gaspersWorld

The secret of my Shöt...

2012-01-14T15:30:00.010+03:00

our whole life is like a play...

the secret of my shöt...

-by gasper crasto

"A player's popularity is temporary; applauded today, forgotten tomorrow."

-T. Shanmugam, Olympian and former coach of Salgaocars - Goa.

It was the finals of our Village Inter-ward Football Tournament. I was one of the spectators witnessing the royal battle played between my ward which had huffed and puffed their way to the finals against the formidable three times champion ward which had Mykel, our village superstar in their team.

The referee blew the whistle and the match started!

My ward being the underdogs, were obviously pushed on the back foot right from the start.

The opponents dominated the game, their think-tank Mykel being at the helm of affairs but thank God, somehow we managed to keep the ball from entering our net. Our goalkeeper too was at his best. Scoreboard at halftime: 0-0.

At the second half, the opponents just pounced on us. They were all over our territory snatching the ball away from our possession. A goal against us looked imminent any moment.

Then a 'blessing-in-disguise' disaster struck our team. One of our players got injured and had to be taken off the field. To rub salt to injury, the substitute players had a row with our captain and refused to play. With no other alternative, our management desperately looked out for someone from our ward to replace the injured player. (There were no strict rules on fielding; anyone from his respective ward could play).

Time was running out...The ref was blowing his lungs out to get on with the game. Just then, the poor captain spotted me. He ordered me to get on to the field at once...I was virtually dragged. Never before had I kicked a ball with booted feet...In fact, I was a complete ignorant about the game.

I stepped into a pair of football shoes hurriedly arranged by someone which were much bigger than my actual size. I entered the field touching the ground and making the customary sign of the cross.

For nearly 15 minutes the ball eluded me. I was just a mere passerby on the field simply running like a fool. I was expecting the ball to come and hit me atleast, but it never came. Then, I thought the best thing was to run where the ball was and so I waited for a chance.

There was a scuffle of players in the opponent's area just after the center circle and I found the ball rolling idly towards me. Without wasting a second I dashed forward and kicked the ball as hard as I could in the direction of the opponent's goal falling down flat in the process. I was sure the ball would not even pass between the flag posts leave alone the goal frame.

But to everybody's surprise, the ball zoomed off curling into the far corner of the opponent's net. Next second, I realized we had scored a goal with my shot, which in football language is called a 'Banana Kick'.

Our team went into euphoria. I was hugged and kissed. I had no idea when the match got over cause the rest of the game I was just stunned by my goal. I was mystified as to how the ball could swing so much and crash inside the goal. I had actually expected the ball to hit the coconut trees nearby.

We won the final by that lone goal. Everyone poured praises and congratulated me. I was on cloud nine. Some of the old folks said they had not seen a better goal scored since the Portuguese times. Till today, some say it was even more exceptional than the overrated Roberto Carlos' free-kick against France in the 1997 Tornoi de France... :)

Everybody wanted to know the secret behind the shot but I just smiled, as I myself was amazed. I was sorry for Mykel who had come to congratulate me. He too wanted to know the secret. Just then the guy who had lent me his boots came to collect them.

As I bent down to untie the laces, everybody around me saw the mystery behind the curving shot off my feet - I had the right shoe worn to the left foot and left shoe to the right!..

email: gaspercrasto@hotmail.com
voice: 00965 9502 686

K-League

2011-12-04T16:52:00.042+03:00

LATEST RESULTS – 20.01.2012: Hemanth Kumar's brace helps United Friends crush Chinchinim 2-0; Last year’s Runners-up Kuwait Goan Association bite dust in the tie-breaker against Don Bosco Oratory (2-4) after squandering a 2-0 lead; DHL courier past Rising Stars 1-0; Former East-Bengal/Salgaocar/Churchill Bros star Bernard Pires spearheads Navelim's 1-0 victory over Skynet.

Kicʞbacks - by Gasper Crasto

Kuwait: Highly rated Kuwait Indian Football Federation (KIFF) League 2011-12 for J. P. D’Mello Memorial Trophy commenced from 18th November 2011 at MOH grounds, Shuwaikh. A grand opening ceremony was held between defending champions Goa Maroons and CRC Chinchinim to start the season; presidents of all participating teams attended the function.

The league played on league-cum-knockout basis consists of 19 clubs affiliated to KIFF. They are AVC, Chinchinim, Curtorcares, D.H.L, Don Bosco, FC Sparx, Goa Maroons, Gulf Cable, Indian Strikers, Kuwait Goan Association, Malabar United, Navelim, Betalbatim, Santos FC, Santos United, Skynet, United Friends, United Goans, and Rising Stars.

