The links that bind Goans together
I have no idea who wrote this!!!
Being Goan “O these Goans
“ exclaimed my Goan friend who lives in Borda, in South Goa. “Are you not
Goan?” I asked. To which she replied, “No, I’m talking about these Goans from
Goa”. I then realised there were so many types of Goans. The Goans from Bombay
who consider themselves a class apart. They love every thing Goan but cannot
ever think of living in Goa. They just spend a few days a year in Goa to stock
up on their Feni, sausages, vinegar, Masalas. And always tell stories of how
much property their family had. And the great summer holidays they spent as
kids. Then there is the Goan from Africa. Many have now returned to Goa after
the process of Kenyanisation in the 1970’s. They are an affluent lot who were
the educated class of artists, lawyers doctors and entrepreneurs. As an
outsider living here I have noticed that in almost all Goan families you will
find either a dentist or a lawyer. Or both. Then there is the Portuguese Goan
who fluently speaks Portuguese at home. Holds a Portuguese passport but
continues to live in Goa. And to show you how different they are, if invited
for a meal you will be served “feijoada” or "Pastel de Nata". The
women in these families all learn baking and are very good cooks. I asked a
Goan girl I often meet why she is not taking a Portuguese passport as many seem
to be doing this. Her reply was “ We spent years chasing them out. We should be
happy they are gone. Not follow them back! Honestly, I had never seen it that
way but was amused with her way of thinking. The British Goans are not the same
as Portuguese Goans. But pretty close. Cos many of them have Portuguese
passports but worked in the UK before Brexit. They come to Goa more often. They
love being Goan and are well travelled and inspite of the best Single Malt
within their reach, they still prefer the good old Feni. Goans have left their
land and travelled all over the world. Canada, USA, Malaysia, Australia and
parts even the Malayalees have not reached. And many when they return realise
that, they had gone too long and someone else has taken their land. I had
fallen in love with Goa on my very first trip in the 1980s when the Porvorim
water tank was the only landmark on NH66 that told you, you had to turn to take
the road to go to Calangute. It’s not the same any more. But Goa is still
beautiful. I love Goa.*
Sep 2024, 17:55
Mena D'Cruz
What a beautiful answer! Comparison between two "Generations" ....... Everyone must read.
A youngster asked
his father: "How did you people live before with- No air conditioned
vehicle No Wifi No internet No computers No online shopping No TVs No air cons
No mobile phones? No shopping Mall No multiplexes" His Dad replied:
"Just like how your generation lives today with - No prayers No compassion
No honor No respect No character No shame No modesty No time planning No sports
No reading" "We, the people that were born between 1940-1980 are the
blessed ones. Our life is a living proof: 
While playing and
riding bicycles, we never wore helmets. After school, we
played until dusk. We never watched TV. We played with
real friends, not internet friends. If we ever felt
thirsty, we drank tap water not bottled water. We never got ill
although we used to share the same glass of juice with four friends. We never gained
weight although we used to eat a lot of rice everyday. Nothing happened
to our feet despite roaming bare-feet. our mother and
father never used any supplements to keep us healthy. We used to create
our own toys and play with them. Our parents were
not rich. They gave us love, not worldly materials. We never had
cellphones, DVDs, play station, XBox, video games, personal computers, internet
chat - but we had real friends. We visited our
friends' homes uninvited and enjoyed food with them. unlike your world,
we had relatives who lived close by so family time and ties were enjoyed
together. We may have been
in black and white photos but you will find colourful memories in those photos.
We are a unique
and, the most understanding generation, because we are the last generation
who listened to their parents. Also , the first who have had to listen
to their children. and we are the ones who are still smarter and helping
you now to use the technology that never existed while we were your age!!! We
are a LIMITED edition! So you better - Enjoy us. Learn from us. Treasure
us. Before we disappear from Earth and your lives."
From Mena D'Cruz
By Cyprian Fernandes
THE THING ABOUT Goans of breeding from a distant past is
that some of us cling to things that bind us to Goa in different ways. A few
things are specific, St Francis Xavier, the village feasts, the lost rice
paddies, when Goa was full of Goans, the sea air, the beaches, the coconut
groves, jack fruits, Goa Sausages, No. 1 or No. 2, mango orchards, the curries,
million or more and iconic cuisine (I exaggerate, yes, but it felt like that
sometimes), the cashew feni, urak from the coconuts, the churches (but not
necessarily some of the priests), the towns, the cities, all those
unforgettable Christmas and feast day sweets, fishing on those very old boats,
walking everywhere, the jingle jangle of the baker's delivery bicycle, paddy
fields that are lost forever, just being there in the old days when there
were lots and lots of Goans and the restaurants were catered mainly for the
Goan tastebuds and lots and lots of things. Friends tell me that these days
things are not so good and the face of Goa of old has changed considerably but
the country is still there but there are changes ...
One of the reasons Goans were particularly attached to the
East African countries was Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and other countries along
the Indian Ocean coast had so much to offer that was familiar to Goa.
It would be no exaggeration to say that Goans pretty well
felt at home in their second home.
SIMPL out of necessity I learnt to cook at a very young age.
My mother taught me. Always feels like I have been cooking for 81 years, give
or take a few for holidays, illness, etc. It was not long before I was grinding
curry masala on the traditional stone. Rice and fish curry were the traditional
dishes. The leftover curry the next day (kulchi kodhi, especially Sorak) was a
prized dish and there usually was a mad dash for it. Kenya having a Indian
Ocean coastline meant that we got all the traditional fishes usually found in
Goa. It was not long before I was cooking Mackerel rechado, prawn curry (once
in a while), Pork sorpotel and buch (pig’s stomach) sorpotel (when we could get
it), beef curry, lamb curry, lady fingers curry, vegetable curry, brinjal curry
and a host of others. A variety of pilaus and Egg omelettes were very popular and white
flour (or mixed brown flour) chappatis were an eternal favourite. We made filos
(white flour cake), regularly, something
called gonce (apologies I can’t remember the English names of some of these),
lamb or beef cutlets, once in a while chicken cutlets, and lots of others
which I will try and remember.
Once in a while, the
Kenyan tilapia, especially the larger Lake Victoria variety and the golden or
silver local river variety were very popular. Whiting, both the smaller and the
larger varieties were very popular. Goans who lived along the East African
coast were blessed with every kind of fish they yearned for or remembered.
Other popular dishes, when we could afford them, were:
Xacuti, Chicken Cafreal, Shark ambot tik, Sannas, and lots of other dishes that
an old man can’t remember. But it is on my tongue … one day!
Besides the mangoes, I think it was the love affair with
coconuts that won most hearts. Custard apples were not very far behind, as were
guava of many varieties.
Some of the other things that bind us to Goa!
Feni, pao,
1.
Goan Fish Curry
2.
Chicken Cafreal
3. Goan Pork Vindaloo
4. Chicken Xacuti
5. Shark Ambot Tik
6. Sorpotel
7. Feijoada
8. Sorak
9. Samarachi Kodi (dry prawn
curry)
10. Prawns Xeque Xeque
11. Patolea
12. Crab Xacuti
13. Bebinca
14. Fish Recheado
15. Goan Khatkhate (vegetable
stew)
16. Sannas
Favourite Goan sweets (especially at Christmas)
Once upon a
time, just being in Goa was enough to warm the heart, bathe the soul, south the
throat and feel the head with dreams of once upon a time.
There was
also a time when catching up with the local Konkani dialect was also a
pleasure. Some called it practice time Konkani.
Just
relaxing on those almost empty beaches in South Goa was something very special.
What have I
missed?
Add your own
thoughts.
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