A Day Spent Sightseeing! Discovering Old Goa’s Treasures

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Goa

A Day Spent Sightseeing! Re-discovering Old Goa’s Treasures

           

Namaste from Goa!

There is only so many papers to which you can listen and after two days of discussion, I was intellectually satiated and ready to take on some colonial history about which we had been talking for two days.

So, I awoke to blog and then read my Twitterfeed, shower and get out of my room to make my way to the dining room for some breakfast. I had planned to eat French Toast today, but they had none. The menu changes daily and the egg man custom makes your order. I had a mushroom and cheese omelette, scrambled paneer, chili flaked potato hash and chicken in gravy (which was just delicious) with toast and coffee. You can just imagine how full I felt by the time I got up from the table where I had been chatting with an Indian Goan woman named Anna who invited me to join her at her table.

Off to Find the Hop On, Hop Off Bus:

Having equipped myself with all the information yesterday, I walked briskly to the church to the Hop On Hop Off bus stop where I arrived at 9.10 for my 9.20 bus. But even at 9.40, there was no sign of the bus.  Knowing these buses as well as I do, I am aware how prompt they are in every part of the world. Trust that something would go wrong in Goa! Of course! I called the local number and was informed that the bus does not really stop at Panjim Church (although there is a bus stop with a sign announcing its schedule there) but that I would need to go to the Old Secretariat Building to find it. Good job it was less than five minutes away! A shop keeper told me how to find the building and in a few minutes, I was at the spot, trying to find the bus stop. But, of course, at this point, where the bus does actually stop, there was no bus-stop! God give me strength! 

The bus did come along at 10.00 am, as promised, and I was able to pay the conductor Rs. 400 on board in exchange for a ticket that I would need to show each time I hopped on or off! It was not a double decker and it had part of it covered and air-conditioned, the other half open at the top. 

My Hop On Hop Off Tour Begins:     

If I expected to find a guide who would give me a running commentary to tell me what building I was passing or even a recording that I could listen to with personal ear-phones (as one finds on such buses in all other cities of the world), I could perish the thought. The conductor (and that was all he was—a conductor) hadn’t a clue. He did not even know about prominent buildings in Panjim! 

  I soon learned that all this bus would provide would be transportation to the far-flung reaches of the tourist sites of interest—that was all! Oh well, as a solo traveler, I was grateful for that amenity at least.

So, first stop, as we flew down the road along the river front, was Mira Mar Beach. There were two other guys on the bus but none of us got off. Next stop, The Goa Science Center and Planetarium. I bought a Rs. 20 ticket to get in and spent the half hour I was given there to take a look around. Essentially designed for kids, it is a lovely place and were I a kid, I am sure I would have been fascinated by the clarity with which the exhibits were arranged and explained. I spent most of my time in the Hall of Mirrors which was a lot of fun. I could easily have spent another half hour in this place but I did not want to miss my bus that was headed to Old Goa and that was really my main interest.

The ride to Old Goa took about twenty minutes along really wonderful roads. We stayed in what the bus calls ‘South Goa’—although technically speaking, we were already in North Goa because the Zuari River (not the Mandovi) divides Goa into North and South. For this tour company, however, it is the Mandovi that does the dividing; so if I cross the Mandovi river in this bus, I would be in North Goa, according to them. North Goa includes all of the beaches (Calangute, Baga, Vagator, Anjuna) and the Portuguese-built Fort Aguada complex. To do both sectors, the cost to me would have been Rs. 700 or Rs. 800 per sector. But I have chosen to skip the beaches altogether on this trip as I have spent enough time at all of them on past visits.   

Exploring OId Goa:

In the years gone by (and I was looking back...this is my sixth time in Goa), I have spent no more than an hour in Old Goa taking in the two most important monuments: The Basilica of Bom Jesu and the Se Cathedral. This time, I decided to give it two hours and to hop back on the bus that would arrive two hours later. It was a very wise decision because I could take my time, see everything at leisure and get all the pictures in the world. Before we alighted, the conductor told us that there were four places we ought to see: Bom Jesu, Se Cathedral, the Museum and the Church of St. Catherine. In fact, he left out the Church of St. Francis of Assisi which is right behind Se Cathedral and which Lonely Planet (rightly) informed me is of tremendous historical interest and antiquity.

A Visit to the Basilica of Bom Jesu:

Construction on this church began in 1594 and was completed in 1605. It was built by the first Jesuits from Spain who made Goa their base. It is known throughout the Christian world as the final resting place of the miraculous remains of the man who became St. Francis Xavier. He was an ardent disciple of a man who found the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit order of religious men) and later became canonized as St. Ignacius of Loyola. 

