a professional to do it. Choose colours combinations and designs after proper deliberation. If the finished product does not appeal to the aesthetics of the space, or to your eye, redoing it is an expensive venture.

You could also become a tile collector. As collectibles, tiles are relatively inexpensive.

You can specialize in tiles from a particular era, country of origin, colour, subject matter, and manufacturer and then proudly display them framed, or on tables, thus enhancing your décor.

24 explore An Interview With…

The Scuba Diving Duo

By Sheela Jaywant

T

he Charloos, Karen and Venkat, are a couple who’ve brought fun and professionalism to scuba diving in India and to Goa in particular. Now, twenty years down the line, they’ve decided to wrap up their scuba diving business, but still be part of the marine scene.

Sheela Jaywant: You were a banker.

Where were you based and when did you leave that profession? How did you and Karen get interested in scuba diving?

Venkat Charloo: I worked in Hong Kong from 1984 to 1993. I then ran my own business for a year and then worked as a Financial Controller in a trading firm for nine months before moving to Goa in

September 1995. Both of us started diving for pleasure and by 1995 we both became instructors.

SJ: What brought you to Goa? What prompted you to start Barracuda Diving?

VC: I came to Goa with the specific intention of setting up a dive center, after a recce trip from Hong Kong in April 1995. I joined Barracuda Diving, which was set up

by Riaz Ismail, as a freelance instructor and then took over fully in 1997-98.

SJ: What were the courses and certifications you offered?

VC: All levels of PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) certification courses in addition to beginners’ programs like Discover Scuba Diving. About four years ago we also became instructors from Scuba Schools International (SSI), and so offer both now.

SJ: What changes have you found underwater along the coastline in the last 20 years?

VC: Very little, thankfully. I would say

the main change is damage to coral and marine life by indiscriminate dropping of anchors by too many boats coming to the islands and jetties around here. In the last two years there has been dumping of a lot of rubbish from these boats, especially beer bottles by tourists, which is sadly affecting the sea-life around here.

SJ: You must have many stories and anecdotes to tell. Can you tell us some?

VC: The funniest one involved an American ‘naturist’ diver who insisted on diving in the buff. It took a lot of effort and tact in getting it across to him that we are a conservative nation and he can’t flash to all and sundry ... The other involved a person who suffered from Tourette’s Syndrome as a result of which he would blurt out whatever was on his mind, which included various anatomical regions of female divers on the boat! Comic, but tragic at the same time.

SJ: Your favourite dive sites around Goa? Why are they your favourite?

VC: Suzy's Wreck—because of the

diversity of marine life in and around her and Sail Rock for the amazing topography and abundance of fish life.

SJ: What are your favourite dive sites in the world?

VC: Anywhere underwater! Every place is different and has something special about it. If I were pushed into a corner it would have to be Indonesia which has everything big, small and in between. Not surprisingly the area called Coral Triangle is bang in the middle, with the largest biodiversity in the underwater world!

SJ: What do you plan to do after this coming season when you plan to stop Barracuda Diving? Please tell us about your NGO Coastal Impact.

VC: The coming season will conclude 20 years of Barracuda Diving under me and Karen and we plan on making this our last. We intend to continue taking groups abroad for diving, customizing dive trips for individuals and small groups, increasing sales of dive gear and working in conjunction with other dive-centers in providing pro-level training. We will be concentrating on our NGO—Coastal Impact—to increase marine education in schools and colleges, to conserve marine life not only in Goa but all over India, as well as to assist scientists with conducting marine surveys and research. We want the local people to support us in conserving the underwater heritage of Goa—be it corals, sponges, fish and other marine life—by realising that our very own survival depends on preserving the seas. 

enquire 25

Friday, July 17, 2015

Why has it been so hard to establish a worldclass harbour in this coastal paradise?

“

By Crespo D’Souza

What if I told you Goa already has a marina and there have been marinas in Goa for many years now,” Hemant Arondekar begins.

As the chairman of a task force on nautical tourism constituted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Goa chapter, Arondekar is pitching for a marina in Goa, which he says is crucial for Goan tourism.

Arondekar then displays slides showing Goa’s traditional marinas.

“We’ve had jetties - fishing jetties, barge dockyards and other facilities for decades in this state. Then why should we have a problem with a marina?”

Arondekar recently asked a gathering of businesspeople.

“What’s better, is that marinas have to adhere to far more stringent norms and are far less polluting than most existing fishing jetties, and way better than barge dockyards,” he added.

The Goa Investment Promotion Board (GIPB) has granted its ‘in principle’ nod to two companies: Yacht Haven is to set up a 300-yacht marina at Sancoale along the southern bank of the Zuari river, and Kargwal Constructions Pvt Ltd will erect a yacht marina on the northern bank of the Nauxim river.

The bottom line, however, is this: The Goa State Pollution Control Board has declined to process an application for clearance filed by the promoters of the Yacht Haven marina until a scheduled study on the ’carrying capacity’ of Goa’s rivers is complete. A study of this nature

could take more than a year to complete, maybe more.

Proposals to set up marinas in the state are not new and attempts made earlier faced consistent opposition from locals as well as a government that ‘sat on the fence’.

The locals for their part have made their stance clear—a marina isn’t in their interest, is likely to completely and abruptly end the practice of harvesting clams—‘windowpane oysters’ (used traditionally as translucent inserts for window shutters) as well as other clams that are available in abundance in the Chicalim and Sancoale bays.

