From: Sonia Gomes
The Africanders claim to be Goans; one even said to me I am a 400% Goan. Of course I said we could now speak Konkani... -------- GL responds: About a decade ago, several office-holders of the local German club, in the USA, came to my wife and myself and invited us to join their (ethnic) club. We responded by informing them that we appreciate their kind invitation, but we are not Germans, have no German ancestry, never been to Germany and do not speak the language. Their response was, "You love our German beer, and our German sausages, and our German music and our German dances (polkas and waltzes). How more German can you get?" We joined their group and enjoyed years of deep friendship, with monthly meetings, celebrating all their ethnic festivals, visiting several Oktoberfest as a club, etc. They even made my wife the editor of the club newsletter. Lesson to Learn: Be Inclusive instead of trying to be Exclusive. Regards, GL PS: I am 50 percent Gomes … really from Guirdolim / Chandor.