    Xavier had travelled to the Indies as a missionary and was instrumental in achieving thousands of conversions to Christianity in India before he sailed off to China where he died at Sancien Island. It was soon discovery that his body defied normal processes of corruption. The miracle was hailed by the Vatican as his mortal remains were transported back to Goa. A silver casket set atop a gorgeous marble monument was deigned in Italy and paid for by the Duke of Tuscany and executed by Florentine sculptor Giovanni Batista Foggini in 1698. The body is placed today in a glass casket which is then placed in this ornate silver casket—you cannot see anything of it today even if you stand directly below the casket. However, once every ten years, an ‘exposition’ is held (I had been to the one in 1964–when, funnily enough, Llew had traveled  to Goa from Pakistan to participate as well!) at which the body is exposed for the benefit of devotees that number in the thousands. I particularly loved the fat cherubs (putti) who encircle the monument.

Apart from this miraculous phenomenon, for which the basilica (still Jesuit-run) is justifiably famous, the reredos (altar) is gorgeous.  Entirely covered in gilding, it features a life-size gilded sculpture of St. Francis Xavier with his eyes gazing up the sunburst and the IHS (symbol of the Jesuits) and then to the Trinity above—all portrayed in stylized medieval iconography and statuary that is simply fantastic. Such examples are seen in the European Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages in places such as Poland (where I saw some stunning work by my favorite medievalist wood carver Veit Stoss) and England (where I adore the work of the Tudor carver Grindling Gibbons). I could not stop taking pictures (after I was permitted to enter the enclosed area at the very front of the church to pray).

So praying, taking pictures, carefully noting the wooden carvings (all gilded), the medieval paintings on the wall and on wood panels (now fast fading—they are urgently in need of conservation before they are lost to us forever), plaster of Paris statuary, etc. took about an hour but I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this visit.

Outside, I admired the laterite walls of the basilica with their flying buttresses—once all covered in white wash but today stripped down to the red composed sand and iron bricks that were used (and are still used) for all major construction in Goa.

Visiting Se Cathedral:

Next item on my agenda was crossing the street to get to Se Cathedral on the opposite side.  I have to say that the entire space is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (and they do a great job!) but they follow the medieval design of the landscaped gardens that surround the complex of churches in this part of Old Goa—which, by the way, was the capital of the colonial Portuguese government in the days of the first Viceroy who took charge of the new colony of  Goa, Ferdinand de Almeida (no relative of our’s!) who was followed by Alfonso de Albuquerque who consolidated Portuguese power in the Indian Ocean. However, although it is good that they have kept to the original plan of the gardens, some shade-giving trees would not be out of place. Every time I have been to this place, I have felt overwhelmed by the heat—and, mind you, this is the gentle winter sun of the tropics. I have also been here at the height of summer and, believe me, it is simply brutal. 

Anyway...this is the largest of the churches in Old Goa and it was begun prior to the construction of Bom Jesu in 1562—it just took longer to complete—in 1652–like all Gothic cathedrals, it took a full hundred years to complete! It is entirely whitewashed, inside and out, and is dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria (not Sienna) who is depicted on the main altar with the instrument of her martyrdom, the torture wheel. The side chapels were particularly interesting to me as they feature some really brilliant examples of medieval wooden altars—there was St. Lawrence the Martyr in one, Our Lady surrounded by the angels and saints in the next, etc. They are all beautifully maintained and lovingly painted so that they look as they might have on the day they were created—stirring. The gilding of the main altar is not as striking as at Bom Jesu, but it is still noteworthy. This cathedral is known for its bell, called the Golden Bell because it has a resonant sound that can be heard for miles. 

I finished my visit to this cathedral and walked out of the main entrance to take pictures of its front facade built in the Portuguese Gothic style with a Tuscan exterior.

The Church of St. Francis of Assisi:

This church is right behind Se Cathedral—sadly, not many people go inside as it is lesser known and if you are on a guided tour, two churches are perhaps all you can fit in. This was my first visit ever to this church and it was fabulous. The best part is that there are no pews at all—they have been removed and the main floor space cordoned off as they contain the original authentic grave stones of past Portuguese officials many of which sport, in addition to lettered engravings of their names, their family crests and coats of arms, many of which feature helmeted knights! I was simply fascinated by them! 

As for the altar, it is also fully carved in wood, but the gilding in now non-existent (not sure if it was ever gilded or has simply faded away). The altar is distinctive because this sides (as in the case of all churches in Italy) are covered with painted frescoes (most of which have faded clean away). Those that remain are worth examining although visitors are not allowed to ascend the altar steps. The side chapels also feature medieval frescoes in a bad state of repair.

