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GOA’S FIRST LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE VOL 1. NO 9. JANUARY 2011, RS 25
‘GONE TO THE DOGS’
Dr Gustavo Pinto
‘LOVE GOA, PRESERVE GOA’ Shantaram Naik
TUSCAN OPULENCE Vishwas Dempo’s landmark home in Dona Paula
LEISURE REDEFINED
The Kenilworth Beach Resort & Spa, Goa
CASINO GOA
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EDITORIAL NOTE
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Taking Chances
ambling is as old as the hills and in Indian mythology as ancient as the Mahabaratha. Indeed it is a playful part of Hindu festivals like Diwali and Navratri. And at some point or the other, everyone takes a calculated risk, be it at board examinations or in the stock market. At its cleanest form, it can be viewed as a pleasant diversion; at its worst it can become as addictive as alcohol and can destroy families and wipe out one’s hardearned income. In Russia, for instance President Putin is on the warpath against casinos while in America they continue to flourish, and not just in Las Vegas. Macau has survived for years as a virtual casino economy. In India, despite its millions of compulsive gamblers, it is only in Goa that we have offshore casinos, besides those in hotels. With the dissenting voices, the odds on their survival are at its best, even. In our cover story this month we discuss the pros and cons with casino owners and the voice of disapproval. What is clear is that casino companies should only encourage responsible gaming. The government must regulate every aspect of gaming right from making sure that the machines meet stringent technical and operating standards, including specific payout
percentages, before they even reach the floor. Casinos should ensure that clients realise it is an appropriate activity only for adults and that employees be vigilant in their efforts to prevent individuals under the legal age from playing. As one casino owner puts it succinctly: ‘We do not want to win money from people who have no money to lose’. The Navhind Times, Goa’s Number 1 English daily, in association with VIVA GOA, Goa’s first lifestyle magazine, takes much pleasure in introducing the ‘Goan Achievers Awards’. The awards are an endeavour to recognise and honour the achievements of Goans in different fields – individual as well as the corporate sector. The Goa Institute of Management, one of India’s premier management institutions and the best in Goa, is the knowledge partner and official tabulator in this endeavour. The jury will consist of a panel of distinguished Goans, while you the people will also participate in the voting process. We would like all Goans, and particularly readers of The Navhind Times and VIVA GOA to vote, the details of which will be announced soon. We are pleased to feature Goa’s voice in the Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Adv Shantaram Naik, who
unwinds with us on what makes him tick during and after the rigours of Parliamentary work. We are also happy to feature a doctor of another kind, the veterinarian Dr Gustavo Pinto, a well-known figure to all animal lovers in Goa. In our ‘Interiors/Exteriors’ section we display the Tuscan majesty of the home of Vishwasrao Dempo in Dona Paula, while as our ‘First Lady’ we have Snehlata Bhatikar, the experienced counsellor who has helped scores of people overcome depression, alcohol-related problems and psychological pressures through the weapons of sympathy and empathy. Lastly, as we enter the new decade, we wish all our readers and advertisers a most prosperous and happy New Year.
I was delighted to see VIVA GOA. The entire get-up of the magazine is fantastic and would attract anyone to leaf through. What gripped my attention in the December issue was the story on Leander. As a child whenever he visited the family in Goa on holiday, he always made it clear to us that one day he would be a tennis star. Leander had a goal and worked at it with tenacity even as a child and this quality has paid off in his many achievements. Another quality that strikes me about Leander is his passion for the country. He feels proud to represent the country in events, as most recently he did in the Asian Games. Now that he plans to do something for Goa, I know it will happen. I also hope that he will do as much for Kolkata where he
grew up and was encouraged into the sport. We in the family admire him for the way he has structured his life, his goals and the way in which he has honed his talent with all the support and guidance from his father, Vece. Jennifer, his mother, is a strong woman who had a good sports career herself. A warm-hearted person and one of the finest and cultured people I have come across, she is the great granddaughter of the famous Bengali poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt, which in a way explains her love for poetry. Her children adore her and she has been a rock in Leander’s life, and his emotional support. It is this combined support from his parents that has made Leander a grounded person.
I congratulate VIVA GOA on highlighting Leander and it is my sincere hope that more Goan achievers are featured so that the younger generation may emulate such greats.
Viva Goa! Kedar Dhume
READERS’ RESPONSE
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— Maria Menezes, Dona Paula
VIVA GOA invites comments from its readers. Letters should be short and relevant and can be sent to editor@vivagoaonline.com. The best letter of the month will get a free pair of ladies’ shoes from SENIOR
Editor & Publishers Note We make every effort to publish a magazine that is informative, entertaining and free of errors. Any omission or inaccuracies are entirely unintentional. Please do bring to our notice any item that may be incorrect or photography erroneously published. Also, we would be pleased to include any item or photograph that warrants our attention. We believe in the spirit of Goa and its warm and lively people, and do hope the content in the magazine brings smiles to our reader’s faces.
As always, suggestions and comments are welcome on feedback@vivagoaonline.com
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COVER STORY | Pushing luck – Goa’s alternative tourist attraction Casinos have weathered hail and high water to provide tourists with another option to the modes of entertainment already on offer, especially after the sun goes down. With barely any competition within the country, any extra holiday cash finds itself at stake in a card hand, in a slot machine or on a table game
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AFTER HOURS
HEALTH
Shantaram Naik Member of Parliament
‘A Stitch in Time Saves Nine’ By Dr Shekar Salkar
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GUEST COLUMN ‘Gone to the Dogs!’ By Dr Gustavo Pinto
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FIRST LADY
Snehalata Arvind Bhatikar Counsellor
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FEATURE
Billed as the only boat show of its kind in India, the Goa International Marine and Boat Expo 2010 aimed to cater to all things sleek and nautical
HOSPITALITY The Kenilworth Beach Resort & Spa, Goa By Sinead McManus
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COUTURE
Eco-Chic By Michelle Banarse
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INTERIORS/ EXTERIORS
Arch Siddha Sardessai discovers the Tuscan majesty of brothers Vishwasrao and Rajesh Dempo’s home, a landmark in Dona Paula
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GOAN CUISINE Cook Up A Storm… By Chef Deepa Awchat
TUSCAN OPULENCE Vishwas Dempo’s landmark home in Dona Paula
LEISURE REDEFINED
The Kenilworth Beach Resort & Spa, Goa
Editor & Publisher
Kedar N Dhume editor@vivagoaonline.com
Shailesh M Amonkar
Editorial Consultant
Manohar Shetty Assistant Editors
Emylou D’Souza Dielle D’Souza reporter@vivagoaonline.com Photographer
Edric George Design
Nagesh Naik Kemistry Media Solutions P. Ltd. Manager Advertising
Tamara Faleiro advertising@vivagoaonline.com Mob: +919850077993 Circulation circulation@vivagoaonline.com Published by M/S Advertising Associates [Publication Division], 703, Dempo Trade Center, Patto Plaza, Panaji, Goa 403 001, INDIA Tel : +91 832 2438999
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BIZ NOTES
HAPPENINGS
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DIFFERENT STROKES
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LEGAL BRIEF
Five emerging young artists hold an exhibition at Kerkar Art Complex in Calangute
VIVA GOA SPOTLIGHT
Time for Public Law By Advocate A N S Nadkarni
CASINO GOA
Satyawan Parsekar
VIVA GOA DIARY
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Shantaram Naik
Kemistry Media Solutions P. Ltd. shailesh@kemistry.in
Sunburn Goa 2010 saw 25,000 people who attended the final day, end the year on a high note. Shailendra Singh, joint managing director of Percept Limited, the company behind India’s biggest music festival, thrilled by the response, recaps the festival that was
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‘LOVE GOA, PRESERVE GOA’
FEATURE
HOMING IN
Simon Hayward from England, scion of the famous Haywards distillery and owner of Vivenda Dos Palahcos, a guest house in Majorda, muses over why Goa is home
‘GONE TO THE DOGS’
Dr Gustavo Pinto
Principal Consultant
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Wildlife Conservation, the theme at the Goa Sand Art Festival 2010 in December exhibited lifelike and intricate sculptures of India’s endangered species
GOA’S FIRST LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE VOL 1. NO 9. JANUARY 2011, RS 25
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CONTENTS
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Aaron Fernandes Tattoo Artist
Printed at Akruti, 318, Parvati Industrial Estate, Pune Satara Road, Pune 411 009 All rights reserved. Republishing in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. All photographs unless otherwise indicated, are used for illustrative purposes.
RNI registration applied and pending
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GOA WOOS LADY LUCK Casinos have weathered hail and high water to provide tourists with another option to the modes of entertainment already on offer, especially after the sun goes down. With barely any competition within the country, any extra holiday cash finds itself at stake in a card hand, in a slot machine or on a table game. DIELLE D’SOUZA puts the chips on the table
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rom the warm sands and cool seas to plush lounges and calculated moves in suave suits – a different part of Goa is calling out to the tourist. It’s the world of slot machines, card games, beginner’s luck, and the adrenaline rush of scooping the jackpot. It was barely 10 years ago that Goa awakened to a new kind of luxury entertainment when they found the Caravela docked on the River Mandovi in 2001. Brought in after the Goa Gambling Act was amended in 1999, the Caravela was the first off-shore casino in the country, introduced by the Advani Group who also owned the Ramada Hotel. The move launched a slew of criticism against the introduction of gambling in the state. But that didn’t stop other enterprising individuals from jumping into the pot. “We provide a safe, alternative mode of entertainment,” explains Shrinivas Nayak, the authorised representative of Casino Pride, Casino Paradise, Casino Palms and Casino Pearl. “We are
now in 2011 and we’ve been selling Goa on sand and sun for quite some time.” The high-spending domestic tourist is their target, the yuppies whose jobs in Electronic City proffer enough cash and more to put their luck at stake in a red carpeted arena. While the northern strip and small pockets in the south still hunger after dreadlocked hippies in togas, these small motorised islands off shore and several others in five-star hotels entice the stressed businessman straight from the rush of Mumbai to stop by and roll the dice. Dr William Britto, chairman of Vainguinim Valley Resort’s Chances Casino in Dona Paula says, “Most people go to the casinos for a bit of recreation. People, including billionaires and industrialists, need to switch off somewhere and a casino is the ideal place. They don’t need the money, but it is both relaxing and challenging to go against the odds.” However, critics argue that richer tourists do not
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necessarily mean quality tourists. Sabina Martins, founder member of Bailancho Saad, alleges, “Prominent among the rich tourists who go to casinos are black marketers, drug barons and traffickers who come to gamble and launder their money. The quality of tourism depends on promoting the good ethos of the place and not creating exploitative vices for the rich.” When casinos first arrived on the scene in 1990-92, they attracted some interest from local Goans who, perhaps by way of curiosity, patronised the nascent industry for a while. As of today, a few might visit the slot machines at an on-shore casino, which is restricted to electronic gaming. But off-shore vessels with their live gaming facilities earn their big bucks mainly from domestic tourists. Narinder Punj, managing director of
Highstreet Cruises and Entertainment Private Ltd, says, “When we started the Caravela, more than 50 per cent of our customers were local Goans. Now the number has diminished to perhaps five per cent because there is easy access to the ones on the mainland. Indian tourists and customers from out of state generate 99.9 per cent of our revenues, the main focus being
around cities including Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and New Delhi. With the turmoil in Nepal, a lot of people from North India who used to go there have now started coming to Goa.” Nepal was a long-established casino haven in the Indian Peninsula when Goa broke the surface. The political turmoil in the Himalayan country then turned the odds in favour of casinos in neighbouring India and places further east like Macau, whose gambling history goes back to the 1850s, and Malaysia, whose single Casino de Genting is sometimes called the City of Entertainment with at least 3,000 gaming machines and 500 table games. The introduction of live gaming and off-shore casinos provided Indian tourists with the chance to make a quick stop in Goa to try their luck when time permitted. Ashok Khetarpal, chairman of the Majestic Group of Hotels, says, “Once we opened up a
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Vallabh Kamat, Commissioner for commercial taxes
Ashok Khetarpal, Chairman, Majestic Group of Hotels
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Narinder Punj, Managing Director of Highstreet Cruises
Shrinivas Nayak, Authorised representative of Casinos Pride, Paradise, Palms and Pearl
market for live gaming in off-shore casinos, the people who would have otherwise flown overseas began coming to Goa. The internal problems in Nepal and Sri Lanka worked to our advantage, but the situation is changing once again. “There is peace in Nepal and Sri Lanka now, while Macau and Malaysia are competing fiercely with cheap packages and Singapore is opening up too. It costs more to come to Goa, play and return, than it does to visit one of these destinations and stay there for three nights.” Casinos in Goa, in fact, do not put very much on offer. High licence fees and entertainment tax ensure that just food and drink, a bit of song and a few chips are on the cards. High licence fees fill a large portion of the government kitty every year, a barter casino owners find unfair to their business. Goa’s four off-shore casinos currently in operation – Casino Pride, Casino Royale, Casino Carnival and Caravela – fork out Rs 5 crore every year to renew their licences. Apart from this, 10 per cent of their gross gaming revenue is shaved off in the form of entertainment tax, while a fee of Rs 2000 per person entering the casino is also charged. On-shore casinos, of which there are 12 in the state, must pay approximately Rs 25 lakhs to operate a set of 20 machines per year, a figure which increases with the number of machines. They must also pay the 10 per cent entertainment tax along with Rs 500 for every person visiting the casino. “The industry gives us very good revenue,” admits Vallabh Kamat, commissioner for sales, entertainment and luxury tax. “We amended our law to ensure that the government earns some money out of the casino business. Whether they do well or not, our entertainment tax does not suffer a single rupee in arrears.” But investors complain they get nothing for what they pay. Dr Britto finds it hard to believe why a form of relaxation should be taxed while Nayak suggests that the government should treat them like any other industry. “If the government invites the IT industry to Goa, it gives them sops in