The teams are drawn into 4 groups. Top 2 teams from each group qualify for the knock-out stage. The grand final of the league is scheduled for 15th June 2012.

United Friends to play DHL while Navelim take on Don Bosco Oratory in Semifinals

KNOCK-OUT PHASE RECORD OF THE LEAGUE SINCE 1996~97
KIFF MANAGING COMMITTEE FOR 2011~12Standing (from left to right): William Stronach, Praveen Kumar, Mario Carneiro, Zico Fernandes and Venancio Pereira.
Sitting (from left to right): Clifford Pinto, Fidelis Fernandes, Michael D’Sa and Adley D’Lima

PAST PRESIDENTS OF KIFF

Share the Kicʞbacks on Facebook

Navelim Celebrate Feast with a Cultural Program

2011-12-04T09:18:00.005+03:00

By Gasper Crasto; Photographs: Simon Dias

Kuwait: Navelim Youth Centre (NYC) celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Rosary Church with a Thanksgiving mass at the Holy Family Cathedral, Kuwait, on 17th November 2011.

Later in the evening Navelim President Mr. Agnello Fernandes hosted a dinner party for club members and families at the Avanti Palace, Salmiya. The place was packed with people from Navelim with their relatives, friends and well-wishers.

The celebrations continued with a cultural program organized to commemorate the beginning of Navelim’s 25 year celebrations. Songs, dances and catwalks were performed by talented Navelim members and guests who made their presence felt.

Esparansa Crasto and her group began the evening with a dance and song performance of ‘River of God’. Tase Noronha and Gasper sang ‘Kalliz Roddlem’, a popular song traditionally sung in Navelim village. Olinda and Simon Dias sang a rhythmic ‘Mog Tuzo’, Jean and Jenny D’Souza rendered a especially composed mando, and Dom Joe Mascarenhas & Gasper were at their best singing an emotional song on St. Francis Xavier – the patron saint of Goa. Marissa Noronha did a catwalk on Gasper-Esparansa's English & Konkani number 'Pixe Chedva' while Sidney Rodrigues entertained everyone with his dance steps. Tase & troupe concluded the cultural program with Goan dulpods.

Kuwait’s popular band 2 S#arp with their lively music accompanied by DJ Brian and compere Gasper Crasto kept the crowd engrossed throughout the night.

President Agnello Fernandes speaking on the occasion highlighted the significance of Navelim in Kuwait and unfurled future plans of the club. While congratulating all members and their families for the sacrifices made over the years in creating a sparkling identity among the huge Indian community in Kuwait, Agnello said, “It's a great achievement for Navelim to step into the Silver Jubilee Year of the club with the feast celebration of Our Lady of Rosary… Celebrating a feast is a shared experience for those who participate. This reinforces the social bonds between our club and others, and shows strength and solidarity to those outside Navelim.”

A number of prizes were distributed during the festivities. The draw of NYC Raffles was held at the hands of Navelim Vice-President Luis Da Silva.

Later, Agnello Fernandes proposed a vote of thanks thanking all Navelkars, members and their families for the support and contribution in making the occasion a grand success.

The descendents of Navelim village in Goa, around the world devoutly hold on to the tradition of celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Rosary which takes place on the 3rd Wednesday of November. The feast in Kuwait is celebrated on the following day.

:::Ruzai Saibinn Official Orasanv:::

Ruzari Saibinni,
Tum amkam ghe tujea gopan,
Lipoi tujea matan,
Tum amkam sanddum nakai ghe,
Dusmanachea hatan - 2

Ami magtanv maie,
Amche hat zoddun
Besanv amcher ghal
Tuje hat ugddun – 2

Me, My Wife and Facebook !

2011-10-26T08:00:00.002+03:00

:::Preface:::

Since the beginning of time man has sought new ways of communicating with each other -- ranging from simple signs to drawings to sophisticated social networking websites.

Among all such websites that people socialize, Facebook has the edge. There's no need to say more to know what we are talking about. Since its inception in 2004, Facebook has gone so far on its journey of revolution that in today’s virtual life it would be rare to find anyone who has not succumbed to its temptation.

As it is user-friendly, it has a variety of applications. This new craze has become an addiction in the contemporary age, finding its way into the lives of old and young alike and making them obsessed with it.

What about you?

Read a tongue and cheek story inspired by an in-depth analysis and available facts about the present day disease.

"God has given you one face, and you make yourself another.” -Shakespeare in Hamlet. Act III. Sc. I

Kuwait - 26/10/2011

“Sonia Sirsat accepted your friend request, you have 23 friends in common,” Esparansa, my wife, read aloud a new text message on my cell phone.

