[Goanet] WORLD GOA DAY 2007!

[domnic fernandes]

It’s that time of the year when we gather worldwide in solidarity to prove 
to the world that we are Goenkars (Goans).  What is it that identifies us as 
Goans?  Is it the color of our skin?  Is it music that runs in our blood?  
Is it our dress?  Is it our cuisine, which includes sorpotel and vindalo?  
What is it?  The only characteristic that separates us from others and 
identifies us as Goans is our language – the Konkani language.

Last year, I wrote a small article around World Goa Day, which is celebrated 
worldwide on August 20.  I also wrote a few sentences which could be used at 
World Goa Day functions abroad.  This is a continuation of that article but 
in a humorous vein:

We meet again at one of the World Goa Day celebrations in the West:

Legend:  Domnic = Duming; Gabriel = Gabru; Christopher = Kishtu

Duming:	Ar’re, Gabru tum?  Koso asai?  (Hey!  Is that you Gabriel?  How are 
you?)

Gabru:  Fine, fine – and how are you?

Duming:	Ar’re, konnank 'fine' ghalta?  Hanvem tuka vicharlam tum koso asai 
ghai mhunn?  (Hey, who are you fining?  I asked:  How are you?)

Gabru:  Gai?  What gai?

Duming:	Ar’re, hanvem gai mhunnonk nam – Konknnint gai mhunnchem ‘cow’.  
(Hey, I didn’t say "gai" - in Konkani “gai” means cow).

Gabru:  Yes, yes, yes, yes!

Duming:	 Ar’re, ‘Yes’ utrak Konknnint sobdh nam re?  Konknnint ‘Yes’ utrak 
“Hoi” mhunnttat.  (Hey, is there no Konkani word for ‘Yes’?  The Konkani 
word for ‘Yes’ is “Hoi”.

Duming:	Ar’re Gabru, ami eka vorsan porot mell'lleanv ani azun tum ekui 
Konknni utor xikonk nam?  Xi baba, loz kosli!  (Hey Gabriel, we have met 
after one year and still you didn’t learn a single Konkani word?  What a 
shame!)

Gabru:  What khonkli, khonkli, khonkli?

Duming:	Ar’re Gabru, khonkli mhunnchem ‘cough’ ani “Konknni” mhunnchem amchi 
maim-bhas Konkani.  (Hey Gabriel, ‘khonkli’ means cough and “Konknni” means 
our mother tongue, Konkani.

Gabru:  Ahm!  Now I understand - Konk-ani!

Duming:	Hai Saiba!  Tum borea munxeak piso kortoloi.  (Oh Lord!  You will 
turn a sane person mad.)

Gabru:  What “poiso kortolo?”  I am already rich!

Duming: Ar’re, “poiso” nhoi punn “piso”, as in mad.

Duming: Hanvem chintlelem toxench zalem; omtea kollxear udok.
(It turned out exactly as I had thought - water on duck’s back; all in 
vain.)

Khuim ghel’lo?  Khuim nam.
Kitem haddlam?  Kaim nam.
(Where had you been?  Nowhere!
What have you brought?  Nothing)!

Gabru:	Who told you I have not been anywhere?  Last summer I went to Goa.  
And, who told you I have not brought anything?  I brought Goa pork sausages 
– they are on sale on stall number 5.

Duming:	Ar’re Gabru, Konknnint ‘Goa pork sausages’ mhunnchem “Goenchim 
dukrachim chevrisam”.  Tum fokot chevrisam khanvk zannam mista”!   (Hey 
Gabriel, in Konkani ‘Goa pork sausages’ means “Goenchim dukrachim 
chevrisam”.  It seems you only know to eat sausages!)

Duming:	Hanvem aikolam tumger nathu zala. Hi khori khobor?  Mojim un-unit 
porbim tuka!  (I heard you got a grandson.  Is this true?  Please accept my 
heartiest congratulations!)

Gabru:  Natuk?  What natuk?

Duming:	Ar’re, Inglezin “natuk” mhunnchem ‘owl’ ani Konknnint “nathu” 
mhunnchem ‘grandson’.  (Hey, in English “natuk” means ‘owl’ and in Konkani 
“nathu” means ‘grandson’.

