--- "Frederick Noronha (FN)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > But today, when I travel to places like Mumbai > (Bombay/Bombaim), > Bangalore, and elsewhere in this sub-continent sized > country, I'm > grateful for having learnt sufficient of both > languages to understand. ... > The Goan Christian for the most tends to live in a > world of his or her > own, seeing Europe or the US as the center of his > universe. We tend to > overlook the possibilities available within and > around India. We are > being unfair to ourselves by painting ourselves in a > corner, innit > Bernado? FN
I agree with Fred's views on the assets of learning many languages in a huge sub-continent such as India. I don't see what the problem is with this. In January 2003, I spent 3 weeks in Bangalore, and stayed with a Hindu Konkani family, well-educated in English I may add. Except for the occasional CNN newscast, all the TV shows were in a dozen various languages, including Konkani, with soaps, news, variety shows, Bollywood type musicals in the various languages. It was fascinating and quite wonderful. In fact, I was quite pleased to tell our Choir director that I didn't hear a single piece of western music during my stay there either on radio or TV or on the crazy tourist bus rides I undertook. The westerners here all said, "Lucky you" !! We complain about having to learn something indigenous to India while westerners thirst for the native experience of language and culture so readily available there. I came from a colonial school experience where I had to learn English, French and Latin, and study Wordsworth and Baudelaire. We had no opportunity whatsoever to learn a word of our own languages, our native history, or one piece of native music! All I can say to Goan children who have the chance to learn the native languages and culture is, "Lucky you!" Filomena > > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/signingbonus ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