The Archeological Museum and its Treasures:

Attached to the Church of St. Francis is the Museum which so few tourists have no time to examine—I too was seeing it for the first time. At the entrance is a towering bronze sculpture of Alfonso de Albuquerque, second Viceroy of Goa, clad in ceremonial robes, that had once stood on the waterfront of the beach at Mira Mar. Today, for very good reason as wind and sand erosion have already started to mar its features, it has been moved inside.  The ground floor contains fine examples of Hindu sculpture recovered from around Goa that date back to the Hoysala and Chalukyan periods as well as another fantastic find—another towering bronze sculpture of Luis de Camoes, Portuguese poet of the 1500s, who is dressed in doublet and hose holding on to a huge symbolic scroll. This is his composition—a poetic epic called O Lusidas in which his gigantic love for Goa is expressed as he was one of the first Renaissance men to actually arrive in Goa to sing its natural praises. 

Upstairs, there are oil portraits of all the worthies that made the Portuguese colony (Estados) of Goa so famous around the world. There is also a huge board that provides historical information of every Viceroy who held the post from the early 1500s till 1961 when the colony was liberated. It’s beautifully timbered ceiling was what caught my eye more than anything else. 

The Chapel of St. Catherine:

Finally, I made my way to the back of the Museum where I saw the remains of what was marked as a Gun Powder factory in Goa--there were a few canons sprinkled around and vast grinding stones. But I went down the laterite steps to a small church building entirely of red laterite stone with no white wash. This is the Chapel of St. Catherine that was built to commemorate the safe return to Goa (from a voyage to Portugal) of one of the early viceroys. It is a fine example of medieval religious architecture on a small scale. There is no altar and statues inside, but there were bats on the ceiling above where the altar would have been—ugh!

It was about two hours since I had arrived in Old Goa and I was ready to get back on the bus again after I found a refreshing ice-cream as it was really quite uncomfortably hot.

Next Stop: The Manguesh Temple

I have never been to the Manguesh Temple which is one of the most famous ones in Goa. It is far away from Panjim and involved another good twenty minute ride away from Old Goa. It turned out to be a confection of lovely temple architecture that was freshly painted in striking pastel colors. It’s most interestingly feature is a white washed tower outside the main temple which is dedicated to Shamomahadev. We went inside and found a cool space covered with marble flooring, a ceiling covered with chandeliers and a sanctum sanctorum at which a priest was dispensing prasad—inside we could see the holy deity.

By this time, I had made friends on the bus with a British man from London named Lawrence and we fell in stride with each other. People came up and asked if he would pose with them and he obliged! As we had a 55 minute stop at this point (30 minutes would have been plenty), we had a drink (Mango Lassie for me, Sprite for him) to refresh ourselves before boarding the bus again for our return journey.

Back to Base:

I basically did not get off the bus from this point on as I was quite tired by the heat and the walking I had done—I had covered so much ground. Lawrence got off again to see the Science Museum but I stayed on the bus until it looped around Mira Mar Bech again and dropped us off at the river near the Panjim Church and what they called the ‘Market’—this is basically a series of shops selling things like cashew nuts.       

Lawrence and I then walked back to our hotel as he too happened to stay at the Panjim Inn. I happily sank on to my bed and thought I would take a nap but instead I made a few calls to my Dad and Russel and then to some local friends (Debbie, Joaqui, Timmy) to finalize my plans for tomorrow as I will be crossing the Mandovi River and going to Porvorim to see them.

Dinner with Ashley at Viva Panjim:

Ashley had attended the last day of the conference and was making his way back from Dona Paula to Panjim where we intended to have dinner together at Viva Panjim, a Goan restaurant that he recommended. I had a shower as I badly needed a pick-me-up and walked about 20 meters to the restaurant where we ran into Lawrence who was already in the middle of his dinner—Anna from our hotel was also there. This seems to be a popular place for those who stay at the Panjim Inn. After introductions were carried out, we chose Goan items from the menu—I wanted to eat a genuine Mutton Xacuti in Goa and although the gravy was delicious, I wish I had chosen chicken as you get nothing but blobs of fat and bones whenever you order mutton (I keep forgetting this!). We also ordered the Goa Sausage Chilli Fry which was grand. With Pao, it made a superb meal. 

Conversation was free wheeling across our table as I discovered an art gallery and an exhibition on the work of F.N. Souza that Lawrence had seen the previous day. As I am a fan of the work of Souza, I will make it a point to see it either tomorrow or the day after. 

Lawrence is also a movie buff and we ended up chatting about Roma (which we have both seen on Netflix) as well as the many Bollywood classics he has seen--one of his favorite movies is Three Idiots (what is it about this movie and the British? My friend Edward from London tells that it is his favorite movie of all time! I saw it and I was not half as impressed!) Anyway, we sat chatting there till 10.30 when we finally decided to call it a day.

We walked back to our hotel (just a few feet away) and I fell straight to sleep after another incredibly informative day in Goa. Tomorrow, I shall devote to visiting and taking it fairly easy.