VAT, land, and a whole lot of other things,” Nayak says. “Compared to the rest of the world, our entry fees are the highest and we do not provide facilities like those available on a global level.” The government appears to have perceived a gold mine that they cannot wait to exhaust. Licence fees for off-shore casinos jumped from Rs 3 lakhs per year initially to Rs 10 lakh, then to Rs one crore and now settles at Rs 5 crore. Visitors who earlier paid Rs 200 to enter such a casino now dig deeper to shell out Rs 2,000. While the government slashed fees for on-shore casinos to Rs 500 per head after they suffered poor attendance, off shore ones must still cough up the money. Vallabh Kamat too confesses that the fees are too high. He says, “There was no rationale for us to raise it from Rs 200 to Rs 2,000. Even today I do not justify that, but we have to consider revenue and how best we can tap it. While the casinos say the fees are too high, they in fact can afford it. They are feeling the pinch for the simple reason that there is competition.” With investments ranging from Rs 50-100 crores for an off-shore casino and Rs10-20 crores for an on-shore version, the stakes are high and the battle for the numbers game reaches a pitch on days like Diwali and New Year. Pushing luck has been a part of the Indian social tapestry since the Mahabharata, which narrates how Yudhistira gambled away his kingdom and even his wife. It is considered auspicious to gamble a bit during Diwali in the hope it brings you luck in the new year. “Everybody who goes to the casino can get lucky,” says Dr Britto. “But they don’t appreciate their luck. They chase their luck too far and end up losing. Your discipline and intelligence has to make you decide when to quit.” A regular customer adds, “Slot machines are not any more or less likely to hit a jackpot just because they haven’t hit one for a while.” All of Goa’s casinos are fitted with strong surveillance systems to eliminate any chances of cheating. The games are designed with a two per
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cent house margin and owners insist this margin is in a random sample of a million games. But while there are some who know when to pull out of the game, there are others who insist on putting their foot over the edge in the hope they will win something. Sabina Martins believes gambling is addictive, with several families from the “prosperous business class” and professionals getting sucked into the habit. “I have cases of marriage breakdowns, debt, violence after a whole night of gambling, alcoholism, prostitution, fraud, bankruptcy and unpaid bank loans,” she says. Social stigma still keeps the compulsive gambler behind closed doors and self-help groups like Alcoholics Anonymous do not exist for them in the state. “Money which should have gone into the education of children or equipment to remove the drudgery of women now goes into the coffers of casinos,” says Martins. Casino managers are aware of their responsibility to society, and some like Dr Britto say they even discourage Goans from visiting their businesses. Dean Paes, marketing and public relations manager at Casino Carnival, adds, “We do have a moral obligation to our society and we understand why Goans oppose casinos. However, nothing is perfect in this world and to everything good, there is something bad.” Director of Tourism Swapnil Naik agrees, “Tourism has always been a field where moral issues crop up. There is a negative and positive to everything. It is up to us to control the negative areas. We should not stop tourism, but take care to control the negative side. Many economies have gained a lot by encouraging casinos. I wouldn’t think twice before taking my family to Singapore. It is known as a casino destination, but is still popular with tourists as they have managed to control the industry.” Spurred on by such criticism, most casinos have adopted commitments towards responsible gaming, putting up information
Characteristics of Responsible Gaming Most adult gamblers are social gamblers – they do it for fun and entertainment. Gambling responsible means setting predetermined, acceptable limits. People who set responsible limits are gambling with funds they can afford to lose. US firm Harrahs Entertainment Inc gives gamers a guide to responsible gambling. The decision to gamble is a personal choice. No one should feel pressure to gamble – from other people or themselves Gambling is not essential to having fun Limits should be set before you start to gamble Borrowing money to gamble is a bad idea There are times when people should not gamble. Certain emotional states such as loneliness, anger, depression, stress or coping with the death of a loved one, could heighten the risk of gambling Excessive use of alcohol when gambling can be risky
on their websites to discourage compulsive gamdlers. Many also list out the warning signs of addiction and suggest their clients give a second thought to continuing the game when they’ve reached the end of their tether. While the government itself does not offer anything by way of material supporting responsible gaming, casino owners are ensuring they’ve got their backs covered. “In our casinos, if we find someone going overboard, we are the first ones to call him and caution him, and if need be, they are banned,” explains Khetarpal. “As our corporate social responsibility, we do not want anyone addicted to the game. Gaming must be purely for entertainment, played with disposable income.” Adds Dr Britto, “My managers are sometimes shocked when I have returned entire losses to ensure that people who have lost what they couldn’t afford to do not return. We do not want to win money from people who have no money to lose.” The multi-crore industry argues that it also provides jobs to thousands of people directly and indirectly connected with casinos. It’s not only the croupiers and attendants in the casino, but also the surveillance staff, chefs, people manning the boats, captain and crew, cleaners, drivers and security personnel who earn their bread through the casinos. According to Khetarpal, the work force of a casino in Goa consists of 70 per cent Goans and 30 per cent non-Goans on average. Like any other industry, casinos prefer hiring locals as their subsidiary needs such as transportation and housing are already met. But despite the hoo-ha from social activists, many young Goans find the pay too good an opportunity to pass up. Khetarpal explains, “If a medical college pays a doctor with an MBBS certificate Rs 35,000 per month, I pay Rs 20,000 to someone who has passed Class 10. My only requirement is a pleasing personality and good communication skills. So if you compare
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Some games you could try your luck at Roulette: Players place bets on either a single number or range of numbers, the colours black or red, or whether the number is odd or even. The ball is spun in the opposite direction to a spinning circular track, and the winning colour and number is determined by the pocket into which the ball eventually falls into
the educational qualifications vis-à-vis the salary structure, the casino industry definitely pays the most in the country.” With around 5,000 people directly or indirectly earning from the Majestic’s operations alone, it is difficult to fathom how the economy will absorb them if all the casinos are asked to pack up. Says Nayak, “We can displace all those connected with the casino overnight, but does the economy have alternative jobs for them which they are capable of doing and which pay them a similar salary?” With the large workforce and an increasing amount of money involved, there is an overwhelming feeling among casino owners on the need for a regulatory body – one that will control and monitor the functioning of each business as well as serve as a mediating voice for the owners and the government. Dr Britto believes that a regulatory body would remove any misinformation about the industry and prevent any chance of it falling into the wrong hands. Despite suggestions to form one, efforts by the government have disappeared with barely a whimper. Narinder Punj adds, “For some time we got a positive response from the government, but it’s been a while now and nothing has happened. We would really like a body which can assist the home department in what they do.” Left to their own devices, they have formed the Casino Association of Goa and the Association of Off-shore Casinos, where owners discuss their issues and make a representation to the government when required. Even as head of tourism, Naik agrees that a regulatory
Blackjack: This is a comparing card game played with one or more French decks of 52 cards with the objective of bringing the total hand value as close as possible to 21 without exceeding it Hold Em Poker: Individuals compete in a series of deals for an amount of money contributed by the players themselves Casino War: One card each is dealt to a dealer and a player. If the player’s card is higher, he or she wins the amount equal to his bet. If the dealer’s card is higher, the player loses his bet Baccarat: It is a comparing card game played between two hands, the player and the banker. Each baccarat coup has three possible outcomes: player (the player has the higher score), banker and tie
body will help iron out problems. “An authority is required so that anyone who feels aggrieved has the option of approaching it for help,” he says. With the image further dented by allegations of dumping sewage into the Mandovi River, casino owners are up in arms to defend themselves. While critics still stick to their guns, the casinos insist that theirs is the only industry where every litre of sewage is accounted for. Put under the spotlight, they claim to ensure treatment of sewage, segregating garbage and even dishing out free compost where other vessels pump untreated waste directly into the river without batting an eyelid. They call on critics and fence-sitters alike to see before drawing conclusions. Nayak says, “I request them to come aboard anytime, get a tour and if they find us doing something wrong, we are responsible for it. Unfortunately the ones who talk negatively about casinos have never been to one in their lives.” But the request does not go down lightly with hardliners. Retorts Martins caustically, “Are the casino owners suggesting that we become prostitutes before speaking about prostitution? Would they try out poison before talking about poisoning someone?” The debate continues over the morality of their presence. And while some people see them as a job opportunity or a place to make a quick buck, the reality of addiction to gambling could still raise its menacing head. For better or worse, casinos appear to be here to stay, and whether visitors make a beeline for them or find other ways to lose money, the odds still favour the government coffers.
Source: wikipedia.com
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AFTER HOURS A column in which CEOs, political figures and other busy professionals reveal how they relax and spend their spare time
‘LOVE GOA, PRESERVE GOA’ 14
Urging Goan leaders to talk in Konkani to appeal to a mass base, Member of Parliament Shantaram Naik has vowed to speak in his mother tongue at least once during each session of the Rajya Sabha. He takes some time off with VIVA GOA
By EMYLOU D’SOUZA Pics by Edric George
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His work takes centrestage in his life and family vacations are a rare luxury for MP Shantaram Naik. Elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2005, he says that he is on call to serve the public at all times. Naik is a member of the Standing Committee of the Department of Public Grievances, Law and Justice, Food and Consumer Affairs and on the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Finance. He is Secretary of the All India Congress Committee in charge of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Pudicherry. A lawyer by profession, he started his practice in 1972 and in the same year joined the Indian National Congress. He was also a member of Rajiv Gandhi’s shouting brigade in the Parliament. A son of the soil from Cuncolim, Shantaram Naik talks about life outside the ‘House’.
ON HIS TYPICAL DAY When the Parliament is in session, I try to reach the House by 10.15 am. I attend meetings in the room of the Vice President of India Hamid Ansari, who is also chairman of the Rajya Sabha, where we informally discuss the business of the House for the day. Thereafter, I participate in the session. The Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pawan Kumar Bansal has recently also started calling a group of about 15 Congress MPs from both the Houses to discuss the party’s strategy to meet the challenges of the opposition. I also attend these meetings. During non-session periods, I meet people, visit some government offices to acquaint myself with their functioning and tour some areas. Much of my time is also spent in preparing my own notes on the problems put forth by the people, to send them to the ministries or authorities concerned so that they are in the know about where exactly the problem lies. ON LIFE AS A MP Needless to say, I am unable to devote sufficient time to my family. My wife Beena is a teacher and is a member of the Goa State Womens’ Commission. My only son Archit is in the 12th standard. So, it’s left to my wife to juggle everything – the household, her social work and our son.
ON BALANCING BEING A LAWYER AND A MP I delved deeper into law after becoming a MP. As a lawyer, I read only the legislations required for conducting my daily cases in the subordinate courts. But as a MP I have to go through a variety of legislations. In fact, during my earlier Lok Sabha term, I moved the highest
Greeting the President: Shantaram, Beena and Archit Naik along with Vimladevi Nikam and President Pratibha Devisingh Singh Patil at Rashtrapati Bhavan number of bills. I am also a member of the Standing Committee on Law, Justice, Public Grievances and Pensions. In that capacity some important legislations are referred to our committee before they are passed by the Parliament.
ON DEALING WITH CRITICISM To be frank, as I do my Parliamentary work with sincerity and dedication, there is hardly any criticism that I have to face. The only criticism that comes my way is when I make a strong case against the policies initiated by the opposition.
ON UNWINDING AFTER OFFICE HOURS I would love to watch Hindi movies, but lately I have not visited any theatres. However, I do catch a few online. Surfing the net is another interest along with it being a professional requirement as well. I enjoy finding solutions to problems in this way. Photography was an old hobby which is unfortunately on the back burner. When I’m in Goa I spend time with my six-month-old pug, Happy.
ON FAMILY VACATIONS I don’t remember when I last took my family on holiday. The short vacation I had planned to Kanyakumari last December had to be cancelled due to a last-minute hurdle.
ON WHAT HE LIKES ABOUT GOA AND WHAT HE WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE The beauty of its sea, land and rivers is breathtaking. I would like every Goan to learn about the problems and issues that face the state, and attempt to find solutions within his or her capacity and thus become a part of governance.
