My dear Roland,
Will try and answer your questions, to the best of my ability, soon.
Please bear with me until the Nobel hassle goes by. Most busy week in
Sweden for us hacks.
Alfred.> Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 21:56:33 -0500> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> To:
[email protected]> Subject: [Goanet] The Bamon Ladder> > Dear Senhor
Alfredo,> Could you please elaborate on the "bamon ladder".> > How does a bamon
qualify for a higher or lower rung on the ladder? Or for> full-bloodedness for
that matter. Is it merely by birth or is it by an> ownership of substantial
land holdings? Perhaps a combination of both? It> cannot be by property alone
as many Chardos owned bigger estates than most> Bamons did.> > Did the rungs of
Bamonism freeze when the Portuguese were kicked out? In> other words could
lower rung Bamons (read poorer ones) attain upward> mobility when they became
highly educated and therefore wealthier> professionals? Can one claim to climb
the ladders even in these more> enlightened years?> > Sorry for so many
questions but you are a font of Goan wisdom and count> almost everybody who was
somebody in pre-liberation Goa as your relative,> friend or acquaintance. And I
say this not sarcastically at all. I may admit> to some tongue-in-cheek
though.> > I do remember that the Bamons of Curtorim for example, just about
made it> inside the circle. I was told that this was because the Curtorcar
Bamons> were really mere peasants who tilled their fields themselves, an
activity> unthinkable for example by the Bamons of Loutulim, Raia, Verna,
Seraulim or> Neura not to speak of the rarefied atmosphere in which Margao
Bamons> conducted their activities.> > Interestingly in Bardez, you were
counted a bamon if you were a bamon so to> speak. A Bamon in Assagao was no
bettter or no worse than a Bamon in Aldona> or Saligao. Although a few families
like the Gama Pintos, the Pinto Rosarios> and the Lisboas did enjoy greater
clout in earlier days due to their> wealth derived from mainly landed
properties.> > Also interestingly, most villages in Bardez boasted of Bamons
while only a> few villages in Salcete would make that claim. In Ponda of course
there were> the Aguiars, a name I vividly remember due to the beautiful Sulana
with whom> I recall a few pleasurable brushes.> > To the readers of Goanet: I
discuss this subject with no caste bias> whatsoever. Personally, I do not
subscribe to the caste system though I do> find their nuances of interest, like
the words Bamon Ladder that Alfred so> innocuously slipped in.> > Roland.>
416-453-3371> > On Dec 6, 2007 2:50 PM, Alfred de Tavares <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>>
wrote:> > Old Jackie boy was a full-blooded bhamon, allright.> > No doubt about
that whatsoever.> > However, his wife, nee Soares, from Bordá, was a rung
higher on the> > Bahmon ladder.> > I have been very closely attached to the
family since my early years,> > I should know.> > Alfred de Tavares,> >
Stockholm, 2007-12-06> Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2007 06:58:47 -0800> From:
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