goanet-digest Monday, June 24 2002 Volume 01 : Number 4110
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In this issue:
[Goanet] Ben J Pereira, Canada
[Goanet] WORLD GOA DAY Celebrations in GOA ................2001
[Goanet] 10 Questions- Cecil Pinto on 'Child Naming Patterns among Goan Catholics'
[Goanet] How Baby Bear got his name
[Goanet] TIMES: Balcony View
See end of digest for information on subscribing/unsusbcribing.
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Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 15:22:03 +0530 (IST)
From: Frederick Noronha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Goanet] Ben J Pereira, Canada
Could anyone help me to get the email address of Ben J Pereira in
Canada? Thanks, FN
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Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 12:52:44 -0700
From: "rene barreto" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Goanet] WORLD GOA DAY Celebrations in GOA ................2001
Friends ,
Those of you who are participating in the WORLD GOA DAY this year ,
would you be kind enough and let us have the details of events- to
enable us to include these events it in our
Whats On for the month of AUGUST 2002.
celebrating OUR GOAN HERITAGE
Look up some beautiful photographs of Last Years WORLD GOA DAY Celebrations
in GOA -
celebrating GOAN CULTURE -in Diwar GOA
http://cards.webshots.com/cp-28112164-Vxbg-album/20307081DKxLYtzfNS
rene
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Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 19:12:51 +0530
From: Cecil Pinto <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Goanet] 10 Questions- Cecil Pinto on 'Child Naming Patterns among Goan
Catholics'
10 Questions by Ree Coh
Professor Cecil Pinto is interviewed by world famous journalist Ree Coh.
Professor Pinto, is a Ph.D and has been twice awarded the Adha Shri for his
contributions in the field of Literature by President Pandurang of the
Independent Republic of Chimbel. Currently officiating as the V-i-c-e
Chancellor at Chimbel University, Professor Pinto is a prolific writer with
many well researched books to his credit. His next book is titled 'Child
Naming Conventions of Goan Catholics'. Ree Coh met Cecil in a rather lucid
moment at his rented apartment in Panjim. After a few rounds of drinks the
interview begins.
- ---------------
RC: What made you choose this rather unconventional topic for your next book?
CP: You see I have always been interested in proper names. My earlier book,
"Business Names in Goa and their Origins" was rejected by the publishers
because a lot of big companies currently operating in Goa do not want their
rather mediocre origins to be exposed. And they had enough muscle and money
to silence the publishers. I have written to President Pandurang who has
promised to intervene in the matter.
RC: Why did you study Goan Catholics only and not the Goan Hindus?
CP: You see Rico. Can I call you Rico? The Goan Hindu has always followed
cultural convention while naming their children. There has been little or
no variance over the centuries. The Goan Catholics on the other hand shows
interesting discernible waves and patterns which can be scientifically
enumerated and categorised.
RC: Any particular reason for this strange Goan Catholic trait?
CP: To fully understand this Rico, you must understand how the Goan
Catholic ethos has evolved over the millennia. We have to examine their
culture right from pre-historic times. Let me briefly bring you to the
present by demystifying a few myths which have crept into our understanding
of the Goan psyche. Incidentally all this is clearly explained in one of my
earlier books "Goa - A Concise History"
Firstly, let us examine the legend of the 'creation' of Goa. According to
the Vedas, Lord Saptoshwar threw a trident into the Arabian Sea, hoping to
catch the equally mythical Goan Crabs. The trident missed its mark and
landed in interior North Karnataka, close to where the Dupont Nylon 66
plant is currently situated. Three clumps of earth thus shot up from the
ground and landed near the Arabian Sea. Lord Saptoshwar immediately
christened them Govapuri, Bhajipuri and Shrikandpuri. These were later
re-christened by the Portuguese as Goa, Daman and Diu.
Now this is the legend we have been telling our children for so many
generations. But this is absolutely false. I have done some digging in my
hometown, Aldona, and found a diety-like oblong object that I got carbon
dated and found that it predates even Lord Saptoshwar. It goes way back to
3246 B.C. I even tried to get a photo of this diety-like object published
in The Chimbel Times, but the newspaper rejected my submission. In fact
the Features Editor told me that 'Papayas that are shaped like dieties are
news, but dieties shaped like papayas don't sell". Imagine this man's
ignorance of our history and culture!