ON GIVING BACK TO SOCIETY In fact, I attend Parliament sessions in the manner of a schoolboy eagerly awaiting school. This is how I am able to serve society to the best of my abilities. I refuse to take posts in other associations or take on other responsibilities so I can devote every second to Parliamentary work. ON HIS MESSAGE TO YOUNG GOANS Love Goa, preserve Goa. And be rational in your thinking. Don’t get carried away.
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GUEST COLUMN Dr GUSTAVO PINTO is one of Goa’s best known vets and has been practicing for the last 30 years. He holds a Master’s degree in veterinary surgery and treats nearly all animals. His profession has taken him to Europe, the US and Brazil
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‘GONE TO THE DOGS!’
Dr Gustavo Pinto narrates why he chose animals over humans
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ery often I am confronted with people asking me why I spend so much time and energy treating animals when human beings are in dire need of assistance. My reply to them is that my life is a mission. Everyone has a mission or purpose in life and if one carries out this mission truthfully, the world would be a much better place to live in. I am fortunate to belong (of course, by choice) to one of the most beautiful and exciting professions on earth - of speaking for those who do not speak for themselves, of looking after our four-legged and winged and feathered creatures who co-inhabit our wonderful planet with us. My profession has given me many moments to treasure, moments of sheer pleasure and joy, incidents which have given me a deep insight into what life is all about and what it means to be a vet. It is always exhilarating and fulfilling when treatment meets with success, when a life is saved. Being Goa's first qualified surgeon, I have had my share of thrills doing complicated surgeries including bone pinning, plating, grafting, bladder surgeries and intestinal anastomosis. I have had my share of sad moments and grief too, though thankfully not many. Moments when I've had to share the pain of the loss of a loved one, of a pet who has been a member of the household for years and who suddenly is no more. Much as I share in the pain and suffering of the owner, the experience becomes more painful when the owner, more often than not becomes hostile. I hold no ill feeling towards such people because the loss of a loved one cannot be compensated for and in spite of our best efforts,
I am fortunate to belong to one of the most exciting professions on earth – of speaking for those who do not speak for themselves I've failed to save a valuable and precious life. I remember the first case I attended way back in 1981. I was just out of college and was eagerly waiting for a call to treat a patient but no such call came until one day a lady from Ucassaim asked me to come and treat a little pup with a wound on its back. I went by bus all the way from Panjim and attended to the poor creature, dressing the wound and giving it an antibiotic shot too. When asked about my fee, I fumbled and mumbled as I'd never treated a pet for money and with great hesitation, blurted out that ten rupees would do, as I had only spent Rs 1.50 on my bus fare. The lady promptly handed me my fee, along with a monstrous sweet-smelling soap as her husband had just returned from the Gulf. I was thrilled. On returning home, my mother joked that I must have smelled like a farmyard and therefore the soap. Once, I remember receiving an urgent call from a sprightly young lady complaining that she had a ‘tic’ problem and to “come as fast as you can”. Fortunately, I was free that day and rushed to check Piccolo, a funny brown-eyed Lhasa Apso, but couldn’t find a single tick after spending a good half hour of frantic searching. As I was in the process of writing a short curt note to the lady expressing my displeasure, in she walked and in a huff declared that the problem was not about her dog but about her. She had found a tick on her body and had summoned me. I could have flown into a rage but chose to politely inform her that I wasn’t willing to search all over again and that her case was beyond my call of duty.
And then I remember the day I was driving up the Altinho slope and I saw a nun waving frantically and asking for a lift. I immediately obliged and stopped, explaining that she was most welcome although I had a dog in the car, to which she replied that she loved dogs and hopped into the back, only to jump out in a jiffy shrieking, “You never told me it was a dead dog!” My mornings begin with a trickle of patients of all colours, shapes and sizes at the hospital where I work. Along with those beautiful four-legged creatures, come the two-legged variety of different cultures, personalities and backgrounds, which all goes into making the day so rewarding and fruitful. The patients include a large number of dogs, cats and also some cows, buffaloes, pigs and poultry with a sprinkling of a few wild animals and other exotic creatures. The lives and times of the animal owners become part of my life and vice versa. On one occasion I was at Navtara in Panjim with my family and a lady, Vanessa D’Souza, whose dog Snowy I had treated walked in with her two little girls Dynese and Serena. One of the daughters spotted me and said, “Mama, there’s the doctor”, to which the mother asks “which doctor?” “The doctor who comes to repair my dog”, was the reply. There are pets whose great grandparents I have treated, that is, for four generations. My life is intricately interwoven with the lives of both caretakers and of the winged and furry companions who share their lives, the emotions they go through and their joys and sorrows. There was this Gulf-returned swanky woman who turned up with a black mongrel who sat on the table looking me straight in the eye with an air of elegance about it. “I want you to dock the tail,” she ordered, “because I want to make him a Doberman”. I tried to suppress my laughter because cutting the poor pup’s tail would certainly not make him a Doberman and neither would it raise his pedigree in any way. To add to her woes, on closer examination I discovered that her adorable pup was after all, not a male but a female and for all practical purposes, a ‘Doberwoman’. There is no dearth of stories I could relate which reflect the beautiful life of a vet. Today it’s a dog, tomorrow it’s a cat and the day after it’s a rat. I have seen and treated them all. And that’s what gives me a kick out of life. As someone once said, I get intoxicated with the work I do. I say, “if you love your work, you don't really have to work”. One of the best tributes I ever got was from Remo, who, many years ago, commented as his dog lay in a pool of blood and I was treating it. “This is what becomes of a man when his work becomes a passion. What your work is to you, my music is to me”, whereupon he treated me to a session of music at his studio in Siolim. I have told my wife to write on my grave that “This was a life that served the purpose for which it was created” to which she replied with a mischievous smile she would add in brackets in small print: “Gone to the dogs”!
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FIRST LADY A column featuring women who have stepped beyond the shadow of their eminent husbands and are achievers in their own right
Counsellor Snehalata Bhatikar on her experiences with people and her love for doing her best
‘GOANS MUST CHANGE THEIR SELF CENTERED ATTITUDE’ S
By DIELLE D’SOUZA
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he loves people. It’s obvious by her outgoing personality and caring attitude. But Snehalata Bhatikar has much more to her than just a long and checkered professional history. As the wife of Arvind Bhatikar, one of the first Goans to be recruited directly into the elite Indian Administrative Service (IAS) retiring as chairman of Mormugao Port Trust, she has made India her home and every person she meets her friend. Even at 70, she bubbles up more energy than a regular 35-year-old, juggling her consultations at Goa University, private sessions at home, helping her husband with his research and managing their home without batting so much as an eyelid.
Besides having provided consultative services at a host of India’s top institutions including Anna Institute of Management in Tamil Nadu, Indian Airlines Staff College in Bangalore and the Christian Counselling Centre in Vellore, Bhatikar has received much praise for her parenting book Mothering And Smothering. First published in Konkani as Palak Ani Bhurgim, the book has won her the Konkani Bhasha Mandal and Sahitya Puraskar Awards. Bhatikar loves her life and shares her joy whenever possible with her US-based son Yugesh, his wife Veda and their two young children, Nina and Mira. She gives VIVA GOA a trailer to her roller-coaster life
When and why did you decide to get into counselling? As a child I was fascinated by Dr Adelia da Costa’s skill at curing psychiatric patients. I was just 12-14 when she cured one of my neighbours, but my father said girls should have nothing to do with medicine as they leave their jobs after marriage. However, I later got the opportunity to train myself in psychological counselling in the Christian Counselling Centre in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, where my husband was posted as collector. It was a very difficult examination and the institute took only two people as trainees. I did the post-graduate diploma course for two years in 1981-82. I was busy until eight every night with only a gap of half an hour in the afternoon to attend to
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my son Yugesh after he returned from school.
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What kind of impact have the people you have counselled had on your life? Counselling with dedication gives me immense happiness, and seeing people effect change in their lives gives me self-confidence. It reinforced my belief that an effective counsellor can help people live fuller lives and that human beings cannot perform miracles, but being human can. Counselling is simply communication. At the Port Trust where I took three-day management training sessions in self-care, years before my husband joined MPT as its chairman, I came across an alcoholic, who although was head of department, was denied higher positions because of his condition. I did not have time to take him as sessions with alcoholics continue for months. He didn’t Arvind and Snehalata Bhatikar with say a word and was stinking like a dead their granddaughters Nina and Mira rat, but somewhere deep down I felt very compassionate towards him. I spoke to him for half an hour, straight from the heart, and for two days after that too, I In an article in a Goan weekly, you said simply spoke to him, just chatting, and he students are pressured to do well and didn’t utter a single word. that it is “not children but their parents Three or four months later I came for a who are to be blamed”. Are parents session and was told that he had given up solely responsible for this or could they alcohol, but I thought I was being fooled. also face pressure from others? Just then, a respectable looking gentleman I reiterate that parents are solely to be with gold-rimmed glasses came towards me, blamed. If there is healthy communication, stood before me and told me his name. I was proper understanding between parent and completely surprised and dumbfounded that child, parents will be convinced that they it was the same man. This is what I mean should not lay undue pressure on the child. when I say human beings cannot perform If the parent is convinced that he is right miracles, but being human can. Based on the in not pressurising the child, outside relationship between the counsellor and the pressures on the parent will not work. counselee, you can effect change. This is the tremendous power of a good human being. Do you think a more practical school curriculum can help ease the pressure? What made you decide to write your No. As long as parents and teachers do not book Mothering and Smothering? change their approach and attitude, no When I visited my relatives in Goa, I found change in curriculum will help. If there is that some of them were bringing up their proper understanding of children, there will children in a way that would not benefit the be no undue expectations. The end will not society and that the children would not be be more important than the means. functional. My husband said I should not Today there is more stress on the end, complain and if I wanted change, I ought to while the quality of person and life are not write a book. I didn’t have time, but after a important. Parents must understand their while I couldn’t take the frustration any more. limitations and those of their children, and I wrote in Konkani first because my encourage a healthy value system. Children husband insisted that my first book be in that should be allowed to fit into their proper language. I was not used to writing in slots, to contribute according to their ability. Konkani and it took me quite a while to Society will benefit if parents and teachers begin. But after that I wrote the entire book understand their responsibility and help raise within a very short span of time. responsible human beings and not robots. The book should be read not for literary pleasure, but for its utility value. It discusses You spent many years in Tamil Nadu how to bring up children so that they become where your husband was posted. constructive and creative. It discusses at Describe your experience. length how to understand a child, how to talk I spent some of the most beautiful years of to him, what to say to him, the words that my life there and love each and everything parents should/should not use. It won me the about Tamil Nadu. I was in Tamil Nadu and Sahitya Puraskar award of the Kala Academy, Bangalore for 25 years and I enjoyed being a Goa. But for me the responses from readers part of those languages and cultures. were more satisfying and valuable. I would draw pictures of vegetables on a After that I translated the book in English paper, get the equivalent, write it in devanagari script to learn the words. In due for those who did not know Konkani.
course of time, I conducted a training programme in self-care in Co-Optex in Tamil. Apart from Konkani and English, I know Hindi and Marathi, and can converse freely in Tamil and Kannada. I also understand Portuguese and French.
You have travelled widely as the wife of a senior bureaucrat. How did you cope with the pressures of adjusting to transfers? Transfers were always a pleasure, because they meant new places, new people and new experiences. I loved decorating our new residential quarters.
Tell us more about the different hobbies you have. When I was young, I learnt to play Hindustani classical music on violin. I love Hindustani, Carnatic and Western classical music. I’m an expert tailor, and have good skills in embroidery, crochet and knitting. Right from my childhood, I have been making clay models and drawing portraits. I am fond of writing and am an amateur painter. I had informal training in water colour, oil, batik and kalamkari paintings. I also had an exhibition of batik paintings in France and there they thought my name was Bhatikar because batik painting was a family tradition.
What do you love most about Goa and is there anything you would like to change? I love most of my family and my friends. I would like most Goans to change their self-centred attitude. They are only bothered about themselves and that hurts me. The dysfunctional effect of tourism on youth in coastal areas, unprecedented corruption in the Goa government, selfish misuse of our democracy, people’s indifferent attitude to social issues, the rising incidence of gambling, prostitution and drugs under official patronage are issues that traumatise me about today’s Goa.
How do you balance personal and professional interests? Any activity I do, I do wholeheartedly and enjoy it immensely. Life is full of such lovely experiences that I do not have to make any special effort to balance. Life balances itself. There is no set time for anything. Every activity is blissful. There is no winding, and so there is no unwinding!
An egalitarian and democratic society in India where both women and men would have a voice is the dream of the women’s rights movement? Is this a reality in Goa? This reality does not exist anywhere in India. In Goa, however, society is more liberal and the position of women is relatively better than in most other parts of the country.