     Until tomorrow...   

                

     

     

  

      

  

  

    

     

      

        

                

     

      

       

A Red Letter Day for me! Official Launch of my Book on Goa in Goa!

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Panjim, Goa

A Red Letter Day for me! Official Launch of my Book on Goa in Goa!

Namaste from Goa!

As expected, I slept like a baby in a four-poster bed with a frilled lace canopy in a room filled with teak and rosewood Portuguese-era furniture.  Once, a long time ago in my hoary past, I had slept in such a room—but I have less happy memories of those times which are best forgotten (or repressed!)

After blogging and checking Twitter (no Times today as the WiFi, though connected, is giving me no reception at all which means that my daily newspaper cannot be dowloaded), I climbed down from the bed—and I do mean climbed as the bed is so high that it is a feat to not break your back each time to climb in and out of it! I went in for a shower, dressed, packed my bag and got out of my room with the eagerness of someone who knows that a good brekkie awaits.

Buffet Brekkie in the Panjim Inn:

The Panjim Inn is run by the Welcom Group of India which has bought three sprawling Portuguese bungalows and converted them into boutique hotels. As I walked past the roomy corridors of this homestead, I marveled at the brilliant internal architecture of these homes that the Portuguese built and which they inhabited in their Indian colonial heyday. Thankfully, they are being preserved—either as hotels or by being bought up by wealthy Russians, Israelis and British people who lavish care and money on them to bring them back to snuff. I understand that they are now selling for serious money even in the heart of old villages that Time forgot because celebrities of all sorts have ‘discovered’ Goa and are living amidst its swaying palms—folks like the novelist Amitabh Ghosh, for one. 

At any rate, I enjoyed striding down its beautiful mosaic-tiled floors past endless rooms filled with more carved curved furniture (good things they didn’t have TV in those days as they would have made very uncomfortable seating for watching two-hour long films—come to think of it, that furniture was probably designed just for women in long full skirts that looked pretty spread about those curving arms. I have only to go to my friend Marianel’s house in Girgaum to know how uncomfortable they can feel if you actually want to flop in them!   

Anyway, in a large dining room filled with vitrines crammed with ceramic antiques, were marble topped rosewood tables and cane-seated chairs and all the trappings of a nice buffet Brekkie. I requested the chef to make me a masala omelette which he did with aplomb and which I ate with two links of chicken sausages and something called a cauliflower casserole which looked far better than it tasted! With coffee, it made a good start to the day. Tomorrow, I shall go for the French Toast! Although I have to say that I saw it was made from white sandwich break when all that delectable Goan Pao would be the perfect vehicle for a fried egg-based sweet custard! 

Out with My Camera for a Walk in Old Panjim Village:

I had about 45 minutes at my disposal after breakfast and before the start of the second day of the conference—this time at the Instituto Camoes de Lingua e Cultura Portuguesa (The Camoes Institute for Portuguese Language and Literature). So off I went with my backpack and my camera slung around my neck to get some pictures of old-world Goa. 

And what a treat that early morning walk turned it to be! People had begun stirring by them and there was traffic, although not quite so chaotic. I walked down January 31Road (Rua 31 Janviero I think!) and was simply enchanted. All along the main village artery, old dilapidated homesteads have been refurbished and painted in bright primary colors imitative of Old Portuguese Quarters.  There are fruit colors on every wall—the colors of Goa’s tropical fruit: jackfruit, Alfonso mangoes, tangerines. Those, and vivid red apples, purple grapes. I could not stop clicking. In addition to the vivid colors on the walls, there are the wrought-iron balconies (Balcao in Portuguese)—such a Mediterranean feature. Plus there are stone benches attached to the stucco walls—families sat out on these benches in the evening and took the air as they gossiped with other villagers. There are spindly pillars that support colonnaded arcades and the wide wraparound verandahs of the top floor. Everywhere the starkness of whitewash offered a contrast to the bright colors. I took so many pictures of gorgeous house set within walled fences from which magenta bougainvillea tumbled and small front gardens in which baby papayas were ripe for the picking. Walking at leisure, I passed the old office of the O Heraldo (Portuguese) newspaper that is now defunct. As the Portuguese speakers have moved out of Goa (to Lisbon) or have left this world, these vehicles of communication from a lost era are dying or have died. 

Finally, the long street brought me to the banks of the Mandovi River. I could see the notorious bridge over it (somewhat reminiscent of the Verrazano Bridge in New York) that had collapsed a few years ago to the horror of the nation. This stretch of river bank has been converted into a casino playground of sorts—there are casinos on the bank and in ferries moored along the banks. It is all very commercial in these parts. I took pictures of more buildings—slightly more official ones such as the Old Customs House (now painted indigo as this was one of the products that had customs duties levied on it) and the Old Post Office (still in use) as also the Old Secretariat. Wonderful! For any lovers of history of antiquities, this is Paradise. This is the sort of aimless ramble that produces the most wondrous sights and I loved every bit of it. 

