======================================================================== Ongoing: Exhibition of paintings, Art Chamber, Calangute www.goa-art.com Dec 13: Dance workshop, with Jaap Van Maanen. Tel 2275733 BB Cafe Dec 14 onwards: Shireen Mody's Goa 2002 exhibition, Arpora. Tel 2276759 Dec 14: Customer Relationship Mgt Seminar, Xaviers, Mapusa Tel 2262356 Dec 17, 18, 20: Lectures on Indo-Port. furniture, Fundacao Oriente Ph 2230728 Jan 18-19: Int't kite carnival at Morgim beach, Pernem ========================================================================
Somethin about being from Goa ...
(longish but interesting ... for those who know little about Goa, India ...)
-----Original Message-----
From: Cecil Pinto [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Monday, December 09, 2002 4:00 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Goanese & non-Goans - WebQuest column in Goa Today
A Goanese by any name...
No self respecting Goan anywhere in the world will tolerate being referred
to as a 'Goanese'. Yet an Internet search for "Goanese" in my favourite
Search Engine, Google (www.google.com), gave me about one thousand six
hundred links!
Of course most of these were from online recipe compilations, or menus at
restaurants, or ill-researched travel sites where Goanese is often wrongly
used as an adjective instead of Goan. For example a respectable online site
like Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com) states "Calangute isn't one of
the best Goanese beaches: there are hardly any palms..." Surprisingly
Goanese as a synonym for the Konkani language also featured on many sites
(eg. www.ethnologue.com). And yes, of course, Goanese to describe the
natives of Goa!
This error isn't recent though. Till a few decades back Goans were often
referred to as Goanese in British records and as Mesticos and Canarans in
Portuguese records in East Africa. In the Portuguese language the word for
Goans is: "Goeses" (plural) and "Goes" (singular) or 'Goesa' (female).
Alternative Portuguese terms are "goano" (male) and "goana" (female),
Even the Encyclopaedia Brittanica 1995
(www.goanet.com/text/general/intro.htm) states "Many Goanese bear
Portuguese names and are partly of Portuguese descent as a result of
intermarriage between early Portuguese settlers and the local inhabitants."
Besides being linguistically inaccurate, the other fact of the matter is
that the Portuguese surnames came by during mass conversions, when the
presiding Portuguese officer gave the recently baptised the legacy of his
name.
"Welcome to Goa, the land of taverns, feni, carnival, churches and carefree
Goanese", said the controversial Surajkund brochure released by the Haryana
Government and reported on by Sandesh Prabhudesai
(www.goanews.com/17jan01.htm). Further back The Catholic Encyclopaedia of
1907 (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02644a.htm) states "In 1720, on
political grounds, the Goanese clergy were expelled by the Government..."
Perhaps the longest ever argument on, and dissection of, the term Goanese
was held on The Goan Forum (www.colaco.net/1/goaniz.htm). A wonderful read
I would highly recommended to amyone wishing to know more about this term.
To condense: Perhaps not as derogatory as 'nigger' or 'Paki', but Goanese
still rankles. Jorge de Abreu Noronha points out that, linguistically, it
would be OK if someone called a Goan a Goese, but not Goan + ese = Goanese.
The argument being that only names which have 'n', 'm' or 't' preceding the
terminal 'a' get converted to 'ese'. For example China - Chinese, Burma -
Burmese... But Sri Lanka - Sri Lankan, Arabia - Arabian, India -Indian (not
Indianese!), Jamaica - Jamaican, Russia - Russian, Croatia -Croatian,
Australia - Australian....
An interesting anecdote: In March 1994 Canada based Goan writer Ben Antao,
and his Italian wife, had the privilege of being introduced to Pierre
Trudeau, the late Prime Minister of Canada, as being from Goa. Mr. Trudeau
asked Antao, "Is your wife a Goanese too?" To which he replied "No, she's
not a Goan; she's Italian."
---------
Goan = Goan origin?
My last column on Goan Fiction Writers made many upright readers criticise
my inclusion of Heta Pandit. Their argument was 'She is not a Goan". When I
explained that she definitely was a Goan as compared to say another writer,
who was born and raised in Africa, is currently a citizen of USA, and has
never lived in Goa. "But he is of Goan origin' or "He has Goan blood" is
the common refrain. Fair enough. But my article was on Goan Writers and not
on Writers of Goan Origin. There is a difference.
Regardless, in the interest of these hair splitters let me give an example.
Edward Carneiro was born and raised in Canada. His father was born in
Karachi and lived most of his life in Uganda. Edward's mother is of
Sicilian origin. His paternal grandparents were born and raised in Karachi.
His paternal great grandparents had left Goa for Mumbai and then migrated
to Karachi. Edward has never been to Goa and shows no interest in doing so.
Neither he or his parents can speak Konkani. They attend the
Uganda-Montreal Goans Ball every year (and partake of Continental fare, as
the venue does not allow outside Goan catering!).
Rajan Narayan has been the editor of O Heraldo since its English inception.
His work for the improvement of Goa and Goans is well documented. As well
as his many adverse trysts with violence and corruption. Till date his
fiery editorial keeps crooked politicians in check. Rajan Narayan has lived
and worked in Goa, for the betterment of Goans, for close to two decades.
Edward Carneiro is easily accepted as a Goan, but Rajan Narayan is
considered a non-Goan. One is of Goan origin. One is not. I wonder who is
more Goan?
The 19th August 2002 issue of Outlook Magazine (www.outlookindia.com)
polled thousands of respondents all over India to vote for the greatest
Indian of post-Independence India. Mother Theresa won hands down. Her
Albanian origins did not matter. Her life and her work for so many years,
in India and for Indians, is what made her the greatest Indian.
-----------------
WEBQUEST is my monthly column in Goa Today. This is the second installment
which has appeared in the December 2002 issue. Each month I intend
researching and reporting (in my WebQuest column) on Goa related people and
issues on the Internet. Suggestions and feedback will be much appreciated.
Please forward this to any Goan you think might be interested. And remember
to buy a printed copy of Goa Today to read about matters related to Goa and
Goans.
Cecil Pinto
==========
http://www.goa-world.net/
Everything Goan!
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