“That’s my friend no. 1001,” I proclaimed proudly.

“Do you know her well to add to your friends list?”

“Who doesn’t know her, she's such a popular Goan star. Great Fado singer, dunno what it means though!..I am a 'big' fan of hers..”

“Does she know you?” Esparansa popped up her eyes.

“Well, I met her backstage after her performance in Kuwait last month. Am sure she remembers me from my Facebook profile photo. Cool..! I could find out all about her now, perhaps friend some of her friends, and her friends’ friends..”

My mother overheard the conversation. She came out from the kitchen to poke her nose. She hated Facebook and the internet itself like the hot weather. “Who’s Sonia he’s talking about,” she inquired with Esparansa.

The better half did not need another invitation to haul over the coals. “Ma, he is so much obsessed with Facebook, it makes him forget he has an actual life to live.”

“Almost everyone these days, dear,” my mother sympathized, “Last weekend, all throughout the party, I saw little Alisha monitoring her cell-phone like a trader at stock-markets. When I asked what she was up to, her mom said ‘Facebook’.”

“I see total negligence in his daily obligations, household chores and even in his work at office,” Esparansa went on, “Ever since he got that wireless connection he is forever online and even forgets he has showered or not till I remind him... And last few months he has begun to treat me like a stranger. It is so disgusting..”

“He should change his middle name to Facebook!” My mother snapped.

Esparansa looked at the older woman with solace to push her agenda.

“Facebook has done great harm to today’s youth,” my ultra-conservative mother demonstrated her modern-day knowledge, “...distracting them from social, moral, academic, and professional responsibilities. Other day, Gavin’s mom showed concern over her son’s ‘Facebook research’ which has virtually habituated him into sleeping past midnight, everyday..., that too knowing he has to get up for classes next morning... Now that’s about the tattoo generation!..But you..”

“What’s so awful ma? Am not gambling on Facebook..” I defended.

“Look here,” it was her customary lecture, “Facebook friendship cannot substitute for the warmth and pleasure one feels in one-to-one meeting with friends and families. Being glued to computers, it can turn you into a Facebook addict which is not the social norm of a mainstream society...”

I listened to the kitchen sink ‘narayanas’, not knowing whether to wind a watch or bark at the moon.

In fact, Esparansa looked down on me as if I was actually addicted to drugs. No wonder she did not believe in Facebook’s credibility nor its conventionality.

“Some immature idiots even opt to post photographs and videos that are against human values,” Esparansa poked in, “which are bound to leave detrimental effects on the minds of many, especially the kids...”

“Am a kid..?” I smiled.

“Another worst activity is gaming -- a prominent feature of its popularity for pass time,” she trumpeted.

“But then, Facebook offers great many benefits,” I tried to justify, “catching up with old, lost friends who are resurrected through facebook, sharing personal profiles, promoting work and business, planning events, etc, etc,,,,”

“I agree. But there has to be a limit,” Esparansa sprang up from the sofa like a coiled spring let lose, “Ma, he has started communicating with me through Facebook, which is outrageous. I promptly deleted him from my friends list. And temporarily deactivated my account too.”

“I am sure Facebook is just an empty-headed euphoria, inviting one to be silly, crazy and self-absorbed,” my mother gave her judgment.

“Which world are you guys living in?” I was getting agitated, “I guess still in the Portuguese era..Nowadays, events are organized and scheduled through Facebook, schools and colleges do their projects through it. If you are not a user, you are left out. As a matter of fact, e.v.e.r.y.thing is done through the net now..”

“Everything..?”

“Yes, am sure even the government will soon start notifications, billings, etc, all through the net.”

“You mean electricity and water bills? In Goa?..” my mother was curious.

“Why not? That could all come through the internet..some day!” I was almost fuming.

“You must be ‘Joaking’ like Churchill Alemao! They should first think of a proper water supply..”

“Fruits and vegetables and even fish can be ordered online now.. ..beer and cashew feni will follow soon....”

“I tell you, Facebook is not just the way of life. That’s it.” Esparansa thundered. “I don’t mind you checking emails or surfing the net. Just quit Facebook!”

Somehow I knew she detested me being friends with so many people, especially the females. Though she was much liberal, she kept a regular tab on my wall before she deactivated. Honestly speaking, I never thought she would ask me to quit as well.

“You don’t mean it, do you?” I raised my eyebrows.

“Ofcourse, I mean it! You better stop before I dump your gadgets in the garbage including your laptop! And don’t even dream I will allow you to buy the ‘iPad’ as a wedding anniversary gift..”