Then it was time for me to find the Camoes Institute as just as I began retracing my steps, I ran into two Portuguese professors from Lisbon who were also making their way to the same venue.  We fell in stride as we got talking and they directed me to the place as they were off to exchange some money.

Morning Session at the Conference:

I looked forward to the morning session at the conference as my publisher Frederick Noronha and my friend Ashley D’Mello were both presenting papers on the same panel on the press in Goa. Meeting and greeting everyone and taking our seats took a few minutes. It gave me time to admire the spacious rooms and corridors of the Institute (now housed in another old converted Portuguese-era structure). This place like the Alliance Francaise (French) and the Max Mueller Bhavan (German) in Bombay, offers Portuguese language lessons and cultural programs. Delfim is the Director, a very genial man who was one of the organizers of the conference. 

The session was one of the most disorganized I have ever seen at a conference. First of all, the Chairperson had no idea what she was doing—she did not even know how many people were presenting on her panel. Secondly, some chap who had not presented yesterday was pushed on to this panel—which would have been fine if they had placed him last on the panel and, time permitting, he gave his paper. But no! They told him to go third! This meant that Remy Dias was pushed to Number Five and Ashley to Number Six! How unfair was that!!?? Then Madame Chairperson called for a coffee break after four papers were read!!! Hullo? I came to listen to papers, not to sip coffee.  Thankfully, the audience protested and she returned to the panel (somewhat unwillingly). She was probably dying for a coffee because as Remy spoke, a tray was brought to her with coffee and biscuits (which completely disrupted the delivery of his paper—how infuriated I would have been if I were Remy). He seemed to take it in his stride (and his paper was fantastic too!) Finally, when it was Ashley’s turn to speak, she gave him ten minutes! That was grossly unfair as everyone else had 20! She did not allow questions (and there were many as Ashley’s talk was interesting and very provocative!) She was more interested in the talk she would be giving after the coffee break. I have never attended a conference where a Chairperson has been less respectful of the panelists. The whole thing was such a farce. Still, overall, it was a very good panel indeed with Frederick and Ashley holding their own in the midst of so many odds that were stacked against them.

Another Ramble in Old Panjim:

Lunch was then called and I joined other participants on the balcony as we partook of pullao, chicken curry, mixed vegetables, salad and watermelon for dessert. It was a chance for us to continue the conversation with old friends and new ones. 

Right after lunch, however, I decided to do some research on my laptop and try to find out about sightseeing possibilities for tomorrow. I discovered that there is a Hop On Hop Off bus (exactly like the one in other cities of the world) that offers a wonderfully economical way to see Goa as I saw it go past us on the main road below. Online I discovered its stops, its schedule, its cost, etc. I also discovered that the Institute was in the heart of Old Panjim which is filled with old structures and a road that would lead me to the grand Panjim Church. I took directions from Ashley and off I went. En route, I found Zantye’s, the old Goan-Portuguese shop that is known for its cashew nuts as I wanted to take some packets back home to Bombay. I told the salesman I would pop by on my way back to buy them as I did not want to carry the weight. 

Visiting Panjim Church:

A little later, I arrived at the glorious whitewashed structure of the towering Panjim Church that is constructed on a hill and has a zigzag pattern of balustraded stairways that lead to the top. It was just a little before 3.00 pm when the church would open again—I did not have to wait long. Inside, the main altar and the side altars are very similar to the style one finds at St.Andrew’s Church (Bandra, Bombay) as they both date from the same era (mid 1500s). The reredos (altar) was once gilded but the dazzle factor has faded. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling but they were not switched on. There was an obnoxious man guarding the place who barked out rudely to anyone who used their cameras and who told women to take off their hats! What is wrong with him!!!??? Can’t he tell the difference between men and women in a church—it is men who are supposed to take off their hats; women are supposed to keep their heads covered! Such ignorance can be born out of a little power! It was terrible! Anyway, I prayed as best I could until I heard a commotion at the door as the guard refused to allow a white man to enter because he was wearing shorts! The man shouted back at him and told him that he absolutely insisted on being allowed in! And the guard then capitulated and allowed him in! It was the worst spectacle! Really that guard ought to be replaced for someone less horrible. 

     I found that my new friend Chandrika had come into the church. She is giving her talk later in the evening and then leaving tomorrow morning for Edinburgh—so she was also trying to pack some sightseeing in before her departure. We visited for a while and took pictures of each other before we said goodbye and went our separate ways. 

Finding my Book on Goa in a bookshop in Goa!

