"us" does not and cannot encapsulate all those who fall within the groupings -- Goans, Goan Catholics, those who are Catholics and very conservative (all Catholics are not conservative; most are lukewarm in their practice), other hardly have a sense of catholicity; or those who are from other religions, paths, etc.
If however two friends have attitudes, inclinations, beliefs that they know are common to them -- they could say, to graciously borrow FNs words: What is "normal" to us, might seem very odd to someone else. I point this to suggest that even in our characterization of Us-ness we are very unpredictable. The "us" that we apply to others and clump ourselves into is the stuff of statistics (quantitative); not qualitative. So we have notions swirling around and foisted upon us like: all Goans like drink, Anglo women are/were loose, boarding at convents in Mumbai is soooo cheapppp (mostly those who are living abroad), etc. And other hair raising ones I encountered during my college years: In art school we had people who could see around corners (a us (they) group of visionaries), pointing out that they saw XYZ woman's underwear -- never mind that such in almost all cases was anatomically impossible. Perhaps it was an earlier form of mad cow disease! I hope the digression is not completely off the wall. Its certainly is not quite a Goan trait. Debate this. : ) +++++++++++++ venantius j pinto > From: Frederick FN Noronha ????????? ???????? *??????? ??????? > <[email protected]> > To: "Goa's premiere mailing list, estb. 1994!" > <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [Goanet] Indian Islamic seminary issues fatwa, says avoid > polygamy - Bikya Masr > > Gabe, I meant it the other way: What is perfectly normal for others > might be "abnormal" for us. What is "normal" to us, might seem very > odd to someone else. > > > https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/n7EdgwsyCv55hF7Ihyj72g?feat=embedwebsite > http://sarahoverthemoon.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/obama1.jpg > > http://sarahoverthemoon.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/adorable-kittens-cats-18082614-600-320.jpg > > Have a nice weekend > > FN > -- > FN +91-832-2409490 or +91-9822122436 [email protected] > Books from Goa,1556 http://scr.bi/Goa1556Books > Audio recordings (mostly from Goa): http://bit.ly/GoaRecordings > > > On 13 May 2012 14:59, Gabe Menezes <[email protected]> wrote: > > On 12 May 2012 10:41, Frederick FN Noronha ????????? ???????? *??????? > > ??????? <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> Gabe, > >> Is your emphasis on *at the same time*? > >> I feel it's very easy to judge other cultures from the perspective of > >> our own... FN > > > RESPONSE: Sure what is perfectly normal to them seems out of place with > us. > > Take King Saud of Arabia, who had several wives and 109 children! There > are > > an estimated 30,000 Saudi Royalty and they are all on the payroll of the > > Govt. One day the oil will vanish.... > > It may be that men are naturally polygamous, some of us would like to > have > > many wives, lack of cash, the need to stay sane keeps us within narrow > > confines. Some society treat women as chattel. Who are we to interfere in > > other's choices, huh? > > DEV BOREM KORUM > > Gabe Menezes. > >