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FEATURE
Wildlife Conservation, the theme at the Goa Sand Art Festival 2010 in December, exhibited life-like and intricate sculptures of India’s endangered species
SHIFTING SANDS... 22
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round 13 students and upcoming artists from Goa, Mumbai, Pune and Orissa tackled the backbreaking challenge of shaping, levelling, spreading and brushing the transient raw material three days prior to the main festival. Over 10,000 people were amazed to see ten feet long replicas of two lions, a tiger, an elephant, a rhinoceros and a gorilla spread over a 6,800 sq ft theme park. The unique challenge in creating art out of sand is to visualise the final out come before one starts, says director Jerry Jose who conceptualised and organised
the festival in collaboration with the Department of Tourism. “The position of the sculpture and the direction it faces must be kept in mind. Also the sculpture needs to stay moist, so it has to be constantly hydrated by spraying water,” he reveals. In its second year in the running, the theme in 2009 was Global Warming, the objective of the Goa Sand Art Festival is to create awareness about a particular issue, provide a platform for the students and upcoming artists to showcase their talent and also encourage this form of art. The festival was inaugurated by Minister of Tourism Nilkant Halarnkar,
MLA of Calangute Agnelo Fernandes and Director of Tourism Swapnil Naik. Halarnkar said that efforts would be made to organise various types of festivals on Goa’s beaches to attract domestic and foreign tourists. And that the necessary infrastructure needs to be developed to boost the tourism sector. A new addition to the Goa Sand Art Festival 2010 was several festival previews held during the Diwali period at various malls across Mumbai. “There was no better way to let people know about the Goa Sand Art Festival other than the preview. It gave people a glimpse of what they could look forward to see in Goa,”
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Pics by Edric George Jose said. One of the world’s master sculptors from the UK, the ‘Sandwizard’ Simon Smith graced the festival. Smith is the director of SandWizard, the largest and most established sand art business in Australia and New Zealand, with nearly a decade of experience providing quality products and creative entertainment. Sand art simply involves the use of sand and water to make artistic shapes, some as intricate as the Buddist Mandalas, a Tibetan Buddhist tradition of creating and destroying circular art forms made with dyed sand to symbolise the doctrinal belief in the transitory nature of material life.
This year, 12 artists and students left their marks in sands at Candolim including Rajan Madolkar, Dhiraj Pednekar, Mahesh Bomkar and Shivanand Sawant from Goa College of Art. Others who participated were renowned sand artists Narayan Sahu, Shiv Ram and Chandreshekar from Orissa, Nagraj Patil, Bibishan Shete, Swapnil Sangole and Bhushan Manerkar from JJ School of Arts in Mumbai, along with Mayura Koth from Bhartividyapete in Pune and Vaishali Oak a renowned artist from Pune. Adds Jose, “The festival has a three-fold objective. Firstly, it seeks to
provide a platform for students and upcoming talent. Secondly, it takes up a social issue and creates awareness about it and lastly, the festival promotes this unique art form. Over a thousand people visited the festival last year and since the scale is larger this year, we had many more visitors.” The continuity of the festival could be in danger even as it gains popularity. Over the last decade, nearly 1.1km of beach along the Candolim-Sinquerim stretch has been eroded. The Goa Sand Art Festival hopes to bring this issue to the notice of the authorities too.
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LEGAL BRIEF A regular column on legal affairs and philosophy
1/16/2011
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TIME FOR PUBLIC LAW
Atmaram Nadkarni is a senior advocate and former Advocate General of Goa
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It is time to set Public Law in motion to defeat the canker of corruption
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n the medieval period there was something called people’s law - popularly called PublicLaw in matters of issues governing solicitation of investments from the public by companies. Corporates which are now governed by SEBI, SFIA and other such laws, were at one point of time regulated by the Controller of Capital Issues - but were actually governed by Public Law - the people’s will, and the members of the public could decide whether to invest or not. The main problem we in India face today is the inability of our system and the people manning the system, and for that matter, for most of us to fight the injustice caused to a large number of people. Only recently, the new Coastal Regulation Zone Notifications have been issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF). Until recently, when Jairam Ramesh made his entry as minister, this portfolio was a den of corruption. This was the categorical admission of our Prime Minister himself. The MOEF gave out environmental clearances to several mines and projects, including clearances to deforest several areas. Most of this was done after the project proponents greased the palms of the authorities. Indeed the Supreme Court of India, in a well meaning judgment, laid down that all those operating without environmental clearance must stop. But
the parties rushed to the MOEF, with the resultant jackpot to the minister. This is common knowledge, but only a few spoke out. Indeed the red tape of permissions and controls in this country breeds rampant corruption. With more laws in place, we have more controls and with more controls more
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power to acquire underhand wealth. Do you think our top politicians who claim to be clean are unaware of this? Do you think judges are not aware of it? Or the Anti-Corruption Bureau or the anti-corruption courts? Everyone is aware of what is going on. But few dare to tackle the issue head on. And I pray that the people who uphold the independence and integrity of the Indian judiciary multiply and grow in strength. Every Indian rests his last hope on the judiciary. Look at the manner in which the 2G spectrum hearing in the Supreme Court shook up everyone, how hard-hitting questions were posed on the hearing of the Adarsh scam in the Bombay High Court, and what the Delhi judge did when he refused to buy CBIs argument to close the Bofors case. Our law presumes all accused to be innocent unless proven guilty. True, perhaps they are all innocent but then the mere fear of being exposed for corruption acts as the best detriment. It is precisely for these reasons that India needs strong-headed, robust and exemplary judges who can hold high the flag of the judiciary. What our earliest judges, fine in their knowledge of law and justice, did not foresee was the depth and manner in which the country would get mired in the swamp of corruption. They set in good faith a self-
imposed limitation on themselves. Today, the time has come to do away with these limitations. There is simply no question of the judges crossing the red line when they decide to judicially review a governmental action. Take a case in which a panchayat, municipality or PDA dillydallies over the grant of permission when the file and its contents are fully within the four corners of law. Can the authority refuse to grant
permission ? The answer is an obvious no. But citizens in such cases have a legal and an illegal option. The legal option involves challenging the refusal before a court of law in a long and expensive action. The illegal option is to pay money and get whatever permission they seek. Unless the matter comes up speedily before relief oriented judges, there is no motivation to avoid opting for the illegal option. All would thus agree that the judiciary is the only light at the end of the tunnel. The time has now arrived for a strategic uprising by virtue of the Public Law doctrine, that most powerful weapon where each one of us takes a solemn oath to expose corruption and corrupt persons. This is not
impossible. It simply requires determination, courage, and an upright character. Our country’s motto speaks for itself: Satyameva Jayte - truth alone triumphs. So, one and all, in this year 2011, do wake up. Set the Public Law in motion and ensure that everyone respects the moral and legal fabric of this country. It is time that citizens gather courage to speak out against corruption and make use of the legal aid centres set up by the authorities and bring to the notice of the constitutional courts the acts of injustice suffered by them.
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HEALTH
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Saves Nine’ ‘A Stitch in Time,
Detecting breast cancer in its early stages can ensure up to 85 per cent survival By Dr SHEKHAR SALKAR
Dr Shekhar Salkar, MS,FICS [onco] Consulting oncosurgeon, with specialised interest in breast, gastrointestinal and head and neck cancers
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B
reast cancer in Goa is on the rise as a number of studies have shown. While the number of women afflicted by this type of cancer is less in India compared with developed countries, the figure is still alarming in our cities. Around 25 to 35 women per 100,000 are diagnosed with breast cancer in Indian cities and eight to ten per 100,000 in our villages. But the alarming factor in places like Goa is that the affected population is young – nearly 60-70 per cent of the patients are in the age group of 35 to 55. If a young woman of 35 has cancer and we help her survive for ten years, she will only be 45 at the end of it. At that age, she perhaps has not completed many of the obligations towards her family and has lived out only half her life. Ten years for a 60-yearold cancer survivor will be seen more as a bonus. However, what we are looking for is a complete cure of the cancer to ensure a happy life and for this, patients need to come to us at an early stage. At stages I and II, we can ensure at least 8085 per cent chance of a complete cure, which can drop to just five per cent in stage IV. This rise of breast cancer incidence among younger women can be attributed to a change in lifestyle which promotes a prolonged action of estrogen in the body. Estrogen is an important hormone in the breast cancer Source: www.hubpages.com building process. It acts on the body to produce female characteristics by increasing the number of breast cells as soon as a girl starts her menses. During pregnancy, a woman’s body secretes progesterone, which causes estrogen to decrease, thereby acting as a preventive factor to the incidence of breast cancer. Therefore, lifestyle changes such as delayed child bearing increases the possibility of women developing breast cancer. The major risk factors are early menarche, late menopause, late marriages, late childbearing, fewer children and fewer months of breastfeeding. Recently, obesity has also become a contributing factor to a rise in breast cancer cases. Typically, women in their 40s lose interest in looking good, eat extra food including that wasted by children, have less tension and therefore end up eating more. Ideally, a woman must have her first child before the age of 30 to reduce her risk of getting breast cancer, but realistically this is not possible for all as Source: www.knowcancer.com many want to earn and enjoy their life before getting
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married and having children. Another change we have seen over time is the decreasing age of menses. Three or four decades ago, a family would have five to six children and the sons would get preference over daughters with regard to food. Now there are fewer children in families and all are given the best food the parents can afford, making them nutritionally sound. Exposure to television and other media exposes youngsters to programmes with sexual content, which also contributes to a lower age of sexual maturity. Where 35 years ago, a girl got her first period at 14 and bore her first child at 20, today’s youth are achieving sexual maturity at 10-11 years, but having children at 35. This leaves a comparatively large window during which estrogen is acting on the body before pregnancy-driven progesterone counters it. This however, does not mean a woman will definitely develop breast cancer if she has children at a later stage or does not have children at all. It simply puts In , at least her in a higher risk category. per of the As the adage goes, “a stitch in time, saves nine”. Knowing one’s body can help detect the slightest are between and change in normalcy, allowing women to take appropriate action at the earliest. Breast selfyears of examination follows the concept that a woman is the best person to detect any change. Examining herself every month will allow her to pick up on any change and consult a doctor for verification. In Goa, at least six per cent of the patients are between 20 and 30 years of age, indicating that women should begin self-examinations at the age of 20 to 25. Regular selfexaminations, doctor’s check-ups and mammographies help detect cancer at the earliest stages. Besides this, any change in the routine style of bowel and bladder movement should also be a cause for concern. Oral ulcers that do not heal within a week’s time, unusual menstrual bleeding or vaginal discharge, indigestion, difficulty in swallowing, Source: www.hkatt.blogspot.com continuous cough and warts or moles that are secreting liquid should also prompt women to go to the clinic. Suspicions can be cross-checked with a sonography – one of the simplest, most cost effective ways to diagnose breast cancer – or a mammography – used when the patient is over 40 years. CT scans, MRIs, bone scans and blood tests are other ways for the detection of cancer. Doctors also conduct biopsies to check if a woman has cancer. After the presence of a tumour has been confirmed, patients are advised on the various types of treatments available to them. With hormone therapy, patients are administered anti-estrogen to control the tumour and sometimes kill it. Doctors also use radiotherapy to kill all the malignant cells in the tumour, while chemotherapy helps to increase the lifespan of the patient. Newer and more advanced types of chemotherapies are now available, and the prices could range between Rs 2,500 per cycle to around Rs 2 lakh per cycle depending on how many side-effects the patient is willing to withstand and her receptor standard. Surgery is also conducted, but unlike in the past when the entire breast was removed, doctors now only remove what is required.
Goa cent
six patients 20 30 age
21.9
*
MUMBAI
21.1
*
ISON COMPAR CANCER BREAST FEMALE
CHENNAI
NEW DELHI
23.3
*
GOA
35.5
*
* PER 100,000
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Boat Show review by Zinia:Layout 1
FEATURE
Zinia J C has worked with India’s leisure boating industry for over three years. She has incorporated her passion for business and the waters by founding www.IndiaYachtPage. com, an online promotions website
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1/16/2011
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kind s t i f o how l Marine s t a o a l b only ternation cater to al e h t In as to Billed ia, the Goa 10 aimed 0 in Ind oat Expo 2 nautical and B sleek and s thing
n l A – a A n O o i G rnat inteating n? bo tinatio des
nal rnation the e t n I i oa ay. the G only showater displ a , g n i nn the aw e Go ear ruo 2010 is longside ariner, th s y d n dm Exp bit a seco sitor e n its e & Boat land exhi a seasoneoffered vi xperienc e n r i a o r o o t a p h g x it M them oatin oat E try w and coun new to b ine and B , allowing fer. . achts aft f r r t y e o a a y h o t r k M t e u l r aw le has ux hoverc Wh ationa ry ers, l ty and g Interny to stop ting lifes stal cruis anoes, to s and luxu hey a t a c t t o c o l n c i d u b e t , l n d p op un oat aks a boats e pro at the all th om power kites, kay as lifestyl s could shine and B r l r o l o Fr t ts we n, visit onal Ma e River o h ts as s boa i sport edal boa cial secti Internat anks of t n ideal d, e b a p a p o e s d – G h n t roun ji a s in a r. The h on ion g Pana brand ed ancho last mont demy in e exhibit dropp was held Kala Aca joining th clients. panies – Expo ovi at the e jetty ad nience to ndian com orts h Mand on with t jor conve ts were I water sp ports. n i locat ng it a ma participa ntoon and uard and er long maki ost of the arina. po he coast g g on-wat buyers a n l t m i M a , , d i a s t s u r panie e this poten s incl deale boat ment com of service t rides for ches mad per cent u t p 0 a i equ so, a hos and bo ortant to With a 3 has the Al rations ut imp show. Goa nst ll b oat ears, m de o other sma nderful b ver the y with e and wo cipation o i uniquth in part w o r g
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Boat Show review by Zinia:Layout 1
1/16/2011
Special Attractions at Goa Boat Expo 2010
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advantage of becoming the preferred international boating destination.
Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, had in principal agreed to support the setting up of a Rs400 crore marina in the state. “The Mormugao Port Trust has also declared that it has initiated the process of setting up a marina within the jurisdiction of the port water on a PPP basis.” He adds, “A marina is well-known for creating an ambience that is appealing to the discerning client. Besides providing sustainable employment to the local populace, it provides for a unique lifestyle that is the envy of all. It is therefore pertinent for the Government of Goa to facilitate a marina before Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala or Gujarat steal a march. “Marinas can change tourism both quantitatively and qualitatively, and provide jobs over a wide spectrum even during the lean monsoon season. Should we not cash in on the opportunity or simply let it drift by?” The waterfront properties in Goa make for an ideal marina setup of international standards. Apart from the State’s own rich and famous, many of India's big names own vacation villas here. With the biggest and most renowned hotel chains, Goa is an important international event destination. All the more reason to make Goa the leisure boating capital of the country.
Goa – A leisure boating paradise Although Mumbai, the commercial capital of India, may hold the maximum count of boats, Goa has an advantage over both Mumbai and Kochi. For one, Goa takes the lead when it comes to the tourism sweepstakes of the country. It is the Indian hotspot for recreational boating. Over 40 beachfront luxury resorts and an equal number under development constitute a huge market for boats, yachts, jet skis and water sports equipment. Many tourists own boats back home and would love to cruise down to Goa if only there was adequate infrastructure and a regulation procedure in place. The two directors of Media Promotions Private Ltd, Clive Sequeira and Kedar Dhume, the organisers of the Goa International Marine and Boat Expo, said that a lack of rules to govern recreational boating is hampering growth in Goa. “Both the central as well as the state governments do not have regulations in place to support leisure boating”, adds Sequeira. “We have procedures in place for cargo-shipping and fishing, but not leisure boating. Once a customer buys a boat there should be a procedure in place to determine if the boat is seaworthy and to decide on the skills required by a person to operate such a boat.” More visiting yachts is what India needs Acr to become a sought-after sailing destination on the world map. Once in place, Dock, international events, rallies and regattas Airberth, will automatically follow suit. Lack of infrastructure and regulatory measures is Arshea what has stalled India and Goa from Marine, becoming a sailing paradise. Lt Col (Retd) Milind Prabhu, a known Aquarius marine and boating consultant, says, “In Fibreglas, the last few years, the idea of a marina in Goa has been floated about. Bayliner, Companies with a global interest are Chinkara making their way to capitalise on what, for India, is a novel Marine, Dan phenomenon. Not to lag behind, Fenders, Eclipse some local businesses have also expressed interest in a marina. Kites, Edgewaker, “The successful Goa Fairline, Ferretti, International Marine and Boat Expo held in Panaji provided a Feelfree Kayaks, Gill, timely boost to the concept of a Grand Soleil, Harris, marina in Goa. The Tourism Department, Government of Holt, Jeanneau, Kaiyan, Goa, revealed that the
P A R T I C I P A T I N G B R A N D S
Kawasaki, Litmus Marine, Majesty, Marlow, Mercury Marine, Mercury Inflatables, Meridian Yachts, Monterey, Nautitech, Novurania, Oryx, Peterlynn Kites, Praga Marine, Prestige, Princess, Regal, Silver Craft, Sea Ray, Sea Royal, Sessa Marine, Sea Scan Marine, Sealine, S S Marine, Sun Marine, Viking Yachts, Walkerbay, Water Wish and Yamaha
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INTERIORS/ EXTERIORS
TUSCAN OPULENCE An alumnus of the Goa College of Architecture, Siddha D Sardessai casts an expert eye on distinctive and contemporary houses of Goa
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The Tuscan majesty of Vishwasrao Dempo’s home is a landmark in Dona Paula
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riving past Dona Paula onto the Bambolim plateau, one cannot but miss the opulence of the grand Dempo Mansion of Vishwasrao Dempo and family. This iconic edifice designed by Architect Ameet Suctancar invokes a feeling of grandness with a sharp elegance, while Architect Reshma Suctancar carries this affluence inside through her interior design. Vishwasrao Dempo lives in this majestic home with his wife Krishnakumari and their two sons – Yatish and Rajesh with their families – and daughter Kalyani. The exterior is set in a classical style with columns and detailing taken from the true Tuscan order. The steep hip roof with antique red
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Mangalore roof tiles and large windows proportionate to the elevation highlight the classical style. The façade has a rich decorative entry gateway, flanked by Tuscan columns leading to the portico. To mimic Goa’s beautiful landscapes, especially those at Dona Paula, the mansion reinterprets traditional building materials and elements by means of tropical landscape settings, courtyards and water features. The doors open to Italian marble flooring with grains in light beige in the hallways on the ground and first floors. The staircase is the focal point of the house with glass railings and sleek wooden handrails. With silver leafing in the background and gold leafing
within a niche below the landing, this double-height space has a pyramidal skylight in the centre which provides warm lighting into the atrium. A Swarovski crystal chandelier hangs from underneath this skylight, reflecting the rays of the morning sun. This atrium forms the main element through which different rooms are accessible along a corridor. The entrance lobby is accentuated by wooden rafters and a glass partition on one side that overlooks a courtyard with a water body lined by a rock garden. The antique Buddha-faced cabinet, a creative floor pattern and the little glass chandeliers that project out from the wooden ceiling all add to the amazing character of the space. Walnut and white are the basic elements used in common areas while different themes have been incorporated while doing up the various rooms. To begin with, let us take a look at the living room. Contemporary styled sofa sets set against the beige walls with
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Pics by Edric George
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Krishnakumar
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o i & Vishwasra
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Dempo
walnut-shaded door trims and original paintings is the main element of this simple and uncluttered living area. Tall glazed openings filter the light into the living through the courtyard. Vishwasrao’s son Rajesh says, “We wanted a palatial mansion with tall columns and Ameet has given us our dream home just the way we wished. We were not happy with the idea of the courtyard, but Ameet was pretty adamant that we have it. Today, this courtyard is the cynosure of all eyes that visit our home”. The concept of beige and walnut is carried further into the dining area with a paneled wall and brown-tinted dining top juxtaposed with the walnut and brown fabric of the dining chairs. Restricting the use of wood on the walls, Reshma has opted for rich furnishing, a textured effect for the walls, louvred doors and mirrors that add to the visual appeal of the space. Along with the visual appeal, she has also successfully handled the storage requirements by
creating appropriate spaces. An ultra-modern island kitchen with all the latest electronic items add to the intricate design elements. This large, clear, uncluttered kitchen is as airy and bright as any other room in the house. The stairway leading to the first floor continues the concept to visually conjoin the floors. This level makes space for four bedrooms and a family room that incorporates the TV and the bar. Walking through the balcony that overlooks the atrium, we pass through the family room with its cosy wooden flooring and dark maroon walls. Tucked in one corner is a discreet bar with a sophisticated entertainment system occupying centre space. The bedrooms are almost similarly done
and boast of simple furniture and decor. The attached wardrobe-cum-dressing area leading to a toilet is, again, totally paneled in walnut shades. The sloping roof and the bed add a distinct and subtle character to the room. The neat segregation of areas, the bright accents through furnishing, carpets and accessories introduce a sense of vibrancy to this home. The large expanse of garden space lining the living space hosts a gazebo in one corner. One can sit here for hours, admiring the architecture of the mansion. The right use of scale and proportion has helped enhance the facade where the two balconies from the floor above overlook into the patio of the living room. One also notices that the architect has played with different materials without being too loud. Overall, this mansion reflects a truly Tuscan majesty.
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DIFFERENT STROKES
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YOUNG AT Five emerging young artists hold an exhibition at the Kerkar Art Complex
By EMYLOU D’SOUZA Pics by Edric George
Young Talents Siddharth Kerkar, Valentino Santoro, Girija Dempo, Amrut Hardin and Aman Singh recently displayed their work, ranging from painting and photography to sculpture at the Kerkar Art Complex in Calangute. Eminent artist Dr Subodh Kerkar, director of the gallery, says, “It is very important that children are encouraged because every one of them is an artist. Society has the term Hidden Talent and has a knack of hiding those talents. It is our job to bring them out.” Unclu)ered, their creations speak about their experiences and the life around them.
Octy the Octopus
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6 years
AMAN SINGH This painting is on a double canvas and I love it because it’s a picture of the sea and has lots of dots and is very colourful
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Kaleidoscope, acrylic on canvas
9 years
GIRIJA DEMPO My favourite painting is Kaleidoscope because it has lots of flowers and colours. I’ve used a twisted brush technique as well as an art knife for the grass
9 years
AMRUT HARDIN
Annoyed Spotted Eagle
We were passing some paddy fields in the car, and my father and I saw this bird. I like taking pictures of birds of prey like eagles, herons and kites.�
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VALENTINO SANTORO
11 years
Most of my work is from the American movies that I watch. It took me three weeks. First I made the basic structure which includes the face, neck, muscles, and then worked on the rest
Wire sculpture based on ‘Alien Queen’
Abstract, acrylic on canvas
SIDDHARTH KERKAR
14 years
It’s an abstract work of acrylic. It took me five to six days to finish it.
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HOSPITALITY:Layout 1
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HOSPITALITY A column which reviews the best hotels in Goa
Sinead McManus has lived and worked in Goa for the last five years. She lives in Canacona, South Goa but her job entails travelling extensively around India, promoting the country to the British/American Travel Trade and to the independent traveller
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LEISURE REDEFINED
The Kenilworth Beach Resort & Spa, Utorda is leisure redefined. It offers guests the luxury of time and the luxury of being cared for
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Its X Factor – The Spa, its treatments and the friendly staff Still to come – Opening of Sea Hawk Shack on the beach, a unique dining experience
H
aving taken a short, 20-minute drive from Dabolim Airport through the lush paddy fields and coconut tree-lined roads, we enter the Kenilworth Beach Resort & Spa nestled in the white sands of Utorda Beach in South Goa. We were greeted by friendly staff that swiftly checked us in and guided us to our Arabian Sea view room via the impressive lobby. This five-star property is the epitome of true Goan hospitality and offers 104 sea-facing rooms and suites, 101 Deluxe Rooms, two Executive Suites and one Presidential Suite, all furnished to reflect Goa’s Portuguese heritage. Set in over 14 acres of immaculate grounds, the hotel is fronted by one of the longest uninterrupted beach fronts covering some 27 kilometres. In season it becomes a recreational area offering a vast range of adrenaline-rushing adventure and water sports. The hotel boasts an oversize swimming pool catering to all age groups. It is surrounded by a children’s play area, making sun lounging for the family a must. The reins of The Kenilworth Beach Resort & Spa, Goa, are in the hands of Sumir Yadav, the General Manager who is backed by 13 years of industry and management experience. As a focused GM, Yadav works diligently towards the management goal of making the resort a first-class spa
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With this new spa venture and the
modernisation of the hotel’s interiors and exteriors, we aim to bring guests from around the world to enjoy this spa hotel – the first of its kind in Goa – Sumir Yadav, GM, The Kenilworth Beach Resort & Spa
destination, the first of its kind in Goa. After settling in, at the top of my list was the newly refurbished Agua – The Spa. Spread over 6000 sq ft, this haven offers an enticing blend of traditional and exotic treatments that incorporate the most excellent styles and techniques from the Eastern as well as Western regions. From acupuncture, to Thai, Swedish, Balinese, as well as Hawaiian therapy, the decision was a tough one. Overall, I was surprised to find such an immense space, a cleverly designed labyrinth of calm and serenity. After indulging in two of their signature treatments, I felt the warm embrace of pure relaxation and a feeling of increased inner well-being. The hotel hosts a number of exquisite restaurants – The Palms Restaurant, a multi-cuisine all day dining restaurant situated just below the lobby level, The Mallika, specialising in northern frontier Indian fine dining, The Portofino, a casual Italian trattoria with a complete range of Italian gastronomic delights including gourmet and traditional pizzas, antipasti and Italian desserts. And finally, for late night entertainment, R.E.D, the lounge bar disco-cum-casino, with a tapas menu. Each of the restaurants presented us with the freshest sea food and a variety of cuisines that was a delight to our taste buds. We enjoyed the tantalising array offered to us at the evening buffet, all washed down with feni. The Kenilworth Resort & Spa is truly a lifestyle statement bringing a whole new understanding of luxury – the luxury of time, and the luxury of being cared for.