“Hey, that’s rude!!! Even Mark will be shocked if I leave Facebook!”

“Mark who?” my mother wanted to know.

“Mark Zuckerberg!!! He is my friend too, Ma. He admires me so much, because I am promoting Facebook and keeping friends away from twitter and google plus - Facebook’s biggest rivals.”

“Hope you are aware how much this 'joker-bug' earns!”

“Oh, that doesn’t matter. Everyone knows me as Facebook’s biggest advertiser, at least in mouth-to-mouth terms. Being a member of famous groups such as Goans on Facebook, Goan Shutterbugs, Jazz Goa, Exoticgoa, Asmeeta Group - Goa, Radio Mirchi, Navelim - Goa & Abroad, Curtorim Village, Bahrain Goans, Gulf Goans, Goa Chronicle, Ami Niz Goenkar, Konkani Rocks, Musicians Goa, etc, has doubled my...”

:::All stories are a work of fiction. No offense intended to any individual or group mentioned in the story:::

“Oh, come-on, these groups. Can’t you see? They use the ‘free’ informational advantage to serve no one but launch their own satellites which am sure will not even create a ripple in the well! Just wait and watch, you’ll see groups mushrooming all over, from North Goa to South -- more than the bus-stops on National Highway 17. Every association, every club and college will come up with their own group. Then you sit here and light candles to each group! ” Esparansa said, dismayed.

“Everyone envies me, except you.. I got almost everyone in the office to join Facebook..Even people who never tried or considered social networking. Within months, everyone was settled in everyone else’s friend lists. Now I myself have friends in Culcutta, Bangalore, Delhi, Kerala, Philippines, Egypt, Australia, US, Canada, UK, Caymans and even Pakistan.”

“Pakistan!!? Of all admired places on earth..” my mother showed disbelief.

I couldn’t resist boasting, “Only one colleague refused to join, out of the forty-odd others.”

“How come you quit Facebook, dear?” my mother turned to Esparansa.

“She quit Facebook because she’s not good at keeping in touch with people..ha ha..” I laughed.

“Yeah, Ma heard it right,” Esparansa cut me short, “Matter of fact,. am not completely crazy in the head. It’s a complete waste of time. Can’t digest the stupidity how people can keep a thousand friends whom they have never even met once..”

“Yaar.. how do I explain..”

“Ma.. you got to give this chap some ironing! Now. I want him off Facebook as soon as possible, it is destroying our happiness! I have to virtually drag him even to recite rosary..”

“Man, I want you to keep your nose clean and stop living in a fool’s paradise... Tell me one thing, what’s so charming that you are so hooked up?” Mother asked.

“Well, honestly..,” I tried to dodge the bullet. “I want to feel popular and well-liked. Want to stay in the loop, to feel included. And. What should I say, how would people know I am still alive?”

“Are you living for your friends or family?” Esparansa demanded to know.

“I like the face-to-face friendship. It is most rewarding.” My mother sermoned, “You better stop now being a fox in a henhouse.”

“Hmm.. a fox in what?”

“What’s the fun in going through the junk that is circulated.” Esparansa took her case higher, “You can very well browse whatever you want to find on the net. Why depend on friends and warrant unnecessary comments and counter-comments and be the centre of embarrassment in the dirty linen washed around.”

“My..., it’s all about keeping in touch...” I objected. “This is the easiest way to keep in touch. Click of a mouse, you could find out what even your most obscure friends are up to, and gain some knowledge about their lives, and make them feel you are still as intimately connected as you were in hey days.”

“But I just wonder why people don’t get weary about it all.” Esparansa addressed her allegation.

“Well, people are, what should I say, not as ‘lackluster’ as you are. You never bother to write a sentence on people’s wall, and although you keep tabs on everyone’s birthdays and anniversaries including mine and Aishwarya Rai’s, you never wish people. How would you expect others to be nice?”

“Well, keeping in touch is much harder, and requires lot of hard work, something which I’ve never put in. As a result, I have removed the illusion of appearing to keep in touch with 400-odd people. I keep in touch with those that matter to me most. I send emails, and make phone calls, and meet people to know what’s happening in their lives, instead of just reading a one-line status message and thinking I know everything there is to know about them.”

“That’s what women do otherwise also! Gossip! Ha ha !” I chuckled. The ladies did not find it amusing at all.

“Well, I'll admit being curious of where a few of my friends have ended up in life,” Esparansa explained, “but I wouldn't even mind reconnecting with one or two persons from the past. All in all it's not enough for me to open up a whole can of worms for it...there's just too much past and too much life to be in the thick of it again.”