RC: Coming back to your thesis about naming patterns among Goan Catholics...
CP: One minute. I was explaining the cultural ethos of Goan Catholics. See
our history books tell us that Goa was once the 'Kashi of the Konkan'
before it became the 'Rome of the East'. This is another example of a
warped understanding created by our language diversiity. It was just a typo
in the original transalation from the Gopi Script. It was not 'Kashi' it
was 'kashti'. This is a loin cloth worn by...
RC: Are'nt we digressing a bit, we were supposed to discuss your thesis..
CP: Yes I am coming to that. Let me just rush you through the history part.
Lots is said about the Kadamba Era. Now you tell me what did the Kadambas
do for Goa? All they did was provide employment. Conductors, drivers,
mechanics etc. And for that matter the Portuguese? The old timers say that
they introduced us to western concepts and the printing press. This is a
lie. All they did was introduce superior distillation techniques that make
our country liquor better than any other country's liquor. Did you know for
example that the Coconut Tree is not native to Goa and was brought here by
Marco Polo in 2232 B.C. along with Polo Shirts, Polo Mints and Water Polo?
Not many people know this. Read my book.
RC: Ok! Ok! I believe you. Now can we start on the topic of Child Naming?
CP: Wasn't that what we were discussing all this while? I know you want to
restrict yourself to only 10 questions but that is your problem, not mine.
So where was I? The Portuguese.
Before the Portuguese arrived the Goan Catholics had no proper names. They
just used to call each other 'Bhau' and 'Bai' and 'Guru' and stuff like
that. In fact before the Portuguese arrived there were not many Catholics
in Goa. Only a few hundred families in the Saligao Constituency who
steadfastly believed that one Dotor Willy would someday arrive and save
them from the foxes.
Now the Portuguese changed all this. They gave the Catholics names. And
they converted many of the Hindus to Catholics and gave them names too. It
was time of much merriment among the Portuguese. They would catch some
helpless victim and drag him into the town square. Then they would take
turns thinking up names. I have dedicated a whole chapter of my book to
this colourful process. Please keep in mind that at the time the Capital
City of Goa was not Panjim. It was Benaulim, which remains a perpetual
stronghold of the Catholics with most curious first names, even at the
Assembly level. British Prime Ministers, Walt Disney characters...
RC: Can we move to the immediate past.
CP: What happened? You running out of time? I think you want to stick to
your magic figure of 10 questions. Do you think anyone actually counts if
they were 9 or 10 or 12 questions?
RC: Actually I didn't think of that? Where were we?
CP: See I wasted another of your precious numbers! Now we have only 2 left.
Gotcha!
I was telling you about Catholic names. In 1937 Salazar passed a decree
that Goan Catholics could gives names of their own choice to their
children. This created an upheaval and a lot of confusion. You see the
average Goan Catholic of that time was not used to thinking for himself -
incidentally that's why they called Lohia in. They named their children
after any passing fancy. So we had names like Ben and Bambino and Pat and
Milton and such not for a few years.
Then somebody discovered the almanac which has all the saints' names for
ever day of the year. A young printing entrepreneur named Dominick Savio
immediately made minature credit sized copies of this almanac and put his
own photo on it too. These plastic 'calenders' can still be located in
certain areas of Goa. Hence a lot of Catholics and even a few Hindus are
named Dominic and Savio. The father of the child would just whip out the
handy Dominic Savio Card from his wallet, check the date, and viola, there
was the name.
So it was set. You were named after the saint on whose day you were born.
Of course Goans, being the way they are, this trend did not last for long.
There was rebellion. People started naming their children after the local
church...Alex in Calangute, Anne in Ponda, Thomas in Aldona, Conception in
Panjim, Reception at Alva-Mar Parra etc.
After a particularly troublesome delivery it was tradition to name the
child after the attendant doctor. This didn't make a major difference
because the doctor was originally named after a saint anyway. Unless he was
a Hindu. In which case an advert was put in the local papers thanking the
doctor and the Dominic Savio Card was referred to, as always. This
tradition of placing an advert still carries on to date but its origins are
forgotten.