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COUTURE On what’s haute in the world of fashion in Goa
Eco-friendly sea-cell fabric
Michelle Banarse is a designer and stylist who has worked extensively in the film and music industry. Apart from working with other designers in India, she also has her own ready-to-wear range
Eco-Chic A
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ttitudes are changing if somewhat slowly to the term eco-friendly, with high-end designers such as Stella McCartney and Philip Lim who are making sustainable fashion a statement, bringing it much-needed attention. Stella’s green designs retain the urban edginess that has become her trademark. And even though the term ‘eco-friendly’ was completely alien to India several years ago, things are changing with inspirational designers such as Anita Dongre who launched her Grassroot clothing line at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week 2007. Other designers to look out for are the duo Lecoanet Hemant and Payal Jain whose forte in eco is accessories, jewellery, scarves, shoes and hats as is Goa’s own Wendell Rodricks. So what is eco-fashion? Eco-fashion is about making clothes that take into account the environment, the health of the consumers and the working conditions of the people that make them. The clothes are made using organic raw materials such as cotton grown without pesticides and silk made by worms fed on organic plants like bamboo and corn. It is said that the making of a single T-shirt involves the consumption of around one-third pound of agricultural chemicals and other harmful products like ammonia and formaldehyde. No harmful chemicals
Green is the new black when it comes to eco-friendly clothing
and bleaches are used to colour organic fabrics. High quality garments can be made from recycled and reused textiles; they can even be made from recycled plastic bottles, which make them last longer. The people involved in the production process are paid a Fair Trade price and working conditions are safe. One of the pioneers of this emerging movement is designer Linda Loudermilk. Her luxury eco line of clothing and accessories utilises sustainable materials made from exotic plants including bamboo, sea-cell (a fabric made out of lyocell – 100 per cent wood pulp fibre – and seaweed), and soya. Sasawashi is a linen-like fabric made from a Japanese leaf that contains anti-allergen and antibacterial properties. Of course, Mahatma Gandhi was there way before anyone else. His legacy is his khadi, which he called ‘the soul of a nation’. This handspun fabric in cotton or silk is enjoying a comeback with new contemporary designers bringing it to centre stage. A stunning collection for 2010 is a label called Pero by Aneeth Arora. Using raw khadi cottons and silks with iconic Indian shapes and patterns, Arora has managed to somehow create a very modern and contemporary look, while keeping it classic and, quite simply, stunning.
The European label Bodkin is good, smart design, comfort being the key word – simple silhouettes that you can take from day into the night. Bodkin pushes the envelope a little further each season with new fabrics. Recycled polyester, wool, fine organic cottons, salvaged textiles and handloom weavers are all sourced and made in India. Indigreen Designs is 100 per cent natural, cent per cent Indian and 100 per cent in your face! All their products employ creativity to develop sustainable options for fashion and lifestyle merchandise, a forum of high fashion, art, eco-friendly values and Fair Trade ethics. If you want to learn more, visit their site www.indigreen.co.in. And if you want something with a lot of rock sensibility, why not check out Edun, a label designed by Bono of U2 and his wife Ali Hewson. All their products support and sustain communities all over the world including Africa and India. So if you want to look good, feel good and save the planet, eco is the only way forward. If the consumer has a realistic choice of going green, then green really is the new black in fashion.
Check out what Michelle has to offer on www.michellebanarse.com
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HOMING IN A regular column by foreigners who have made Goa their home
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‘GOA IS INDIA FOR BEGINNERS’ Simon Hayward from England, the owner of Vivenda Dos Palhacos – a famous guest house in Majorda – delves into why Goa is home
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By SIMON HAYWARD
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like to think that my ancestors were more adventurers than colonists, but perhaps that is wishful thinking. My great grandfather was a doctor with the Indian Medical Service and my great, great uncle Bill Criper came to India after prospecting for rubies in Burma in the 1870s. He joined Dr David Waldie (who had invented chloroform) at Konnager, on the Hooghly just north of Calcutta. They soon set up The Bengal Distilleries as a side business to Dr Waldie’s chemical works and produced very cheap country liquor and also had the licence to distribute opium and ganja (then a government monopoly). The Bengal Distilleries went on to become famous for its Hayward’s Gin, among other things, but this was sold to Shaw Wallace in the 50s when prohibition might have wiped us out. My father then worked for Shaw Wallace until the late 1970s. A pity really, otherwise I might have been as rich as Vijay Mallya! My family has been in India for four or five generations. I was born in Calcutta along with my sisters, and my brother was born in Madras. So I don’t really feel like a foreigner in India or in Goa, where even Delhiites are made to feel like outsiders. Chinese Americans are known as bananas, because they are yellow on the outside and white on the inside. I can’t think of a fruit that is white outside and brown in the middle. I first came to Goa when I was about five for a family holiday at the Aguada. It wasn’t until I was living in Bombay as Executive Creative Director of FCB Ulka Advertising in 2002 that I started exploring the place. I immediately fell in love more with the Portuguese architecture of Goa than anything else. Having sold my small farm in New Zealand, I needed to put the money into property. Everyone said I should buy in North Goa, but after months of looking at properties at weekends I found my house in Majorda, South Goa. All I knew about the area was Zeebop, on the beach in
Co-owner of Vivenda Dos Palhacos Charlotte Hayward, Simon’s sister
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Utorda, where I had an excellent long lunch before deciding to buy. Zeebop remains one of my favourite restaurants in the whole wide world. Other than Zeebop, my favourite spot is the stretch of southern beaches which comes into magnificent view over the hill, when travelling in my open jeep on the coastal road. There is so much to love about Goa. Its architecture, for one thing. Its beauty. Its food and drink. The water buffalo and paddy birds, the pigs and chickens. The bullfights. Its holiday atmosphere and love of music. Goa is India for beginners. Very Goan, but very much part of Mother India, with a European influence going back to hundreds of years. Goa could and should be India’s model state. But there is the flip side. The politicians and bureaucrats. The mining. The taxi drivers (with many honourable exceptions) The greed. The crass developments often encroaching on the sea, the rivers and the communidade land. The anti-foreigner feeling that has been drummed up by the media and politicians. The visa laws. The luxury tax when we don’t even have the luxury of proper electricity. The absence of rubbish collection. These are all responsible for Goa’s tainted image. Running a hotel is quite unlike work, so I often end up unwinding with my guests. The only danger is unwinding too far. During the season, one stupidly does not make the time to see friends in North Goa. But I am also working on a project with a graphic designer mate of mine in New Zealand. As at least a quasi-Mumbaikar, I do like to get to Mumbai as often as possible, for a burst of energy and a break from the routine in Paradise. I often gambol around with my basset hounds Toby and Totty in the garage. It sometimes feels as though I live in their kennel rather than the other way around. And although I love the monsoon, it goes on for too long for me – and as that time of year is lovely in Europe, I try to get away for a couple of months to see my parents and family in England. But I definitely feel more of an outsider in England than I do at home in India.
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GOAN CUISINE A monthly column offering the best of Goan food and drink
Chef Deepa Awchat, originally from Mapusa, is the co-founder of ‘Goa Portuguesa’, ‘Culture Curry’ and ‘Diva Maharashtra’, Mumbai’s popular, award-winning restaurants. She is also the author of ‘The Goa Portuguesa Cookbook’ deepaawchat@ goaportuguesa.com
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I wish you all a happy and healthy 2011 and a happy Makar Sankranti. I present Tilache Ladu (Sesame Ladoos) – “Tilgul ghe ani goad goad bol” and also my creation Tender Coconut Cashew Sukke, which won the best Goan dish prize by CNNGOs Best Eats awards 2010, South East Asia under the Mumbai-Goan dish listing
COOK UP A STORM...
With Spring Onions And Tomatoes
Ingredients
Tender coconut flesh 3 cups (400 gms) Cashew nuts 30 Oil 4 tbsps Chopped spring onions with leaves 3 cups Chopped tomato 1 large Ginger-garlic paste 1 tsp Turmeric powder ½ tsp Chilly powder 1 tsp Garam masala powder 1 tbsp Tomato ketchup 2 tbsps Coriander leaves 2 tbsps Salt to taste
NOTE
Til ac h e Ladu
Sesame Ladoos 25 lado os
Ingredients
It is best to have lp assistance to he s as the shape the ladoo gary sesame and jag s en rd ha re mixtu immediately
approx
White polished sesame (white til) Grated yellow jaggary Roasted daliya or spilt Bengal gram Roasted and peeled peanuts Cardamom powder Ghee (melted)
Method
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Tender Coconut And Cashew Nut Sukke Serves 6
1 2
¾ cups (250 gms) ¾ cups (300 gms) 4 tbsps (50 gms) 3 tbsps (50 gms) 1 tsp 2 + 1 tbsp
Take a pan and roast the sesame until fragrant and they change colour. Keep aside.
Heat a hollow pan and add jaggary to it. Keep stirring until the jaggary melts and has a one-thread consistency. Add two tablespoons of ghee to it and keep stirring.
3
Add sesame, daliya, peanuts and cardamom powder and stir well to mix. Remove it from the flame.
4
Take a flat platter, grease it with one tablespoon of ghee and pour the sesame and jaggary mixture into it. Make marble-sized balls of this mixture and shape them into ladoos.
5
Store them in an airtight container when cool.
Method
1
Cut the tender coconut flesh into two-inch strips and set aside. Soak the cashew nuts in water to cover.
2
Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the spring onions until they change colour. Add the tomato and cook until soft. Add the tender coconut and cashew nuts and sauté for two minutes.
3
Add the ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, chilli, and garam masala powders and one cup of water, and cook until the water evaporates. Add the salt and tomato ketchup and mix well.
4
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.
NOTE
This is star Goa Portuguesa’s e Th h. dis vegetarian silky tender combination of cashew nuts gid tur d an t coconu becomes all s ice sp enrobed in rved in a se c the more exoti shell tender coconut
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Method
1 2
Baath
Beat the eggs until fluffy. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl and add the beaten eggs, beating continuously until creamy. Fold in the semolina.
3 4 5
Semolina and Coconut Cake
Ingredients
Fine semolina Grated coconut Rose water Eggs Butter Sugar Baking powder Milk Salt to taste
2 ½ cups (500 grams) 2 cups ¾ cup 6 5 tbsps (200 grams) 3 cups ¼ tsp ½ cup
Kombdi Shagoti
Chicken Xacuti
Ingredients
Serves 6
Boneless chicken Ginger-garlic paste Turmeric powder Lime juice Onions Oil Dried red chilies Cloves Black peppercorn Cinnamon Nutmeg Mace Star anise Cumin seeds Poppy seeds Coriander seeds Grated coconut Finely chopped tomatoes Chicken stock or water Coconut milk Salt to taste
400 grams 1 tbsp 1 tsp 2 tbsps 1 small + 2 medium 6 tbsps 6 20 30 1 two-inch stick ¼ seed ¼ blade ½ pod ¼ tsp 1 tsp ½ tbsp 1 ½ cups 2 large 2 cups ½ cup
Grind the coconut with the rose water to a fine paste.
Add the ground coconut, baking powder and salt. Cover the bowl and leave to ferment overnight. The next morning, stir the milk into the mixture.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a nine-inch by eleven-inch baking tray. Pour the mixture into it and spread it evenly. Bake for 40 minutes until it rises and golden brown on top.
6
Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Cut into pieces and serve.
Method
1 2
Marinate the chicken in a mixture of salt, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder and lime juice for 30 minutes.
Slice the onion and chop the two medium-sized ones. Heat four tablespoons of oil in a pan and stir fry dried red chillies, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, star anise, cumin seeds, poppy seeds, coriander seeds, sliced onion and grated coconut one by one until fragrant and they change colour. Grind all the fried spices and coconut to a fine paste with one cup of water.
3
Heat the remaining oil in a pan, add the chopped onions and sauté until they change colour. Add the tomatoes and cook until soft. Add the chicken and sauté for five minutes.
4
Add the stock or water and cook until the chicken is tender. Add the ground paste and salt and cook over low heat for five minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and bring to a gentle boil.
5
Remove from heat and serve hot with pão or any Indian bread.
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PARTY ZONE
Paul Van Dyk performaing on the concluding day of Sunburn 2010
THE SUNBURN EXPERIENCE
Over 25,000 revellers made it to Sunburn Goa 2010 on the final day, ending the year on a dizzy note. SHAILENDRA SINGH, Joint Managing Director of Percept Limited, the company behind India’s biggest music festival, was thrilled by the response and recaps the festival that was response of over 45,000 people. Day one this year was equivalent to day three last year.