“What about birthdays and anniversary pics of your friends and families that you...”

“I do miss Facebook sometimes,” Esparansa looked out the window, pondering, “because I have no end of talented photographers on my list. I could see some amazing pictures on an almost daily basis. Plus, I also have some of the funniest people on the list, so I had no shortage of good humor available.”

“I could make you laugh your socks out with some of the rare 'shared' jokes...!”

“..It’s much better being a friend, instead of just being another profile in someone’s list. I add friends to my heart when I feel what they mean to me in life.. ”

“Hmm.. you hardly accumulated a dozen friends.. Look at my list.. ” I said, proud as ever.

“Well, none of those ‘fake’ friends ever commented or atleast had a second to click the ‘like’ button on any my photos. They forever brag about how their lives are perfect but never had the time to atleast compliment on one of my decent snaps.”

“Anyway, it’s your call... You may move heaven and earth, I won’t part with Facebook!” I concluded.

“Forget it, Ma, we are beating a dead horse..” Esparansa threw up her arms and made a dash to the kitchen. It looked like she had given up on the topic.

But no. There were debates and discussions all day, so much so that our arguments almost came to a 'megaphone diplomacy'. Eventually, the scales fell off my eyes. We came to the conclusion that the negatives of Facebook far outweighed the positives!

I decided to move the goalposts and see which way the cat jumped for a while rather than create a storm in a tea cup every other day.

Esparansa constrained me to filter all notifications on the cell-phone and minimize my time on the net at home, especially on holidays. To add insult to injury, our office IT blocked Facebook and other networking sites during working hours.

A couple of days passed. Esparansa kept her eyes peeled on me.

I moved around, played, ate and slept in time. I even prayed regularly. It was amazing to note a fresh joy surrounding my life and the richness of relationship around. I found myself talking nineteen to the dozen which proved far healthier than my Facebook activities that normally left me mute and comatose most of the day.

A week later. One fine early morning. It was a holiday.

Why did I have this strange need to log on to the net as soon as my eyes opened?

It was a nightmare I couldn't escape from. Something had made me feel worthless and depressed. Something. My life was so much better before I had Facebook. Perhaps the site had ruined my life and I regretted the day I opened an account on Facebook! I was just anxious of what I had missed all the past days.

I didn't even make it to the bathroom before I found myself connected.

I googled the site, typed my username, filled out the password, and voila! I was part of the Facebook population.”

“Hee, hee..while I was away and sleeping, the universe had been busy! Hello, World! I am back!” I hissed.

About half a dozen people had posted on my 'wall'. Another couple of dozen had ‘poked’ me and I had 8 petitions waiting to be signed. An animated goat to be milked, and Join Salgaocar Sc Fan Club! A close friend and 3 others were celebrating their birthday which I was aware thanks to my Facebook. Somebody with cancer needed me to join a group and support their cause! A teenage friend half my age had answered a question about me 30 minutes ago. And 43 people were waiting to be 'friended'.

"Why is the ex-Dempo star, who never even talked to me during our inter-village matches, suddenly gung-ho to be my friend now?" I wondered.

Indian icon Remo Fernandes had posted a one liner on Goan politicians which attracted 225 comments in less than 2 hours. I wanted to add mine and jump on the bandwagon. "If a Padmashree like Remo remarks back, I would be an instant celebrity," I contemplated with excitement.

"What to comment? It should be something very tasty to catch everyone's attention.." I thought and thought and thought.

Wait! There were people listed ‘whom I might know’ and 17 others who went to the same school as me! Okay, sure, I remember them. I'll 'friend' them, too. Hold on! My niece Cyndi in Bahrain had 3 photo albums! Ashton Bakar, the nephew in Goa had another 2. Okay, I should probably take a look at his new Asta i20.

"So many Notifications, Events and Invites."

Wow. I never felt so loved, so needed, so appreciated, so popular! Everyone loves me! Everyone wants to be my friend! Fantastic! Accept friend request... sign a petition...Wish friends on their birthdays... Comment this post, check the next...Comment... Like... Comment...next...next... next!!!

But if I make one comment on one photo, on anyone’s status or a wall post, I realized I would subsequently receive 104 notifications telling me that other people have also commented.

“Oh my, all I wanted to say was that the photo looked nice.”

Faster and faster the requests came. I began to falter. I'd take one quiz, and 3 more would pop up. I'd sign a petition, and 2 more were waiting. No matter how hard I worked, it was never enough! One friend request turned into 5, then 23, and then 49.