Crossing the busy street in front of the church, I entered a book shop called Singbhal’s Book Store that is owned by the Times Group of Newspapers. And guess what I found there as I innocently browsed the shelves? I made my way into the travel section for selections on Goa—-and there was my book! It is the first time in my life that I have actually found my own book on the shelves of a commercial book shop! Needless to say, this was a huge high for me and I was absolutely determined to get some pictures—both of the book and of me standing besides it! But who could I ask to take the pictures? And then along came Amrita Shah, another writer and a new friend I made at the conference. She obligingly took them and congratulated me on my find! I was so delighted because the launch of the book was only a couple of hours away and already the book was on the shelves! Believe me, I was elated.

I then asked Amrita if she knew how I could get to the Central Library which holds valuable historical archives pertaining to Indo-Portuguese history and media.  She gave me directions and off I went.

Visiting Goa’s Central Library:

Later, after I had returned from my expedition to try to find Goa’s Central Library, I was told that it is the oldest library in India. Not that you would have known for it is now housed in a spanking new building that is deeply Modernist in aesthetic and which boasts a massive Reading Room, a soaring cathedral ceiling fully clad in glass which lets in tremendous natural light and a whole wall filled with magazines. Having climbing a hill and crossed a river over a bridge to get there, I was ready for a little sit down and I pulled out Femina magazine from the shelf and sat to browse through it when I decided to take my 20 minute power nap sitting right there on an incredibly comfortable one-seater sofa. And off I went to sleep!

Twenty minutes later, I was awake and refreshed and read to move on for Chandrika’s talk. Twenty minutes after that, having stopped at Zantye’s to get my cashew nuts, I was back at the conference venue. It had been a lovely long lazy ramble that took me to parts of Panjim I would never otherwise have seen.

The Evening Session:

I arrived at the Institute again just in time to have coffee—Nescafé with a selection of little cookies. Next, I took my place in the room where Chandrika was about to make her presentation on a comparison between the British and the Portuguese press in colonial India. It was brilliant! Filled with informative slides and material and delivered with such confidence and fluency, I was simply swept off my feet by her eloquence. I was not surprised that Chandrika had received her doctorate from Oxford! What a pleasure it was to listen to her. Sadly, she had made one comment which upset the Portuguese members of the audience and which ended up with her trying to defend herself against their annoyance. I think it left a bad taste in her mouth because although she told me that she was hoping to attend my book launch, right after her talk she disappeared completely. I felt so bad because I would have liked to have told her how much I enjoyed her talk and how much I learned from it. 

Finally! The Thrill of my Book Launch:

The hour had finally arrived for the launching of our book entitled Goa: A Post-Colonial Society Between Cultures which has been a very long time in the making. However, maybe all good things come to those who wait because it was grand to see so many copies of the book ready to be sold and to see them disappearing as every conference participant bought a copy. Frederick Noronha, the publisher, was really happy at the quick sales he was making.

The official launch got off well with me seated at the table with all of the contributors who were present at the conference seated besides about seven of us from different parts of the world—Brazil, Portugal, the US and India.  We also had Frederick, our publisher, present. Delfim introduced the book and introduced me and I then took over. I thanked him for providing us with the perfect forum in which to officially launch the book. I thanks Prof. David Jackson from Yale in absentia for having organized the conference in 2013 that had brought us all together at New Haven, Connecticut, for the conference at which the papers that were in the book were initially presented. We had Cielo Festino, Robert Newman, Ashley D’Melo, Felipe Vincent and Duarte Drummond Braga then talk about their essays very briefly. I told folks how thrilled I had been to find the book in the store just down the road.  Ten minutes later, the ribbon was cut on the book by Delfim and Remy, there was much clapping and the book was sent out on its way into the world with much cheering and clapping. Truly, there could not have been a better way to get the book launched and it was a very special evening for me who, as editor of the volume, had spent almost three years of my life working on it with a number of esteemed Portuguese Studies scholars from around the world to get it out.

A Fado Concert to End it All:

The evening ended with a Fado concert by a Goan gal called Nadia who is a student at the Institute and who enchanted us with her glorious voice and beautiful plaintive, melancholic, songs. To see the sparkling  River Mandovi behind her, forming a fitting backdrop for her singing and the guitar playing of two talented young Goan musicians who accompanied her brilliantly, was really such a thrill. It took me back to the fado concert I had attended at a restaurant in Lisbon, Portugal, a few years ago, when I had become introduced to the genre of music and had been fascinated by it. Nadia was superb and received many congratulations for her grand performance. 

Dinner of biryani rice with chicken curry and raita followed and it was all delicious. Under a glorious full moon, we stood on the balcony watching lights play on the waters of the Mandovi as we chatted with new friends. 