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W
h and Nikhil Shailendra Sing urn 2010 nb Su at Chinnappa
hat was the response to Sunburn 2010 compared to the previous year? The response was incredible. We only expected 30,000 to 35,000 people at the most, even though we were technically and logistically prepared for much more. We were overwhelmed by the
Even though the organisers ask festival goers not to use drugs, they still do. What was the situation this year? How did you’ll aim to curb drug use? We have a very strict no-drug policy. We do everything in order to be safe and make sure people have a good time. We put in place several layers of security to ensure no one carried drugs in the venue. Sniffer dogs were active at the entries 24/7. We gained a lot of support from the Goa police. They had an entire battalion within the venue of our festival, checking on people and expelling them for even any remote doubt of possession and consumption of drugs. What were the security measures? We had over three layers of security and sniffer dogs. Bags were checked,
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people frisked and on the ground over 400 guards constantly on duty. We had seven watch towers at a height of 25 feet with clear view of the surroundings. A hundred bouncers vigilantly carried out their assigned duties throughout the festival. Local civic society groups demanded that the state administration should not permit the festival this year as it gave Goa and the beach village of Candolim, a ‘bad name’. Please comment. If becoming the ninth largest festival in the world gives us a bad name, and if enhancing Goa on the global tourist map is a negative outcome, then I really would love the opportunity to further educate the local civic society groups really how much Sunburn is doing for the state. Just this year, MTV cast the festival live in 82 countries and over half a million people watched it. And all this with Goa as part of the unit logo of Sunburn. We could have easily kept Goa separate to the unit logo and put it as a venue somewhere in the body copy, but no. We call it Sunburn Goa and that shows our commitment to the state above all.
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SUNBURN ON FIRE • Sunburn ranks number nine among the world’s best music festivals by cnn.com • 300 early bird tickets sold out in 22 minutes and 500 pre-booking sale tickets in 12 hours • Sunburn was streamed live across 82 countries reaching an audience of 250,000 • 25,000 people attended the final day • The headliners of the 2010 festival were Grammy award winner and world Number Six DJ Paul Van Dyk; Grammy nominated and world Number Nine Ferry Corsten; and Grammy nominated Axwell from Sweden • The Sunburn anthem and video contest was an extraordinary opportunity for young musicians and VJs in India to show off their talent, rub shoulders with the world’s best artists and put themselves on the world stage • The event had on call a first of its kind Disaster Management Team in case of an emergency
the venue, like every day of the festival, we have our housekeeping staff clear the place of all the waste thrown around. We hand over the venue in the exact state that we get it.
What does Sunburn do for Goa and Goan musicians/DJs? Sunburn is as Goan as the Goans! It was started in Goa and grew right here. Now that Sunburn has reached a threshold of recognition globally, we owe a major chunk of its success to Goa. We have already implemented certain activities in putting forward our gratitude to the people and to the place. We partnered with Run for Fun, organised a football match among north Goan teams, besides art competitions. In fact, we do use some of the great Goan DJs like Ajit who have significant slots in the main stages.
What were some of the new attractions this year? We had strategic additions this year with various considerations from production, branding and aesthetic points of view. One of the major additions was the Experimental Stage, making it a total of four stages, thus striking a neat balance of genres in the electronic space. This has had a direct production impact, clubbing it with the
We call it Sunburn Goa and that shows our commitment to the state’
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What does the government of Goa gain from Sunburn? Do you pay any license fee or are there any taxes levied on the festival? The government has no direct gain apart from the licenses and permissions that we have to apply and pay for as per the standard procedures. The people who gain are the restaurant owners, shack owners and hoteliers in the immediate vicinity of the festival – Candolim, Calangute and Baga.
Do you want the government to relax the noise ban? We are no one to tell the government what to
do, even though we would highly appreciate their consistent support in the future as well. Rules are rules and we would not want to violate any, especially when it is something like the noise ban which could be disturbing the local residents. We truly appreciate the support of the residents around Candolim. As a rule, we like to end by 10 pm as our after-dark parties start later, very close to the venue.
It was mentioned that there would be a post-festival clean-up drive. What were your clean-up initiatives during and after the festival? As soon as the festival is done and we have all our equipment and material removed from
positive change in the aesthetics of the entire event such as larger than life sets, the logistic layout, the friendly atmosphere and so on. The third major step we took with our sponsors – we refused to have any orthodox branding. We went a step further and persuaded our partners to create an intelligent activity or experience within the festival that would drive patrons to have some familiarity with the brand in order to take it home and embrace it in their memory of Sunburn 2010. All of this put together has made the entire event a brand and the brand an attraction for India on the global map. What about next year, what can festival goers look forward to? We strongly believe in delighting our Sunburn fans and the only way we can do this is by taking them by surprise. So I’d leave it to your imagination as to what one must expect, but trust me, we will shock and amaze you! And don’t forget, next year is the fifth anniversary of Sunburn.
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Ba$uta 33’ unveiled at 2010 Goa International Marine and Boat Show
Chief Secretary of Goa S K Srivastava, Secretary of Tourism and Ports Dr M Modassir, Director of Aldeia de Goa Brig (Retd) S C K Puri and Managing Director of Marine Solutions Gautama Dutta unveiling the Battuta ‘33
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he Goa International Marine and Boat Show provided a platform for the unveiling of the Battuta 33’, a range of high quality motor boats designed and built specifically for the Gulf and Asian boating markets. The range, introduced at the expo between December 17 and 20 at Kala Academy, Panaji, aims at the adventurous sailor and is characteristically tough, stylish and outdoorsman with unparalleled sea-keeping qualities and innovative design features. Marine Solutions, the country’s top yacht retail and service agency, are the Indian agents for the Battuta range, which has been designed by famous Dutch naval
architect Martin de Jager and built by Neil Marine, South Asia’s leading boat builder as a tribute to the spirit of the legendary medieval traveller Ibn Battuta. He roamed from Morocco to China in the 14th century, visiting many of the countries that are potential markets for the Battuta 33’. The key features of the Battuta 33’ include a unique cockpit seating system that can accommodate 12 passengers and be converted into a large open cockpit space if required. The optional side cockpit door makes swimming and diving much easier for divers and swimmers with its wide and deep retractable diving ladder. Two single berths forward and a double berth under the cockpit with a shower and toilet make
overnight explorations without shore facilities possible. UK-based marine consultant Mike Derrett spent two years researching customer requirements and shaping the boat’s features along with designer de Jager. Two new versions – an outboard motor version and inboard diesel version – were tested in 2009 are now being produced. Managing director of Marine Solutions Gautama Dutta said, “We were happy to unveil the Battuta 33’ during the Goa International Marine and Boat Show and received a good response from the visitors, who showed keen interest in the boat.”
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LG inaugurates new showroom at Curchorem
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G Electronics, the pioneer consumer durable brand in India inaugurated its exclusive showroom at Curchorem in December. The showroom houses an exclusive range of CTVs, LEDs, LCDs, refrigerators and ACs, microwaves, washing machines and home theatres. Speaking on the occasion, the LG branch manager Macjoe Rebello said the demand for premium products is growing rapidly and that stores like these will help customers experience such products. The LG store, owned by Achut Bhise, is the fifth in the state, with eight more set to open in the subsequent months. LG branch manager, Goa, Macjoe Rebello lighting the lamp with proprietor Achut Bhise and LG area manager Deepak Anand
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Overwhelming response for Interiors & Exteriors exhibition T he 13th annual Interiors and Exteriors 2010, Goa’s biggest exhibition on arts, furniture, interior design, building and construction products was held recently at Kala Academy. Organised by Media Promotions Pvt Ltd, the special attractions included the Architects Gallery by the Indian Institute of Architects, Goa Chapter. It showcased the best projects undertaken by Goan architects, besides a display of photographs of the Photograph Competition on Heritage Structure for public viewing. An exclusive Furniture Pavilion
displayed Portuguese and colonial furniture, outdoor garden and swimming pool furniture, imported sofa-cum-beds, exclusive hand-crafted furniture, picnic tables and Rajasthani carved furniture. The four-day exhibition was supported by the Indian Institute of Architects (Goa), the Indian Institute of Interior Designers and Architecture Time Space and People. The media partners were The Navhind Times and VIVA GOA. The exhibition housed more than a hundred companies, showcasing products and
services to architects, interior designers, builders, engineers, hoteliers, consultants and others connected to the industry. In addition, the exhibition provided the general public with a wide choice under one roof, including home or office interiors, bathroom accessories, consumer electronics and home appliances, building and construction material, readymade kitchens and accessories, solar products, lifestyle brands and several other innovative products, some of which have been displayed for the first time in the state.
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Madiraa Premium Dark XXX Rum launched in Goa
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ilaknagar Industries Ltd, India’s fastest growing manufacturer of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) recently launched Madiraa Premium Dark XXX Rum in Goa in the premium segment. Madiraa Rum is extracted from first generation juice and lended with utomostcare to exude a rich aroma and smooth and lingering aftertaste. The colour of the rum is deep red with a rich earthy tone. Its positioning line – Simply Great Rum – reflects its unique flavour and superior blend. The quart (750ml) bottle is packaged exclusively with tamper Guala caps. A Panajibased dealer says, “Only a month into the market, Madiraa is already getting an overwhelming response by the dark rum lovers in Goa. The taste is irresistibly smooth and unbounded. One can almost smell the flavour of the ingredients.” Madiraa Rum was ranked as the fastest growing domestic brand in Millionaire Report of July 2010 by Drinks International researched by Euromonitor International. The launch of Madiraa is a part of the brand expansion plans of TI and is expected to further consolidate TI’s market share and enhance its product portfolio. In the last two years, Tilaknagar Industries Ltd jas increased its production capacity from 50,000 litres per day to 200,000 litres, with grain-based ENA accounting for 100,000 litres. Within the same tenure, its sales rose from 2.6 million cases per annum to eight million cases, while turnover grew from Rs50 crores per annum to over Rs1,000 crores, which includes sales through tie-up units.
BIZ NOTES
ORRAs unveils new Love Link collection O RRA Platinum couples Love Link Collection revolves around the concept of links. The links in the design symbolise a bonding, togetherness and a union. The diamonds on the bands are symbolic of the spark that romance radiates. Platinum marries diamonds beautifully in ORRAs exquisitely crafted
range of rings. The platinum rings are perfect for a love that is impossible to hide. If you are planning to tie the knot soon then come to ORRA to pick up the perfect wedding bands. These bands are just right for engagements too. Orra’s new collection as well as other creations are available at their outlet on M G Road in Panaji.
Perks for Black Diamond clients with premium card
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s part of a loyalty initiative across Goa, Diamond Network has successfully floated a premium Black Diamond status card in Goa which guarantees customers a wide range of great offers as well as Black Diamond privileges in some of the most select stores, restaurants and hotels across Goa. Díamond Network is a network of entrepreneurs,
businesses, units and consumers spanning the entire spectrum in Goa and beyond. With over 600 ‘Black Diamond’ card holders across Goa enjoying the tremendous benefits, expansion plans across the gulf countries, United Kingdom and the huge tourism flow into Goa are tempting prospects in the near future. The success of Diamond Network is a direct result of
the efforts, trust and participation of global and local brands, companies, ambitious entrepreneurs and privately-run establishments who have benefited via the links, demands and dynamics generated in unison with the general placement of the firm as a global icon for Goa and beyond. The premium Black Diamond card has created opportunities within the entire network aimed and 61 focused towards the growth, welfare and integrated interest of all concerned. Shawn Gracias, chairman of the company, says, “The time has come for our state of Goa and beyond to experience and usher a whole fresh era of business acumen through sustained, practical and strategic business planning and positioning.”
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HAPPENINGS BACK-TO-BACK FASHION ottlebay in Baga played host to two nights of glamour. Organised by Khushi Dawda of Very Boutique in Panaji, the first evening, Funky Hawaiian Night showcased stunning beach wear and elegant dresses. The following night Ramesh Dembla, a Bangalore-based fashion designer with his brand Krishna Dembla presented Nishta – the Royal Indian Fashion show. Models walked the ramp in shades of black which symbolised determination, gold, pride and red for bravery. For the designer, this combination of hues captured the essence of his Indian wear collection. Fireworks, dancers and DJs kept both shows light and exuberant. Nilil D’Souza, the proprietor of Bottlebay played the perfect host and welcomed each guest.
