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Report from a budding and promising young 19-year-old Goan. Hope this voluntary effort will be a pointer for other young Goans to undertake public writing endeavors and skills. Gilbert Lawrence New York Goan Association Camp at Huguenot 2004 By Rachelle Fernandes Are we there yet? I just couldn't wait to get out of the car and into the crisp, clean air of Port Jervis, New York, where the annual camp is held. Once we had made it through the horrendous city traffic, we drove through cow country and actually brushed a bear on our way to the camp. And right from that second we knew it was going to be a very memorable vacation. Most of the time there is a large crowd, yet this time, it was a smaller group, and it was more intimate. The first night was the usual potluck dinner. Yet with all of the delectable food, you would have thought we were expecting more people. Every night after the scheduled dinner in the dining hall, we would have "late night Indian dinner" at the lodge. We were situated in Maple lodge; that's the one with the attached bathrooms. With all of that Indian food, those bathrooms were a blessing. After having a main course there was dessert, starring Tina's sweet and juicy gulab jamuns and Monica's moist and nutty brownies (which even the squirrels came in to try). When the crowd had fueled up, it was time for music, dancing and fun. Friday night turned to Saturday morning and soon sleep blanketed the lodge. Yet these vibrant Goans were up early to get breakfast. After breakfast, there was candle making, a climbing hike, pretzel making, and a waterfall hike. After all these activities, we relaxed on the grass and basked in the sun while watching my dad Peter teach Gina, Stanley, and Gina DeCorla how to fish. I have never seen children so excited. >From then on, when my dad mentioned fishing, little Stanley (2yrs) would immediately go and hold his hand. After lunch there was rock climbing, which I couldn't miss. Some cheered from down below as others put on their harnesses and took on the mighty wall. There was a lot of napping in between. It was as if there was some sort of "tag, your turn to nap" game going on. The waterfront opened and the active (and awake) took boats from the shore and rowed out onto the glassy surface of the lake. There were boat races, with as many as five boats rowing furiously to the other end, one boat lagging behind, two fighting for the lead and one screaming, "that's not fair, we're carrying a deadweight" because they had a person sitting in the middle. Yet one boat stood out, not because it won all the races, but rather because it capsized. Peter D'Souza and Ison flipped into the frigid water and lifeguards rowed out to collect them. Somehow, amidst their showboating, their boat showed them a little something. That night there were games galore. Thanks to Dr. Mickey's sound system, we had a microphone and background music. Starting with the skit in a bag game, four teams concocted crazy skits for the rest to enjoy. First off was team 1, in which Julie Vaz and Peter Fernandes stole the show. Julie, depicting night life in Japan, explained her exotic technique of 'mushy-mushy'. Later Peter, complete with head scarf and strapless bra, showed us how it's done in Goa. In the next group's skit, narrated by Avril, two mothers accompanied by their sons asked for Dr. D'Sa's (who enacted the role of a damsel desperately seeking a spouse) hand in marriage, because she was the loveliest maiden in all the land. Turns out she already had a partner, and a child as well. The third group made a Hindi music video for the song -"Jiski Biwi Moti", portraying different characters to match the lyrics. The final group took us on a trip to India to meet Churchill Alemo (brilliantly played by Vasant). The comedy which ensued included a blessing from Sister Anunciata portrayed by Melba. Eventually the famed politician's bashing of the Goans in America died down when he begged the President (played by Peter) for help in obtaining a green card to visit the U.S. Then the night grew long with laughter with charades and dancing. Sunday started the right way, with church. After taking a detour to the church, hearing Mass and coming back, the fun started at the gym. Some chose to visit the garage sales on the way back, but others went to the gym to practice for the Throw ball Tournament. Lunch was served and after twenty thousand games of "Mindi Coat" in the lounge, the Tournament began. First the court was covered with females as the men played cricket or basketball. Tina was a star player with her super skill, and Avril was the energizer bunny as she ran for the ball. Melba was a confident competitor and Julie was an expert at dropping the ball right over the net on the other side. Jessie was the controller of the game telling the teams when to rotate and Carol and her mom, Dulcine polished their throwing hands. Then as the men started filtering in, the games started getting more serious. Peter D'Souza took over the court with his catching and passing. I don't really know who won, but who cares? It was fun and that's all that counts. The weekend came to a warm close by the campfire. After a flashlight procession through the woods, we arrived at a tree surrounded area with a theater like arrangement of benches. Once the fire started burning, we toasted marshmallows while singing folk songs, mandos and other traditional tunes with our own twists. We headed back to the lounge for one last game. The "Not-So-Newlyweds" game was played with a prize to the couple that knew each other best. A set of questions was asked to the females and then the males came out and tried to match their partner's answers. Carmen & Victor, Monica & Vasant, Tina & Eugene, Violet & Peter, and Melba & Mario competed. After some husbands fought for points and halves of points, Mario and Melba emerged victorious as the couple with the most matched answers. The weekend was a success in every way. Except for one. As Daniel would say, "All the people who snore should sleep in the bathroom!" But even with loud snoring and sleepless nights, the fun during the day was immeasurable. And for that, I say thank you to everyone who joined in and contributed and see you all next year for yet another round of "Goans in the Wilderness". Regards, Gilbert A. Lawrence, MD. Radiation Oncology, Faxton Hospital CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipients(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, or distribution is prohibited. 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