Studies by Goa’s National Institute of Oceanography have shown that windowpane oysters are extremely sensitive to changes in the environment.

Minor changes in water quality or habitat could wipe out entire populations in one go.

Leading the opposition is the Goenchea Ramponnkarancho Ekvott, a body of traditional fishermen, besides other citizen collectives from the areas of Sancoale, Chicalim and others inhabiting the areas where the marinas are planned.

“High-end tourism projects are welcome but they should not be at the cost of the traditional inhabitants of Goa, who are deprived of their livelihoods and displaced from their habitat all in the name of the State’s development,” the GRE had said earlier when marinas were first talked about. They continue to maintain their stand.

Windowpane oysters thrive in the tropical waters of South East Asia,

especially in the Philippines. Around the world, their biggest threat is, however, not marinas or shipyards, but over harvesting.

“The waters of Sancoale bay, Chicalim bay (including St Jacinto Island) and off Siridao beach are rich fishing habitats that have enabled the traditional fishermen to carry on their activities unhindered for centuries... Families from Bogmalo, Baina, Velsao, Utorda, Majorda, Cortalim, Quelossim and Dabolim are engaged in collection of clams, shellfish, etc,” added Rodrigues. “Thousands of families from Siridao, Goa Velha, and Curca are engaged in fishing by using traditional methods for centuries, being either ramponkars engaged in gillnet fishing or phutani fishing.”

“Dredging of lakhs of cubic metres of earth and construction activity will disturb the seabed and adversely and totally affect our livelihood. The construction at the breakwaters will adversely affect the ecology of the area, thus directly impacting the catch of traditional fishermen. The damage caused will be irreparable,” Rodrigues said.

Promoters of the project however point to a double standard. The same villagers who are crying out against the marinas, haven’t moved to stop the functioning of shipyards along the Zuari River.

An earlier study by the National Institute of Oceanography had found high traces of iron, zinc and lead from oyster and clam samples taken in Chicalim bay, which the study said could be due to the increase in ship dockyard

activity along the Zuari’s southern bank.

Many of these dockyards and shipyards have been functioning without the statutory permissions.

“Marinas involve no metal. Yacht hulls are made of fibre and are much more environmentally friendly than barges.

Are we OK with barges and not OK with marinas?” Arondekar asks.

Fruto Silveira, a yacht captain hailing from Mormugao, but now based in Dubai, has sailed yachts between Goa and Cochin, Sri Lanka, Seychelles and Phuket. He holds that a marina will in fact reduce pollution that will otherwise result from boats being anchored in the river mouth as is currently the practice.

“When there is no facility to remove the sewage from your boat, the tendency is to dump it in the sea. Currently the boats are refuelling by bringing the diesel in jerry cans on a canoe and then transferring it to fuel the boat. This is more likely to cause pollution,” said Silveira.

He recalled a tale of how he had to refuel a yacht which was at a stopover in Goa at the River Mandovi with the help of a jerrycan of fuel that was brought to him with the help of a row canoe.

According to some, a marina will offer huge opportunities for tourism in Goa to grow.

Umaji Chowgule, the Managing Director of Yacht Haven, said that a marina would bring only limited profit to the operator, but almost 80% of the economic benefits would be raked in by the surrounding areas, which would have business opportunities served to them on the plate.

But the villagers are unconvinced. The Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB), led by its chairperson Alina Saldanha, who is also the Minister of Environment in Goa and the legislator representing the area where the Sancoale marina is scheduled to come, had rejected the proposal of the project on environmental grounds.

The GSBB has instead initiated moves to declare the bay as a biodiversity heritage site, which would require government sanction.

Member Secretary of the Board Dr Nitin Sawant, insisted that they only have a problem with the location chosen by the marina promoters and would have no problem with any alternate location chosen.

Promoters however insist that only the Zuari-Mandovi bay is feasible for Marinas in the State.

The only other marina present along the Indian coast is a small one at Cochin.

Yacht owners have to otherwise park their vessels at marinas in Dubai which is prohibitively expensive. In the absence of marinas Indian owned yachts are anchored in open water often at the mercy of the weather.

The GSBB however can only recommend, and its opinion can be overruled by the government. The bigger hurdle is the Goa State Pollution Control Board, which is a statutory body and whose clearance is necessary for any project to go ahead. Till that comes, and it could take over a year, the marinas will have to wait. 

space 27

Friday, July 17, 2015

Hello, Pluto!

Just 112 years after the Wright Brothers succeeded in getting the first airplane into the sky, a grand piano-sized space ship from Earth this week reached within a cosmic millimetre of the dwarf planet Pluto, sending vivid pictures of 11,000foot ice mountains and a bright heart-shaped swath of terrain on the surface.

What was just a blurry dot only weeks ago was suddenly a vast, dynamic world – 1,472 miles wide in diameter and featuring tall mountains and a baffling absence of craters.

It took 9 ½ years for the New Horizons space craft to make the three-billion mile journey, which seems sure to provide invaluable clues to how planets are formed and even the origins of life. The New Horizons mission and the journey to Pluto remind us that despite the world’s woes, from terrorism to hunger to greed to war, we human beings are an extraordinary species. And we live in a wild and wondrous universe.

Please enjoy these pictures of Pluto, taken by a human-made machine that travelled a decade through space to explore a new horizon.

 New Horizons team at NASA celebrates the close-up pictures of the Pluto fly-by

 Artist's impression of New Horizons Spacecraft