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Pics by Edric George
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Nilil D’Souza with models
Asheen Laljee, Param Vir, Khushi Dawda, Ramesh Dembla & Nilesh Dawda
Anand &Sheetal Palan, Khushi, Ramesh Dembla, Megna & Manoj Caculo
Gauri & Yogesh Nadkarni, Rajat & Shalina Ray
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HAPPENINGS BOAT SHOW PARTY he Goa International Marine and Boat Expo held a networking party at Vivanta by Taj in Panaji. The evening provided Clive Sequeira and Kedar Dhume Gautama Dutta Govindraj Dempo professionals associated with the marine and boat industry an chance to interact and discuss issues related to the leisure boating sector. The evening was attended by a number of national and international participants including Shakeel Kudrolli and Zia Hajeebhoy – AQUASAIL, Gautama Dutta – Marine Solutions, Joe Nejedly – Praga Marine, Riyhad and Rishad Kundanmal – Ocean Crest Marine, Rajiv Bhatia – Rae Sport, Kenneth Shakeel Kudroli and Joe Nejedly Mignonne and Kenneth D’Souza D’Souza – Causeway Marine, Anuj Riyhad and Rishad Kundanmal Awasthi – Litmus Marine, Sudhish Sudhakaran of Navnit Marine, Pradeep Sawant of Arshea Marine and marine consultant Lt Col Milind Prabhu (Retd). Govindraj Dempo graced the occasion and organisers Kedar Dhume and Clive Sequeira played the perfect hosts. Pics by Edric George Meher Navaz Nilesh Gaonkar, Pramod Revankar and Yogesh Kamat Sudhish Sudhakaran
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Anuj Aswathi, Pradeep Sawant, Phillipe Dartnel and Guido
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Rajiv Bhatia
Belly dancer Caroline Piggott and Surinder Sharma
Shama Bothe
Michelle Meisuria
Siddharth and Sandesh Satadekar
Lyndon Alves
Lt Col Milind Prabhu
Erika de Noronha and Pooja Vinod
Zia Hajeebhoy
Samantha D’Souza
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HAPPENINGS OCEAN SPA’S R FACTOR argao is all set for the R factor – relax, rejuvenate and refresh – with the launch of Ocean SPA, which combines exotic treatment, professional caring services and high quality products for an exception salon and spa experience. The new holistic medicated spa concept, inaugurated by former MP Ramakant Angle in December offers all healing therapeutic treatments in a luxurious hygienic ambience. Skilled, courteous staff use treatments that blend traditional with state-of-the-art to pamper your body, soothe your spirit and renew your spark for life. Owners Rajeev Sharma and Amit Sharma welcomed the guests and showed them around.
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Rajeev Sharma and Amit Sharma with Ramakant Angle
Pics by Edric George Anuradha Moghe, Sneha Tulaskar
Ramakant Angle, Rajeev Sharma and Roopa Sharma
Pawan Kumar, Mohan Modi, PC Goyal, Vijay Mittal, Yogesh Goyal, Punkaj Jaju
65 Kaiz Isani, Marusca Gomes
Kamlesh Singla, Nirmal Goel
Priya Cabral, Manish Gosalia, Rosy Nazareth
Anita Tainwala, Poonam Gupta, Suchita Goyal, Tanuja Jaju
Sushil Tainwala, Pankaj Jain, Jitendra Agarwal, Mukesh Gupta
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VIVA GOA DIARY
Climate change lecture commemorates Vasudeva Dempo’s birth anniversary
Panel on IDrnter-governmental Climate Change (IPCC) chief R K Pachauri recently
delivered a lecture on ‘Restoring Respect for Nature in Economic Development’ at the Goa Marriott. The fourth Vasudeva V Sinai Dempo Memorial Lecture was organised by Vasantrao Dempo Education and Research Foundation, in observance of his 75th birth anniversary. Trustees of the Foundation, Shrinivas Dempo and Sr Adv Manohar Usgaonkar were present on the occasion. The IPCC chief who is also director general of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) stated that there is a need for the civilisation to shift towards far more sustainable pattern of development to save the planet for which standards pertaining to consumption and production should be set. Dr Pachauri said that Goa, which is a fragile state by virtue of being a coastal region, can take lead in redefining the exercise adopted world over for achieving economic
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Dr R K Pachauri, Shrinivas Dempo and Sr Adv Manohar Usgaonkar pay their respects to Vasudeva Dempo
growth. And “Goa can achieve this goal by bringing about changes in lifestyle and technology, with government policies providing related incentives as well as disincentives,” he added. Paying tribute to late Vasudeva Dempo, Dr Pachauri
said that if there had been more persons in positions of capacity and responsibility such as Dempo, and followed his beliefs, we would not only have a more beautiful Goa but a better world. “I salute the vision of this leader of the industry whose life carries on,
carried on by his family and those who worked with him,” he concluded. A number of luminaries including former chief minister Shashikala Kakodkar, chairperson of Bal Bhavan Vijayadevi Rane and the Dempo family were present.
Roshans’ 10th anniversary party at The Sol
rithik and Suzanne Roshan decided to H mark their 10th anniversary in Goa, with one of the parties at The Sol in Nerul for
close friends. Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal, Karan Johar, Dino Morea, Chunkey Pandey, Zayed Khan, Sanjay Kapoor and Sonali Bhendre were among the guests who made themselves at home at The Sol. Designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosala also had a good time. The Sol, owned by Suraj Morajkar, is a hotel inspired by old Goan sensibilities for those who prefer a quiet, restful and familiar holiday.
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WOCKHARDT N OPENS NEW STATE-OF-THEART MEDICAL CENTRES
USI Wockhardt has inaugurated two medical centres in Goa in a bid to make medical facilities more conveniently available to the locals. Experts from super-specialty fields will be available at the new centres in Panaji and Margao, backed by state-of-the-art tertiary care hospital services at the NUSI Wockhardt Hospital. Centre Head of the hospital Arvind Bhagania said these centres will save the common man time when he would otherwise have to travel to different places for expert opinions. Inaugurating the medical centre in Caranzalem, president of Tiswadi chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA),
Dr Sitakant N K Ghanekar said, “The Wockhardt Medical centre will bridge the gap between the ever-growing need for medical facilities and easy accessibility.” The centre in Margao was inaugurated by Dr Gladstone D’Costa, president of the IMA, Margao chapter. Wockhardt Hospitals provides facilities in super specialties including cardiology, cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedics and joint replacement,urology and nephrology, minimal access surgery and women care, which will now be available at the new medical centres from Monday to Saturday with prior appointments.
International gastronomic society to start Goa chapter a Chaine des Rotisseurs, an Lsociety international gastronomic hosted their second event
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at The Leela Kempinski Goa in Mobor. The event was a prelude to the launch of the Bailliage (chapter) de Goa this year. The society is dedicated to bringing together both professional and non-professional members worldwide, who appreciate and share a mutual interest in cuisine, wine and fine dining. The president of the society, Bailliage de Bangalore, confrere Manfred Gunter Matysik gave a presentation on the society which is now represented in over 75 countries with 25,000 members. The objective is to bring together top professionals of the five-star
hospitality industry to foster the high culture of the table. Members are expected to promote fine cuisine among professionals, educators of hotel management colleges and have a keen interest in preparing high quality menus paired with international vintage wines. In order to familiarise Goans of the society’s culture, there will be a formal dinner at the Goa Marriott Hotel in Panaji on January 28, where the new culinary experts and general manager will showcase the ‘Best from the US American Table’. Team Leela led by GM Pascal Dupuis, along with executive chef Kayomarz Bharucha prepared a gala dinner that featured Mediterranean specialties paired
with selected cuvees of Tuscany wines.La Chaine des Rotisseurs was founded in Paris in 1950 and traces its origins back to 1248. It first came to India in 2007.
For further information, visit www.chaine-des-rotisseurs.net/en
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CNN AWARD FOR GOA PORTUGUESA
oa Portuguesa received the Favourite G Restaurant and Best Goan Dish award by CNN Go’s Best Eats 2010 Award in South East Asia.
The popular Goan restaurant in Mumbai is on the top recommendation list of dining establishments and food items around Asia. It was selected by a panel of local experts based on its quality, atmosphere, professionalism, the superb Goan cuisine and best dish – the Tender Coconut Cashew Sukke. On winning the award, owner Chef Deepa Awchat said, “When I created this dish, I was confident about its taste and so ‘Money Back Guaranteed’ is written next to Tender Coconut Cashew Sukke on Goa Portuguesa’s menu card.” The award winning vegetarian dish dismisses the myth that Goan cuisine is characterised by sea food and other non-vegetarian dishes. Last year Awchat’s Diva Maharashtracha restobar won a five star rating by CNN-IBN. CNN GO is a lifestyle and entertainment channel for locals & travelers across Asia including, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Bangkok and India. VIVA GOA congratulates its cuisine columnist Chef Deepa Awchat on this outstanding honour.
MANOHAR SHETTY’S ‘PERSONAL EFFECTS’
famous poet Manohar Shetty’s fourth book of Tat ahepoems ‘Personal Effects’ was released last month reading at Goa’s inaugural Arts and Literary
Festival at the International Centre in Dona Paula. Poet, editor and translator Arvind Krishna Mehrotra calls the poems a ‘pure delight, so much so that, because you want the pleasure to last, you read them slowly, one at a time, taking a mental walk after each. A spare richness marked his poems from the start and, over the decades, this hasn’t changed. What has changed is that the poems are even more burnished than before. They glow, and continue to do so long after the page has been turned, the book returned to the shelf…This is poetry so naturally memorable that you don’t need to consciously memorise it.” Priced at Rs 250, literature and poetry aficionados may contact doosrapress@gmail.com for copies. VIVA GOA congratulates its consulting editor Manohar Shetty on his achievements and wishes him success.
BOOKWORM JUMBLE SALE ookworm, the children’s library in B St Inez is organising a unique annual jumble sale from 9.30 am to
5.00 pm on January 30, 2010 at the parking lot of Sports Authority in Campal, Panaji. It is a community event and is something in which every one can participate in different ways, either through giving, hands-on work, buying and spreading the word. Items in usable condition from kitchen ware and household items, toys and games, books and magazines, appliances, home furnishings, shoes and food stuff to bags and accessories, music, movies, CDs and party favours.
Sujata Noronha of Bookworm says, “This year, we hope to raise money for paying for fuel for the mobile van and a teacher who will drive and read to kids through the van. We also need to replace old books. “Bookworm also aspires to publish Goa based books for young readers and we hope to have some seed money from the jumble.” Last year’s sale raised a little over Rs1 lakh, which helped make the down payment towards the mobile van which takes books to schools without a library free of cost. For further information call 9823222665 or 9850323239.
GOA COLLEGE OF HOME SCIENCE ORGANISED ANNUAL EXHIBITION student’s council of the Goa College of Home Science Theorganised its annual exclusive exhibition Aarambh in December. Adv Ramakant Khalap, Chairman, Law Commission, was the
chief guest and Kedar Dhume, editor of Viva Goa, was the guest of honour for the inaugural function, which was presided over by the principal Rajal Shinkre.. The three-day event featured an informative visual display in the core areas of the B Sc in Home Science programme offered by the college, which included nutrition, textiles and clothing, human development and community resource management. The event also included the sale of food and textile items crafted by the students, several lecture sessions and workshops covering food, dietetics, textiles and clothing and human development. The exhibition is an important co-curricular activity that adequately augments the teaching learning process in the college while striving to create awareness about the multi-disciplinary Home Science education and conduct community enrichment programmes.
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or the past four years, Aaron Fernandes has used the body as a canvas. A tattoo artist from Mapusa, art has played a major role in his life for as long as he can remember.
The 26-year-old specialised in painting from the Goa College of Fine Art and initially explored areas like graffiti. In the past four years, tattooing took centre stage and he gained experience in Goa and New Delhi. He has recently opened Toker Joker, a tattoo parlour, body art and piercing studio in Candolim. He has also invested his gift for art in designing the interiors of several clubs in Goa and Gurgaon in Haryana. His believes in the admirable concept that art should transcend itself from its immediate environment and travel the globe on a live canvas. The self-employed artist-tattooist-design consultant hopes to combine his love for both travel and tattoo. Aaron is all set to leave an indelible imprint in his art. He leaves a few impressions with VIVA GOA Tattooing is… The absence of ink in the skin marking process.
The most important thing to keep in mind while tattooing… Hygiene and the confidence to improvise when necessary.
To you, the body as a canvas is… The most sacred piece of art material and should always be treated that way.
The most intricate design you have created… Each design is considered intricate because when you tattoo, you have to treat each piece that way. There is little or no room for error. A misconception about tattooing… It is restricted to the violent and unsocial class of people, when in actual fact it is a beautiful art which is as old as civilisation itself.
If a client flinches too much during tattooing, you would… Talk to them and make them aware of the fact that it’s permanent. And the more they shake, the more messy a tattoo they are going to have to live with for the rest of their lives. Besides that, the pain is worth going through considering the result you will be left with. Also, I could apply a local anesthetic gel, which cuts down pain up to 20 per cent. Advice for first timers… Don’t freak out when you hear the machine. It sounds worse than the actual tattoo.
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Is the client always right? I am absolutely frank if I feel the tattoo design chosen by a client won’t work and I’m sure that they will regret it later. Usually, I manage to convince the customer and guide him or her in the right direction. The craziest spot you have tattooed… I could tell you, but then I would have to kill you!