All was well until Liberation in 1961. Lakhs of Goan Catholics now were
exposed to All India Radio and were updated on what was happening in the
world. Incidentally before this the Portuguese Radio Station at Altinho was
named Banco Ultramarino and the ancient records they used are lying in the
State Bank of India's vaults opposite Hotel Mandovi in Panjim.
Now, as I was saying, people turned on their radios and heard about the
great happenings of the Sixties all over the world.This was a period of
heroic names like Charles, Armstrong, John, Kennedy, Helen, Keller, Elvis,
Presley, Peter, Nazareth etc. A confusing period for the children
especially the hundred odd who were named after Ringo, Evita, Simon and
Garafunkel.
Interestingly in the early Seventies a few priests took up Hindu names like
Fr. Sanyas and Fr. Vipassana. Parent's followed suit and gave names like
Nirmal, Jyoti, Avinash & Nash. Curiously despite their nationalistic fervor
nobody used Goan Hindu names like Damodar, Sakaram, Pandurang, Ganpat,
Mogrem, Shunvtem, Tukaram, and Bhimlo.
RC: I am sure what you meant is Indian names and not Hindu names?
CP: I meant what I said. These are Hindu names. You keep your political
correctness to yourself. What you mean Indian names? Isn't Abdul an Indian
name? Or Hasina? Or Rosemary for that matter? Aren't these people Indian. I
said Hindu names and I meant Hindu names. There is no such thing as an
Indian name.
Now back to what I was saying. A few years down the line there was a
minority backlash against these Hindu names and the Catholics reverted to
the Holy Book and used Biblical names like Aaron, Daniel, Saraf, Cleophas,
Ruth and Demetrius. Some took the anti-Indian sentiment to it's extreme and
used names that were totally culture contrary like Stacy, Bach, Remo and
Frankie-goes-to-Hollywood.
In the early Nineties a strange trend came into being, uniquely first in
the civilised universe - combi-names. Such combi-names had been used
earlier by Goan Catholics to name their newly built RCC bungalows. But now
they started giving combi-names to their children. A combi-name consists of
a combination of the names of the Father and Mother. For example Edlen from
Edwin-Helen, Loubert from Lourdes-Albert, Fremella from Frederick-Pamella,
Luiza from Luis-Eliza... you get the idea. I have been doing extensive
research in this unique Goan phenomenon and will be placing a lot on
emphasis on this aspect, combi-names, in my book. An earlier book of mine
'House and Vehicle Names in Goa' touches on this subject, but briefly. Did
you know that there are 227 RCC bungalows in Goa named 'God's Gift'? And
324 Maruti Vans named 'Jesus Saves'? Not many people know these things.
RC: I'm afraid I have run out of questions numbers so this has to be the
last one. Any last words for our readers.
CP: Yes. I would like the Goan Catholics among your readers to send me
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> their name, date and place of birth. And an
explanation, if they have one, on why their parents chose that particular
name. This will help me in my research. Also if they have any house or firm
names with a unique origin I would happily include them in future editions
of my best selling books. Also vehicle names, private and public, eg. Baby
Rebecca, Bhagwati, Rubina, Jumbo Jet, Pink Panther etc.
Right now I too have to go. A bit of child naming is in store for me too!
===========
(Errors and omissions in this interview are intentional. For the correct
picture buy the book!)
Please forward this to any Goan Catholic you know, who has a unique
explanation for his/her name.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 19:19:57 +0530
From: Cecil Pinto <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Goanet] How Baby Bear got his name
A Goan Fable for little children.
Like all Ancient Fables, this one too is based on reality. Names and
descriptions have been altered to hide the identities of the participants.
This is the house of the Three Bears. Dada Bear, Mama Bear and Small Bear.
One more Bear, a Baby Son Bear has been recently added to the family. Baby
Bear has not yet been given a name. Mama Bear, Dada Bear, Small Bear, Baby
Bear, Grandpa Bear, Grandpa Bear and Grand Mai Bear (Mama Bear's mama) are
all gathered in the hall of the house of the Three (now four) bears to
choose a name.
