Re: [Goanet] Alfredo Tavares - Goan of Distinction

2014-09-01 Thread Santosh Helekar
The passing of Alfredchacha touches me as deeply as that of a member of my own 
family. I am the lucky man to whom he introduced himself as my chacha on Goanet 
now nearly a decade ago when he found out that his close friend was my long 
departed favorite uncle Mohanmama. Ever since I have had many memorable private 
and public email conversations with him about the good times he had with his 
friends fighting for various causes for the good of Goa, being rescued from a 
police beating and a fast unto death, and dining in my grandparents' house in 
Margao. I had always hoped that I would meet him in person some day in Goa or 
in Sweden. Alas, that hope like many others has been so rudely and suddenly 
dashed today. As a contributor to Goan forums Alfredchacha was unique in style 
and substance with the wonderful wit, humor and language that would sit 
comfortably amidst the writings of a George Bernard Shaw or a W. Somerset 
Maugham. As a human being he exuded a
 rare sense warmth and affability that breached all firewalls of cyberspace. 
How I will now miss all of it!

I offer my deepest condolences to his family and friends.

Sincerely,

Santosh



 On Sunday, August 31, 2014 7:59 PM, Roland Francis roland.fran...@ymail.com 
 wrote:
  
 
  It's a Sunday's rude awakening to read that Alfredo has left for 
 his happy hunting grounds.
 
  A unique personality, a rascal and a rogue in a most lovable way. He was a 
 rebel against every tradition, preconceived notion, and hidebound cultural 
 restriction. The low castes in his village were as dear to him as the 
 bhatcars 
 who frowned on the company he kept.
 
  He had a refreshing sense of humor to which FN referred, but above that he 
 was courageous and almost fearless in his challenges to authority both 
 Portuguese and Indian in the defence of his Goan rights. If Alfredo was not a 
 journalist, he could, if life had taken a different turn, be a 
 bash-on-regardless type of army general.
 
  Alfredo was not atypical of his generation in the matter of his love of 
 being a Goan. Achievements came naturally to him and he as smoothly seemed to 
 brush them off as his ability to make an impression on people no matter what 
 their station.
 
  A product of the mold of daring and adventurous young men and women who 
 were in their late teens and early twenties when Goa's political landscape 
 changed forever, Alfredo never lost his love for fellow Goans and the joy of 
 a 
 good escapade. He was indeed Goa's ambassador in Sweden, a natural one-man 
 welcoming committee who never tired of being a warm host to an Indian 
 visitor, 
 no matter how numerous or from what station in life. Your importance or 
 inconsequence meant little to him. It was your camaraderie he most sought.
 
  A tip of the hat and a swig from the glass to you Afredo. May your spirit 
 never depart from us.
 
  Roland.
 
  Sent from my iPhone
 


[Goanet] Alfredo Tavares - Goan of Distinction

2014-08-31 Thread Roland
It's a Sunday's rude awakening to read that Alfredo has left for his happy 
hunting grounds.

A unique personality, a rascal and a rogue in a most lovable way. He was a 
rebel against every tradition, preconceived notion, and hidebound cultural 
restriction. The low castes in his village were as dear to him as the bhatcars 
who frowned on the company he kept.

He had a refreshing sense of humor to which FN referred, but above that he was 
courageous and almost fearless in his challenges to authority both Portuguese 
and Indian in the defence of his Goan rights. If Alfredo was not a journalist, 
he could, if life had taken a different turn, be a bash-on-regardless type of 
army general.

Alfredo was not atypical of his generation in the matter of his love of being a 
Goan. Achievements came naturally to him and he as smoothly seemed to brush 
them off as his ability to make an impression on people no matter what their 
station.

A product of the mold of daring and adventurous young men and women who were in 
their late teens and early twenties when Goa's political landscape changed 
forever, Alfredo never lost his love for fellow Goans and the joy of a good 
escapade. He was indeed Goa's ambassador in Sweden, a natural one-man welcoming 
committee who never tired of being a warm host to an Indian visitor, no matter 
how numerous or from what station in life. Your importance or inconsequence 
meant little to him. It was your camaraderie he most sought.

A tip of the hat and a swig from the glass to you Afredo. May your spirit never 
depart from us.

Roland.

Sent from my iPhone

[Goanet] Alfredo Tavares - Goan of Distinction

2014-08-31 Thread Roland Francis

 
 It's a Sunday's rude awakening to read that Alfredo has left for his happy 
 hunting grounds.
 
 A unique personality, a rascal and a rogue in a most lovable way. He was a 
 rebel against every tradition, preconceived notion, and hidebound cultural 
 restriction. The low castes in his village were as dear to him as the 
 bhatcars who frowned on the company he kept.
 
 He had a refreshing sense of humor to which FN referred, but above that he 
 was courageous and almost fearless in his challenges to authority both 
 Portuguese and Indian in the defence of his Goan rights. If Alfredo was not a 
 journalist, he could, if life had taken a different turn, be a 
 bash-on-regardless type of army general.
 
 Alfredo was not atypical of his generation in the matter of his love of being 
 a Goan. Achievements came naturally to him and he as smoothly seemed to brush 
 them off as his ability to make an impression on people no matter what their 
 station.
 
 A product of the mold of daring and adventurous young men and women who were 
 in their late teens and early twenties when Goa's political landscape changed 
 forever, Alfredo never lost his love for fellow Goans and the joy of a good 
 escapade. He was indeed Goa's ambassador in Sweden, a natural one-man 
 welcoming committee who never tired of being a warm host to an Indian 
 visitor, no matter how numerous or from what station in life. Your importance 
 or inconsequence meant little to him. It was your camaraderie he most sought.
 
 A tip of the hat and a swig from the glass to you Afredo. May your spirit 
 never depart from us.
 
 Roland.
 
 Sent from my iPhone