     Ashley was taking a rickshaw back home and he volunteered to drop me back to my hotel which I reached by 8.30 pm. This left me enough time to send out some posts on Twitter as well as get my backpack ready for my excursion tomorrow.  Sadly, it seems that tickets on the Hop On Hop Off bus for tomorrow are sold out and when I tried to get a ticket for Jan 24, the website would not accept my credit card. I then called Customer Service and they told me to contact my bank! Anyway, she also told me that I could go to the bus stop and pay the driver cash and that it was likely he would accept and take me on. Fingers Crossed!

I have a busy sightseeing day (hopefully) tomorrow after what had been a really exciting day for me. I went to bed still floating on Cloud Nine!

  Until tomorrow...           

     

First Day of Goa Conference: Mixed Bag of Goodies

Monday, January 21, 2019

Goa

First Day of Goa Conference: Mixed Bag of Goodies

Namaste from Goa!

After a restless night with one wake-up and stay-up that lasted about an hour, I finally awoke again at about 6.30 am in the International Guest House on the campus of the University of Goa. A single mosquito did bother me slightly but I guess I was not menaced too much. I blogged as usual and caught up with Twitter through my data plan as there is no WiFi in this place. I finally pulled myself out of bed and had a shower and got dressed. The lack of a canteen on the premises meant that when I left the house, all dressed and ready to present my paper at the conference, I was on an empty stomach.

Arrival at the Conference Hall:

The Conference Hall was only about 50 meters from my Guest House and walking in the benign warmth of a tropical winter sun along a superbly pavked pavement of a superbly-paved road, I took a call from Huma, a Fulbright Fellow like myself, who is based in Goa for the duration of her grant.  We had made email contact prior to the conference and I had invited her to attend it. She happened to live very close by and was going to attend the conference although she would not be presenting.  Having already arrived at the venue, she called to find out where I was and then directed me easily to the place which I reached two minutes later only to find that Registration was in full swing. 

    Armed with my name tag and conference kit, we marched into the Hall to find only a few people there at 9.20am! I have to get accustomed to the fact that in India nothing ever commences on time! My friend Ashley arrived there at 9.30 and asked if I’d had any breakfast—what a thoughtful man!I told him I was on an empty stomach. He immediately organized some breakfast for me by approaching the organizers of the conference to find out if someone could run to a canteen to get me a sandwich or anything else. Someone ran out and returned with two vada paus! I sat and ate one of them just as the panelists walked in about ten minutes later.

     

Opening Ceremony of the Conference:

In India, things are done very formally and all opening ceremonies involve the lighting of a ceremonial lamp and this was lit by the Consul-General of Portugal whose name I did not catch while representatives of the University of Goa (the Vice Chancellor Varun Sahni who is known to Ashley), the University of Quepem and Delfim Correia Afonso from the Camoes Institute were present.   

There were the few requisite speeches, a keynote address by Rochelle Pinto, a journalist and a former academic from Bangalore and a vote of thank by Remy Dias and then the formal part of the conference was done and we were invited to partake of snacks. And what a substantial snack break it turned out to be! If only I had been told that there would be snacks long before lunch I would have held out on eating my hasty vada pau breakfast! There were batata vadas, chutney sandwiches, banana bread and cashew nuts with tea, coffee or juice!

Presenting my Paper:

However, I was both too full and too keyed up to eat very much as I had a paper to deliver at the very first session of the conference to be held in the Council Hall upstairs.  Everything was delayed by about fifteen minutes as the conference had begun late but soon enough, the Chairperson, Rochelle Pinto, arrived and the session began with a presentation by Pratima Gupta, Head of the History Department at the University of Goa who talked about Roots and Routes of Portuguese Presence in Goa during a session on Press and Diaspora. My presentation on the Goans of Canada followed as did a presentation by Irene Silveira a professor of French at the University of Goa, who spoke about a single Portuguese newspaper and its catering to the Portuguese diaspora in India during the 1920s, a Professor called Everett who spoke of the Goan diaspora in Indian cities such as Bombay and Karachi and finally an independent researcher called Mark who talked about the Arabian Sea slave trade that the Portuguese practiced in India which brought in the Siddis of Uttara Kanada into the picture from Ethiopia. A good question and answer session followed during which I was asked two questions which were fun to answer. But then as the session was running late and lunch awaited us at 1.00pm, the Chair called the session to a halt. I faced many questions and comments from members of the audience who then came to talk to me. I have to say that this conference had one of the largest audiences I have ever had—being that it was the first session of the conference, no one had started leaving to go partying, sightseeing or shopping! I am pretty sure that attendance will drop as each day goes by.