Mama Bear: "So what options do we have now?"
Dada Bear: "I've got you the best Baby Bear Names Books. Downloaded the
best Baby Bear Names Internet Sites. We've discussed this matter enough
times already. So today we decide."
Grandma Bear: "Just keep it simple. Easy to pronounce. Easy to remember."
Grandpa Bear: "And it has to be meaningful too. Preferably something from
the Bible."
Grand Mai Bear: "Get the Almanac. You young people of today don't refer to
the Almanac. In our time there were no Baby Bear Books and Internet Sites.
We just saw the name of the saint in the Almanac and that was the name
given to the child. If anyone had just died in the family, then that name
was given. Nowadays you people have no religion, nor respect for the dead!"
Dada Bear: "How about Digambar?"
Everybody: "Naaaaaaah!!!!"
Grandma Bear: "Carl sounds nice"
Grand Mai Bear: "We have a Carl in our village who is a perpetual drunk. No!"
Mama Bear: "Tim is short and sweet and easy to remember"
Grandma Bear: "Your cousin's son is already named Tim"
Dada Bear: "But he's in Australia. We have'nt seen him in twentyfive years!"
Grandma Bear: "Doesn't make a difference. There are thousands of names. Why
do we have to repeat the same name in the immediate family?"
Dada Bear:"Daniel sounds nice. And its from the Bible. And it is easy to
remember and pronounce and..."
Mama Bear: "And I know at least three friends of mine, in the last two
years, who have named their son Daniel."
Dada Bear: "So what of it?"
Mama Bear: "There's to many Daniels around and there is sure to be
confusion when they grow up"
Grandpa Bear: "Einstein is elegant"
Dada Bear: "Yes. Sure. And if he fails in the fifth standard then we will
be the laughing stock of the neighborhood"
Mama Bear: "In that case, if you're so worried about him failing, let's
name him Jesus!"
Dada Bear: "Why?"
Mama Bear (laughing): "Because Jesus Never Fails!"
Dada Bear and Mama Bear and even Small Bear laughs. But the elders don't
appreciate the joke. So back again to a sober discussion.
Grandpa Bear (cautiously): "Ethan?"
Baby Bear: :"Waaaaaaah! Waaaaah! Waaaaaaaah!"
Mama Bear: "See even he doesn't like the name!"
Dada Bear: "Domnick would be nice."
Mama Bear: "How come all your suggestions start with the letter D?"
Dada Bear: "Well me and my brothers were all named with C. So maybe the
next generation should be named with D"
Mama Bear: "I don't want any of these sequences, and definitely none of
those stupid combi-names like your cousins Hector and Edna. Imagine naming
your daughter Hecna."
Dada Bear: "So how about you suggesting something practical for a change?"
Mama Bear: "I'm thinking. I'm thinking"
Grand Mai Bear: "Francis, after the Saint who protects us all"
Dada Bear: "Too common, in fact that's the most common name in Goa."
Grandma Bear:"We're never going to get anywhere at this rate. I have a
suggestion. We randomly open the baby Bear Names book and choose a name. If
any one Bear objects, anyone, the name is discarded. Again we randomly open
the book, and so forth. The first name that NOBODY objects to is selected.
Is that Ok?"
Everyone: "Ok!"
===========
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 19:28:56 +0530
From: "Frederick Menezes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Goanet] TIMES: Balcony View
www.timesofindia.com
Balcony view: Sardines in a tin
TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 2002 9:13:54 PM ]
PANAJI: The recent accident at Santa Cruz -- in which a mini-bus carrying
over 50 people including women and many schoolchildren overturned, killing
two -- has thrown up a serious problem. Is there a check on the number of
passengers in such buses? The answer is ``no''.
This happens on regular routes and one cannot understand how this is allowed
to continue. The other such route is the Panaji bus stand-Dona Paula one. At
Santa Cruz, there is virtually no check by the authorities concerned, with
the respective drivers putting the commuters at their mercy; similar is the
case on the other route, except that this is more supervised by the
policemen, who apparently turn a blind eye.