It was too much and pretty hard to keep pace. My brain fizzled out. I sat there, listless – not having the energy to even push the TV remote button. I barely remembered who I was.

"Who am I?"

I used to have a real life. I used to have real interests, real hobbies, real friends... Used to...

I used to have a life... before Facebook.

It was time I was ‘myself’ again. Like a child. Bubbling. Happy. Carefree. Alive.

My hands were shaking at the weird thought. With great difficulty, I ignored the Requests, Notifications, Messages that glowed on my screen and clicked on the profile page.

There I was. The essence of me on Facebook: name, address, birthday. It was so validating, so empowering, so... time-consuming, so unnecessary, so completely and totally exhausting.

No more. It had to stop. This wasn't who I was. I was more than a brightly colored image on a web page.

For well over 5 minutes I hunted and punted how to delete the Account - permanently. For those of you who haven’t been to this dark side of Facebook, please note: Trying to 'permanently' delete a facebook account is akin to solving the Rubik's cube, or a mystery puzzle that leads you nowhere.

Annoyed to the max, I clicked on the Help Centre.

How do I permanently delete my account? With a deep breath, I moved the mouse and the cursor over submit your request here.

But you know you can't delete the wretched thing because you would subsequently leave over a hundred friends wondering why you had decided to cut them out of their lives, so abruptly.

“Maybe I should reconsider. If I don't say ‘hi’ to atleast a few people, it would just be rude.”

But I thought against it.

Click.

Delete my Account?

There was a message: If you do not think you will use Facebook again and would like your account deleted, we can take care of this for you. Keep in mind that you will not be able to reactivate your account or retrieve any of the content or information you have added. If you would like your account deleted, then click 'Submit'.

I clicked.

It took me to a pop-up page that asked me, in big, bold red letter words: "You are about to permanently delete your account. Are you sure?"

Click.

Click.

Click.

At last!!! I was myself again. I sighed a breath of relief.

“Are you on the internet,” a familiar voice from the bedroom.

As Esparansa made her way into the hall, I looked at her -- like a hostage just released -- free, alive and vibrant to all my senses.

“Yes, am on the net!” I gazed into her eyes. There was no guilt in me whatsoever. The heart was light and completely at ease. Seemed like a season of flowers had come...

...Moving a strand of hair over her head she said, “Please accept my ‘friend’ request, I added you up on Facebook last evening!”

Another story Click: Breaking News: An amazing achievement!

HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

:::My dearest esparansa:::

Prodigal Love

2011-10-23T10:24:00.003+03:00

[The characters of this story bear no resemblance to any persons, living or dead]

There’s a saying among Goans that a boy and a girl cannot be ‘just' friends. But Adelaide and me proved everyone wrong!

Both of us scraped through school and college, virtually living into each other. We shared anything and everything that happened in our life. Not a day passed without our tête-à-têtes. Our topics of conversation ranged from political issues to terrorist activities, Portuguese colonialism to present day tourism, global oil resources to Goan mango prices; but never anything personal. That was one boundary line we never crossed.

Later I made up my mind, I wanted to go abroad.

“Go abroad? You must be kidding... Take a spanner and tighten your screws, your brain is loose,” Adelaide said, “I would never leave my Goa... or marry someone working abroad.. shh...can’t digest that piece of stupidity...”

“What is wrong with that..? And.. you with all your brains.., you want to stagnate here?.. What a waste!” I groaned.

She was unmoved.

Must have been pride or ire, which made me leave without even wishing her goodbye.

Some years passed.

I had a standard job in the Middle-East where I worked hard and earned enough but spent like a Sheikh – living a life of luxuries and entertainment. I had almost forgotten about Adelaide. There was Nazima, a girl from Bombay. But when I found out she was juggling a Britisher, an Arab pilot and an Indian architect in a most misdemeanor, cosmopolitan manner, I decided to check myself.

Occasionally, Adelaide’s father emailed me. Adelaide was working and involved in a number of charity works. She did not have time to think of marriage. And then, as it happens to most complacent people, I thought I fell in love.

Having burned my fingers with Nazima, I should have been immune to Maisel, a Mangalorean working as a ground-hostess at the airport. Her slow, sweet smile, her way of looking at me as if I was her man probably foxed me. I was on top of the world when she told me she was not one of those liberated types. She wanted a home and children. My children.

‘That’s one in the eye for you, Adelaide. Here’s an angel who likes me for what I am,’ I gloated to myself.

The whole affair was going strong when the unexpected happened. It was at one of those Goan dance nites that we attended. Just an hour into the night, a well-built man with hair as long as Sanjay Dutt in ‘Khalnayak’ intruded from nowhere as we danced romantically. Maisel excused herself and stepped across to talk. She waved a casual “I’ll be right back” riposte.

