From, an other: There are many variables in the mix here.
Its true that, "People can and do have difficulties with expressing themselves in a language they are no longer familiar with. It happens with all cultures, not necessarily Goan." It could be seen as a collapse of memory. Moving on... It has nothing to do with being a gentleman (or for that matter, a lady), unless one means it as an euphemism for "deficient" (Konkani, unno (as in less/deficiency, not undo (bread!). Forgetting Konkani should not easily bring to mind that they "speak/understand only English (the Indian variety, that is)." There are those who speak exquisite English, and write even better although they do not speak the mai bhas. And I do not have to showcase them. They are in our midst. The aggravation when it spills over, on account of somebodies lack of Konkani chops, says more about ourselves. At the end of the day all families construct themselves in ways they see fit, even if that shaping may appear unfit (in/to our eyes). It is when we lash out, are absolutely nonchalant -- that we have a choice to not engage, engage less, move on, or maintain the possibility of effecting some manner of change/ engagement, I had one of ours tell me that he regrets not being able to converse in Konkani. That's fine, yet why so, considering that among many things obvious, this being also has the resources to set things right. But such possibilities do not gel with their modernism. Oslem unneaponn. On the other hand it could be a feint, as one ramps up ones ability in Konkani. Other than a small anecdote, it matters not. It would have mattered if I said, "this ass," but then... + + My mother would exhort/ encourage us to speak in English, not in Hindi. She was not wrong in a way, but WRONG in that -- being a part of India, and having neighbors with folks from UP, Lucknow, Allahabad, almost all rank and file as us, we still had to relate beyond Level 101, not merely inquire, sab theek hai (is all ok?). Hanh (Yes, ... and a few more words). But her aspiration for us may have been what she saw "was possible" with certain tools, one of them being English. This lady had been pulled out of school as a child, when my grandmother got paralyzed; she never wished to get married; and when she did it was to face Bombaim (Mumbai) -- so her view must have got shaped as revealed through these few touchstones. We encouraged her to speak to us in whatever Portuguese she knew but then, it was not to be. We had no pretensions that Mother knew a lot of Portugues, since she had shared that she did not. But I had seen her do a lot with what her ability in that language. For me, it will happen sooner than later sometime in the near future. Furthermore, is it only I who wondered/ wonders whether other parents did not say something similar to my mother, to their children -- considering not having encountered such sharing. On Goanet for the longest time its been something on the lines of: My mother encouraged us to speak Konkani. NEVER: I was discouraged to speak in Braj/ Magadhi, or say Konkani! (a joke of course, but better to make it obvious). Perhaps I may be presumptuous enough to say that relatively educated parents know/ knew the winds better, and made sure that in not putting out less flattering thoughts -- that certain reminiscences would not show up in ones wards autobiography. But I cannot wait for better paper to be manufactured. Wondering what Hindu parents said to theirs could be a worth a cup of tea. But besides all the Konkani, or whatever -- not much seems to have helped our own, in basic terms -- civility, and the like. The manner in which we emote, and that taken over time says/ tells a thing or too. The operative phrase here being "over time". Now I could write the same in Konkani and prove our Resident prescriptivist (NONE of you who have contributed to this conversation/discussion thus far) wrong, but that would mean me having to work OT = overtime. Um dos otros, venantius j pinto + + + + + + + Message: 6 > Date: Sun, 16 Dec 2012 06:23:41 -0800 (PST) > From: Gabriel de Figueiredo <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [Goanet] Goencar.................. > > Dear Floriano, Vivian and others, > ? > It is all very well to espouse the cause of Konkani. But all people are > not the same as you gentlemen are. People can and do have difficulties with > expressing themselves in a language they are no longer familiar with. It > happens with all cultures, not necessarily Goan. > ? > There are people who have genuinely forgotten the use of of the language > if they have not spoken for years, and I know a number of such people, past > and present. They might understand, but the construct of the language to > speak it confounds them. Then there are other Goans, brought up in today's > Goa, who, for some reason, have not been spoken to in Konkani, and > speak/understand only English (the Indian variety, that is).??Yet others, > who have not been brought up in Goa, yet speak Konkani fluently.? > ? > ? > I meet all types constantly, and sometimes my greeting in Konkani to the > newly-arrived Goans to Melbourne gets a reply "I am sorry but I don't speak > the language", with the apology followed by some explanation (born outside > Goa, but did secondary schooling in Goa, etc).? All explanations accepted > by me, because I understand some of the difficulties people have with > languages. > ? > So please have some tolerance, and rather than getting annoyed, perhaps > you could offer some assistance in getting these people to relearn (or pick > up) the language once again.? Think the story of the sun and the wind > -?benevolence always wins, antagonism always loses.? > ? > Regards, > ? > Gabriel.
