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* * * 2006 ANNUAL GOANETTERS MEET - GOA * * *
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WHERE: Foodland Cafe - Miramar Residency - Miramar, Goa
WHEN: December 21, 2006 @ 4:00pm
More info:
http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2006-December/051412.html
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Oddly enough Selma your experiences where different from mine probably
because it was a party of Lusophiles. I
went to the Fundacao to get information on scholarships for a family member
and no one at the reception spoke Portuguese which to me was very
surprising. I mean how many people at the British Council do not speak
English? Every foreign agency in Japan was manned by English speaking
Japanese. I am sure there are some who do speak Portuguese but they weren't
there on that day they weren't at the front desk. And contrary to what your
friend told you there are many people who speak very good Portuguese and not
'Português de cozinha' so they could be hired! Now I am not trying to tell
the Fundacao how to run its shop "just a few contrarian thoughts on a
cool, Sunday morning" to quote Fred.
You went to a party which was technically a gathering of Lusophiles so
people were bound to speech Portuguese. Believe me if you were to go to a US
function in Japan no one would have bothered to speak Japanese to you. Also
I would like to state that not everyone who speaks Portuguese is doing so
because they are snobs and want to draw an imaginary line. Many like me
speak it because it was the first language we spoke and the language we
still speak to our close relatives and friends. Its just what we are used
to - we also speak English and Konkani even though many people who don't
speak Portuguese refuse to speak Konkani now. I don't know why but I got
flogged several times (Toronto and London) because I spoke Portuguese - I
like speaking the language I was raised speaking but then I like speaking
all the languages that I know. What is the big deal about speaking
Portuguese? If you like a language all you have to do is buy Rosetta Stone,
practice everyday and maybe do an immersion program in Portugal/Brazil.
> I think Goan society is still very elitist, which is
> funny really because the most pretentious of the lot
> are generally the least educated.
If you are implying that the people on the day of that party were
pretentious because they did not speak English to you and so were not
educated I cant comment as I wasn't at that party. But in defense of my
family I would say that many still speak Portuguese because they studied the
language, spoke it all their lives like we do English and suddenly life as
they knew changed. In spite of that they did reinvent themselves and all
speak very good English. They are also highly educated but I would not call
them snobs. You are meeting the wrong people Selma - come visit us in Goa!
Helga
> I think Goan society is still very elitist, which is
> funny really because the most pretentious of the lot
> are generally the least educated.
>
> selma
>
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> ____________________________________________________________________________________
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> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Goanet supports BMX, the alumni network of Britto's, St Mary's and
> Xavier's -- three prominent institutions in Mapusa, Goa. Events
> scheduled from Dec 16 to 21, 2006
>
> For more details visit http://www.bmxgoa.com
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Goanet supports BMX, the alumni network of Britto's, St Mary's and
Xavier's -- three prominent institutions in Mapusa, Goa. Events
scheduled from Dec 16 to 21, 2006
For more details visit http://www.bmxgoa.com
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