I found myself standing alone on the floor to prying embarrassment of disparaging faces from the society. The man led Maisel out to an adjacent hall, away from the deafening noise. Fearing for her safety, I tagged along and surreptitiously spied on them from close, standing behind a giant vase of flowers.

“You know you cannot go along with this farce, love. I will not let you. How can you marry that dud, when it is I whom you love?” I overheard the man’s tormented voice. He had Maisel covered in his ‘door-like’ stature which completely prevented her from visibility.

“Don’t be so dramatic, Jack,” Maisel replied, “You know my parents. They are old fashioned, I cannot marry you. Besides, this smug, self-important bore will always believe I am the perfect wife for him. These Goan boys are too stupidly unconscious of the fact that we hold them in contempt.”

“Yes, they have this virtuous wife syndrome,” said Jack.

“Dad says he is a very bright boy. Indeed, with all that money rolling in! I love your body darling, but there’s a hole in your pocket. Always!”

I wiped away sweat beads from my forehead. I was heart broken. This mercenary gold digger – was she the one I had supposed would be a good wife? One who proposed to use me as a front for her affair with another man?

But I was not a coward. I ambushed them from the shadows as they got closer for a brush of breath.

“Darling, this is....!” Maisel was about to introduce, then probably caught the message in my eyes and shut her mouth.

I looked around at the monster. And back at Maisel again.

“Do you want to hear me alone or you want Jack to hear too?” I asked.

“What do you mean?” she queried.

“Just that I refuse to play dumb and dance to your tunes...I want a wife who knows the meaning of loyalty, faithfulness and sincerity. You, angel faced, have none of these qualities. So I leave this high-principled man to you. You and your gigolo can rock on from now, you two deserve each other.”

“How dare you say that! I suppose you have some Goan female tucked away in a smelly house, back home there... Go, marry her!” She yelled without guilt or shame.

The MC of the ongoing dance was screaming his lungs out. I paused and stared at the two culprits till he finished his squeals.

“You are not fit to tie even her shoelaces, let alone utter her name. What use are these beautiful hands of yours if they serve no useful purpose except to grab money to be spent on luxuries?” I spat out.

“Stop moralizing, you pious bishop! Go back to her, if you miss her so much.”

“I will...” I said quietly before I stormed away from the scene.

Everything tasted bitter. Like a hurt animal, I wanted to go back to the comfort of those who respected and cared about me. I knew others would think me selfish, but I needed my friend.... my Adelaide, my best buddy in life. She would open her arms wide to welcome me.

I booked the next flight home and immediately sent an sms to Adelaide.

Sure to expectations, she was there at the airport on my arrival. But there was something eerie about the homecoming. A handsome man in blue jeans, with a photoshop face of a filmstar prodigy stood by her side sporting a WWF T-Shirt.

Adelaide tugged on to his arm adoringly as she waved me from the distance.

Me, My Wife and Facebook !

2011-10-22T20:57:00.012+03:00

"God has given you one face, and you make yourself another.” -Shakespeare in Hamlet. Act III. Sc. I

Kuwait - 26/10/2011

“Sonia Sirsat accepted your friend request, you have 23 friends in common,” Esparansa, my wife, read aloud a new text message on my cell phone.

“That’s my friend no. 1001,” I proclaimed proudly.

“Do you know her well to add to your friends list?”

“Who doesn’t know her, she's such a popular Goan star. Great Fado singer, dunno what it means though!..I am a 'big' fan of hers..”

“Does she know you?” Esparansa popped up her eyes.

“Well, I met her backstage after her performance in Kuwait last month. Am sure she remembers me from my Facebook profile photo. Cool..! I could find out all about her now, perhaps friend some of her friends, and her friends’ friends..”

My mother overheard the conversation. She came out from the kitchen to poke her nose. She hated Facebook and the internet itself like the hot weather. “Who’s Sonia he’s talking about,” she inquired with Esparansa.

The better half did not need another invitation to haul over the coals. “Ma, he is so much obsessed with Facebook, it makes him forget he has an actual life to live.”

“Almost everyone these days, dear,” my mother sympathized, “Last weekend, all throughout the party, I saw little Alisha monitoring her cell-phone like a trader glued to computer screens at stock-markets. When I asked what she was up to, her mom just said ‘Facebook’.”

“I see total negligence in his daily obligations, household chores and even in his work at office,” Esparansa went on, “Ever since he got that wireless connection he is forever online and even forgets he has showered or not till I remind him... And last few months he has begun to treat me like a stranger. It is so disgusting..”

