Or is it just possibly you-call-yourself-that-so-you-probably-want-us-too-to-call-you-that? In any case, we're always referring to elderly Goan males and females as 'aunty' and 'uncle' ourselves, aren't we?
At least, that's the situation in places like Goa and nearby diaspora communities. This may be politically incorrect in the West, right Mr Ali (or Mike)? It's amazing how fast such attitudes percolate. I've notice my 11-and-6-year-old kids and how they respond. If I wished someone "Good night," they would repeat and say, "Good night, Uncle". Unfortunately, there is an element of class/community bias creeping in. So while this is willingly used for middle-class/Catholics, they would say it a bit uncertainly for others! It's amazing how we transfer our biases to the next generation. The other day, my six-year-old came home perplexed about "Ghantis". Quite surprised about where he had picked up such vibes -- he doesn't read Goanet, not yet! -- I tried to explain we were all "Ghantis" in a way! After all, there's always someone who sees us as inferior to them. Likewise, depending on one's frame of reference, all of us did come from "across the Ghats" at one time or another -- to enter Goa, to go out of Goa. It's all a question of what frame of reference we choose. At present, he's still figuring out why the "Ghats" of the Amazon are the biggest of them all, and the "Ghantis" from there are the most "Ghanti" of 'em all :-) FN 2009/11/22 Michael Ali <[email protected]>: > Dear FN, > > In Pakistan too Goans and Anglo-Indians are generally addressed as 'Uncle' > or 'Aunty' by shopkeepers, vendors etc. They do this to show respect as > Goans and AIs are held in high esteem. -- Frederick Noronha :: +91-832-2409490 Writing, editing, alt.publishing, photography, journalism ANOTHER GOA: http://tiny.cc/anothergoa