Gabru:  Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!

Duming:	Ar’re, khuim “iea” mhunnttai?  Konknnint, “iea” mhunnchem let’s.  
(Hey, where are you taking me?  In Konkani, “iea” means let’s).

Gabru:  Don't you know 'Yeah' means Yes?

Duming:	Portun tench?  Tujean ‘hoi’ mhunnonk zai naslem?  (The same story 
again?  Couldn’t you say yes?)

Duming:	Tem sogllem borem asa.  Atam chol soreachea dukornar vochon tujea 
nathvachea nanvan irlem kopachem marumiea (Let us go to the bar and have 
some drinks in your grandson’s name).

Gabru:  Yeah!  Let us go to Mary’s house?

Duming:	Ar’re, hanvem tuka sanglam soreachea dukornar iea mhunn, nhoi 
Marichea ghora.  (Hey, I told you we’ll go to a bar – not Mary’s house).

Gabru:  Yes, Mary’s house means dukor!

Duming:	Ar’re baba, “dukor” means ‘pig’ ani ‘soreachem dukorn’ means taverna 
or bar.  Somzoloi?  (Hey guy, “dukor” means ‘pig’ and ‘soreachem dukorn’ 
means taverna or bar.  Did you understand?)

Gabru to the barman:  Hey, listen!  Take my order in Konkani:  Give us one 
“panttlli” beer. Will you?

Duming:	Ar’re  papiea, “panttlli” mhunnchem ‘basket’ ani "battli" mhunnchem 
‘bottle’.  (You poor chap, “panttlli” means ‘basket’ and “battli” means 
‘bottle”.

Another friend, Kishtu (Christopher), joins Domnic & Gabriel.

Duming:	“Ha-a-a!  Zaitea vorsanim St. Pauli bir pielom; jivak ekdom borem 
dislem.  Waiter!  Upkar korun amkam anik tin biram hadd!  (Ha-a, I enjoyed 
St. Pauli beer after many years; I felt very good.  Waiter!  Please bring us 
three more beers).

Gabru:  Hey waiter!  I don’t want tin beer; I want bottled beer.  Understood!

Duming:	Ar’re Gabru, “tin” means ‘three’ and the Konkani word for a ‘tin’ is 
“folin”.  Somzoloi?  (Did you understand?)

Gabru:  Fooling, fooling!  Who are you fooling?

Duming:	Ar’re baba, hanvem ‘fooling’ mhunnonk nam – ‘folin’ mhuttlam. (Hey, 
I didn’t say fooling; I said ‘folin’ - tin.

When Domnic and Gabriel are done with St. Pauli beer, they embrace each 
other and bid good-bye:

Duming:	Borem tor, hanv ietam [in Konkani it is considered inauspicious to 
say “hanv voitam” – ‘I’m going’]; portun fuddlea vorsa mevche – e-mail 
dhaddttam, pavli toxich zabab dhi.  (Ok, I am going; we’ll meet again next 
year – I will send you an e-mail, which please reply as soon as received).

Gabru:  You want me to send you ‘Pauli’?  I can’t do that for God’s sake!

Duming:	Ar’re xannea mojea ixtta, hanvem ‘Pauli’ bir dhadd mhunn magonk nam. 
 Hanvem mhuttllam:  mhoji e-mail ‘pavli’ toxich zabab dhi – hangasor "pavli 
toxich" sobdhancho orth ‘as soon as reached’ – ani nhoi St. Pauli beer!  
(Hey, my wise friend, I didn't ask you to send me ‘Pauli’ beer.  I said: As 
soon as you receive my e-mail, please reply - here the words "pavli toxich" 
means 'as soon as reached’ - and not St. Pauli beer!

That’s all folks for this year.  Let us keep in mind that our language is 
the key to our identity and distinctiveness that identifies us as "Goenkars" 
(Goans) anywhere in the world!

Have a wonderful World Goa Day 2007, whichever part of the world you are.

Cheers!

Moi-mogan,

Domnic Fernandes, author of “Domnic’s Goa – A nostalgic romp through a 
bygone era”
Anjuna/Dhahran, KSA
Tel: (966 3) 877-2744; Home: (966 3) 876-2676; Mobile: (966 5) 0281-9101

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