A Stranger at My Table: The postcolonial story of a family caught in the
half-life of empires.
Thank you, Ivo de Figueiredo, for giving us the privilege into peak into your
family situation. For starters, all families have skeletons in their closet, so
you need to be commended. From the little I could gleam from the information
shared; I would concur with the first part of the title of your book. However,
having written our books on "Insights into Colonial Goa" as well as "Your Happy
Brain: Why and How to Hug it" (both published by Amazon and Kindle), I do not
think the unfortunate situation had anything to do with Colonialism; other than
the colonialism led to the diaspora status.
The family situation you describe is a result of individual choices made and
the resultant circumstances. There is a take-home lesson for diaspora Goans -
the difficulties of merging two cultures and adapting to a new culture or
language as an adult. This is neuroscience and has nothing to do with
Colonialism or Empires. The situation you describe is especially important for
the diaspora, as our children are increasingly getting married across cultural
and religious boundaries. To help Goans understand what I am saying, for a
Goan Baba to move from tropical East Africa to small town sub-arctic Norway,
where folks learn to ski and ice-skate before they learn to walk is likely the
least of his challenges. There is much we can learn from your story; and thank
you once again for sharing it. The writing in your book was free-flowing and
gripping - Congratulations.
Just to be helpful to you and many other diaspora Goans in your predicament,
your reluctance to reconcile with your dad has nothing to do with Colonization
or Empires. It is in our power to let bygones be bygones and seek the peace we
are yearning for. I would be happy to continue this dialog, if you would like
to write to me privately.
Best WishesDr. Gilbert Lawrence