For those who travel by bus on the Santa Cruz route, mainly those staying in
villages and those who go up to the Goa Medical College Hospital, they have
to suffer the agony of rash driving during peak hours and practically
crawling during the off-peak hours.
With the schools having been reopened for the new academic year, the
autorickshaws, too, are operating dangerously. They will have no less than
10 children with bags and one wonders what will happen if there were to be a
mishap. This is not allowed. But they carry on unhindered.
DEATH TRAPS
The incessant rains have been creating havoc in the state. Not only are the
trees uprooted and houses collapsing, but what is proving to be both a
danger and a nuisance is the flooding of roads. One of the reasons for the
accidents has been attributed to the deep trenches dug along the roads -- by
the PWD, the electricity department or the municipality.
Such death traps had been opened as a pre-monsoon exercise, but which has
remained in that state even as it has started pouring. Strangely enough, no
one seems to take the blame and the situation continues. This assumes
importance, as this is the season when the dreaded malaria vectors are in
full bloom, putting the citizens in peril of being bitten by the dreaded
female of the falciparum variety.
Thus far, there has not been any serious outbreak of the disease, but it
would not be very far when reports of cases start pouring in.
RAIN RHAPSODY
In the coastal state of Goa where weather conditions change after every
three months with the season, the people, too, change their style of living.
During torrential rains, the rural people prefer not to move out except
while going to work. Or, they are found busy working in their farms until
the operations are complete.
They all prefer spicy food and avoid chilled items to prevent cold and
fever. Still, Goa is notorious for epidemics like dysentery, diarrhoea,
bronchitis and other related ailments during monsoon season. Children need
warm clothes and more care due to cold climate.
For the tourism industry -- be it monsoon or summer -- the conditions are
superb. The difficulty is that those involved in the industry of tourism
cannot write any poem to entertain the guests. But the Gomantak Marathi
Academy embarked on a unique exercise: It invited poets for a meet on a
rainy day and chant poems on rain. The meet could not be held because rains
were too heavy for the poets.
Not just poets even ordinary mortals were scared when rain inundated their
houses situated in low-lying areas.
FISHY PROBLEM
More on rain. Though Goa is known for good fish curry and rice, one would
not find this dish during rains due to non-availability of fish in the Goan
markets. During monsoon, fish catching is prohibited by law. Naturally, they
go for broilers or goat meat.
Believe it. Goa gets broilers even from cities like Kolhapur and Sindhudurga
districts of Maharashtra. People also choose to consume dishes made out of
dry fish, locally known as `kharem'. Otherwise, markets make no business
during monsoon, thus affecting the state's economic profile.
Even transport system remains affected. The socio-cultural life is,
therefore, not visible when it rains. Well, the people have no choice than
to enjoy these rains or keep watching a passenger flight hovering above
their heads in the sky inside the clouds due to bad weather conditions not
permitting it to land.
No scope for any entertainment during rains. They prefer to stay inside and
watch television programmes or listen to radio programmes. Playgrounds wear
a deserted look since no sports is permissible. They choose indoor games.
The tourism industry introduced something called `raindrop tourism' but it
could not click because the concept was not sold in the right spirit to
domestic and foreign tourists. But do you know that house-breaking and cases
of theft increase during rains in Goa?
You go to a relative or a friend and they will ask you to have a dish called
`sukem' with traditional bread, `pav'. It could be a mixed dish of fish (if
available) with spices or with dry fruits or vegetables with spicy taste. It
could even be a dish cooked using cereals like `alsande' with latest spices
available in the market.
Then some of them play cards, carrom or snore during the day. Gambling is
unofficially permitted by the Bharatiya Janata Party government which
otherwise so often screamed at Congress governments for not curbing the
menace. The people have their own ways and means to gamble at their chosen
places and then they drink or learn to drink.
In rural Goa, one can see people singing or they are on harmonium with
accompanying tabla, getting ready for the state-level bhajan competition of
the Kala Academy.
Climate in Goa during monsoon is enjoyable and people wait for `barasatamen
jab ayega Savan ka mahina'. There is more fun in store in the month of
Sravana, which begins on August 10 this year.
------------------------------
End of goanet-digest V1 #4110
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