In a lighter vein, I must say that Selma missed a good opportunity to start a journalism institute in my name, as she had promised following my long-distance reports and then a thread on goanet regarding the Goan convention in London. It was the first time we were present at an event together. At the end of the inauguration, I stood outside the hall. Selma came out and recognizing me seemed a bit surprised. We exchanged handshakes and then she darted towards the staircase with an elderly (should I say doddering...oops) lady. Then I was told to stand outside the gate as the bus would be there to take us to the venue at Bambolim. She took off in a car. When we met the next day, she said I ran away and I clarified that I was standing still. It was then she said the lady was her mother-in-law. She insisted that I went away on meeting her, though I denied it by saying that I was waiting there for the bus. She then said she was just "joking." It's so different rattling on cyber-forums and then exchanging greetings and handshakes on meeting at an event. On the forums, Selma is often like a tigress, fighting back with what she has. She has made herself some cyber-enemies and I was or still am one of them. The "doddering" remark I used was Selma's use of it for old East African Goans in England in a newspaper column. It raised some angry voices over the net, including Cyprian Fernandes hitting out a Selma in his blog. His anger can be known from his use of "Shame on you, Selma" remark. Another East African in an email to me said Selma is "incorrigible" and that he "wouldn't touch her with a barge pole." Touche! So, Selma passed on this chance to name or found an institute of journalism in my name. I would, in turn, would name an institute for her, Selma Institute for Goan East African Studies. It could settle the score.
Eugene