     Lunch was lovely: pullao, chicken curry, vegetable Caldine curry, and a delicious fresh salad—exactly the sort of food we Goans, Mangaloreans and East Indians eat at home. It was like being home again and eating my Mum’s food—I missed her so much! For dessert, there were the tiny yellow bananas that are grown along the Konkan Coast (and which are the only bananas I will eat!). Again, the finishing of a meal with a banana is such a Catholic coastal custom that I felt a sharp pang of nostalgia for my growing years in India.  Long before we adopted Westernized customs of serving fancy desserts, bananas were what we ate for dessert as a staple!

Afternoon Session at the Conference:

The Afternoon session at the conference involved four more presentations which I attended—the focus being on the press in Portuguese, Konkani and English. The beauty of this Conference is that it throws up such a wealth of linguistic variation as so many of the participants are admirably multi-lingual having mastered English, Konkani and Portuguese. There are a number of white international delegates at this conference from all over the Portuguese world: San Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Lisbon and Porto in Portugal and I had the chance during lunch and after to finally meet some of the contributors to my book which will be officially launched at a formal ceremony tomorrow. I also met the publisher of my book Frederick Noronha who is organizing the official launch tomorrow at the Camoes Institute in Panjim where the conference sessions will be held.

By this time, I had been informed by Delfim that I was being moved from the International Guest House to a very nice hotel in Panjim in the heart of the Old Quarter. It turns out that another delegate. Chandrika Kaul from the University of Edinburgh who was also staying like me at the Guest House had complained about the place being too isolated and too devoid of amenities such as WiFi and a canteen. They, therefore, decided to move the two of us to a very fancy hotel—but then Chandrika had already made plans to stay with Varun who happened to be a friend of her’s. So, after the day’s program, Delfim would drive me to my guest house to pick up my bag and then drive me to the new hotel in Panjim for the next two nights.  I might probably just extend my stay there for another two nights—let’s see.

     Tea followed and it was another big spread like there was in the morning with the addition of delicious dry-fruit studded coconut macaroons! Back inside, we had a special lecture by Amelie Polonie which was followed by the Cultural Program.

Cultural Program at the Conference:

The last part of my day was the Cultural Program at the conference which turned out to be a real hoot. A troupe of men dressed in Western black suit with bow ties and women dressed in sarees presented a series of dances—the mando (a courting song and dance routine sung in Konkani), the dekhni (a rural dance sung in Marathi), and the Carrodim (a Portuguese dance sung to lyrics in Portuguese) to the accompaniment of instrumental music that were provided by a guitar, two violins, a saxophone, a keyboard and, somewhat interestingly, a dhamok (an earthenware pot turned into a drum). 

The troupe was fantastic and we had our feet tapping before long. Because I made a request of them to sing ‘Ye Ye Katerina’, they did—and then before I knew it, they were inviting me to get up on stage and dance with them! Of course, I did! And then I beckoned to all members of the audience to join me and so many of the Portuguese guests did so. We were a huge group on stage then dancing and doing all sorts of Goan folks movements as well as Western jiving! So much fun! I was later congratulated for turning the cultural show into a party! Indeed, we had such a blast!

Dinner swiftly followed: Another buffet of pullao, chicken curry, aloo gobi and salad were on offer with wedges of watermelon for dessert. Such good simple home-cooked food! These meals gave all the delegates the opportunity to circulate and get to know each other and make valuable new contacts. Again, many people commented on my paper and told me how much they enjoyed it. 

     Delfim then drove me home with Amelie and Eduardo from Porto. We stopped at the Guest House where I picked up my case and checked out and then drove for about half an hour to Panjim where he stopped and led me into the Panjim Inn. I checked into a very classy boutique hotel that had gorgeous Portuguese style carved rosewood furniture sprinkled all around the courtyard where white tourists were sipping drinks and eating dinner. I had a quick chance to look around the hotel before I arrived at my room. I found it to be a sprawling heritage Portuguese bungalow that has been reconstituted as a boutique hotel to include superbly tiled floors—some with mosaic tiling, a collection of Portuguese-style furniture (out all original or authentic but many reproductions of the original styles), lots of lovely vitrines filled with glass and ceramic antique containers and loads of blue and white china plates on the wall together with the wrought iron lamps of which I have one hanging above the dinette in my kitchen. In other words, a beautiful colonial ambience has been created in this place that lies right o the River Mandovi.

  I was placed in a deluxe room but soon discovered that the WiFi worked only sporadically and that the TV was not working either.  They then decided to move me into the room next door which was not deluxe—sadly! However, it met my needs and I was gratified to find a nice attached bathroom. Llew called me and we had a very long chat on the land line as WhatsApp was not working. 

It was after midnight when I finally went to sleep after a very fruitful and interesting first day at the conference. Being based in Panjim will now allow me to do a bit of exploration on foot—so you can expect that first thing tomorrow morning, even before breakfast, I shall be out and walking through this lovely old Portuguese neighborhood that is stacked with old homesteads that have been lovingly converted into first-rate boutique hotels.

     Until tomorrow...