“He should change his middle name to Facebook!” My mother snapped.

Esparansa looked at the older woman with solace to push her agenda further.

“Facebook has done great harm to today’s youth,” my ultra-conservative mother demonstrated her modern-day knowledge, “...distracting them from social, moral, academic, and professional responsibilities. Other day, Gavin’s mom showed concern over her son’s ‘Facebook research’ which has virtually habituated him into sleeping past midnight, everyday..., that too knowing he has to get up for classes next morning... Now that’s about the tattoo generation!..But you..”

“What’s so awful ma? Am not gambling on Facebook..” I defended.

“Look here,” it was her customary lecture, “Facebook friendship cannot substitute for the warmth and pleasure one feels in one-to-one meeting with friends and families. Being glued to computers, it can turn you into a Facebook addict which is not the social norm of a mainstream society...”

I listened to the kitchen-sink ‘narayanas’, not knowing whether to wind a watch or bark at the moon.

In fact, Esparansa looked down on me as if I was actually addicted to drugs. No wonder she did not believe in Facebook’s credibility nor its conventionality.

“Some immature idiots even opt to post photographs and videos that are against human values,” Esparansa poked in, “which are bound to leave detrimental effects on the minds of many, especially the kids...”

“Am a kid..?” I smiled.

“Another worst activity is gaming -- a prominent feature of its popularity for pass time,” she trumpeted.

“But then, Facebook offers great many benefits,” I tried to justify, “catching up with old, lost friends who are resurrected through facebook, sharing personal profiles, promoting work and business, planning events, etc, etc,,,,”

“I agree. But there has to be a limit,” Esparansa sprang up from the sofa like a coiled spring let lose, “Ma, he has started communicating with me through Facebook, which is outrageous. I promptly deleted him from my friends list. And temporarily deactivated my account too.”

“Am sure Facebook is just an empty-headed euphoria, inviting one to be silly, crazy and self-absorbed,” my mother gave her judgement.

“Which world are you guys living in?” I was getting agitated, “I guess still in the Portuguese era..Nowadays, events are organized and scheduled through Facebook, schools and colleges do their projects through it. If you are not a user, you are left out. As a matter of fact, e.v.e.r.y.thing is done through the net now..”

“Everything..?”

“Yes, am sure even the government will soon start notifications, billings, etc, all through the net.”

“You mean electricity and water bills? In Goa?..” my mother was curious.

“Why not? That could all come through the internet..some day!” I was almost fuming.

“You must be ‘Joaking’ like Churchill Alemao! They should first think of a proper water supply..”

“Fruits and vegetables and even fish can be ordered online now.. ..beer and cashew feni will follow soon....”

“I tell you, Facebook is not just the way of life. That’s it.” Esparansa thundered. “I don’t mind you checking emails or surfing the net. Just quit Facebook!”

Somehow I knew she detested me being friends with so many people, especially the female of the species. Though she was much liberal, she kept a regular tab on my wall before she deactivated. Honestly speaking, I never thought she would ask me to quit as well.

“You don’t mean it, do you?” I raised my eyebrows.

“Ofcourse, I mean it! You better stop before I dump your gadgets in the garbage including your laptop! And don’t even dream I will allow you to buy the ‘iPad’ as a wedding anniversary gift..”

“Hey, that’s rude!!! Even Mark will be shocked if I leave Facebook!”

“Mark who?” my mother wanted to know.

“Mark Zuckerberg!!! He is my friend too, Ma. He admires me so much, because I am promoting Facebook and keeping friends away from twitter and google plus - Facebook’s biggest rivals.”

“Hope you are aware how much this 'joker-bug' earns!” Esparansa remarked.

“Oh, that doesn’t matter. Everyone knows me as Facebook’s biggest advertiser, at least in mouth-to-mouth terms. Being a member of famous groups such as Goans on Facebook, Goan Shutterbugs, Jazz Goa, Exoticgoa, Asmeeta Group - Goa, Radio Mirchi, Navelim - Goa & Abroad, Curtorim Village, Bahrain Goans, Gulf Goans, Goa Chronicle, Ami Niz Goenkar, Konkani Rocks, Musicians Goa, etc, has doubled my...”

:::All stories are a work of fiction. No offense intended to any individual or group mentioned in the story:::

“Oh, come-on, these groups. Can’t you see? They use the ‘free’ informational advantage to serve no one but launch their own satellites which am sure will not even create a ripple in the well! Just wait and watch, you’ll see groups mushrooming all over, from North Goa to South -- more than the bus-stops on National Highway 17. Every association, every club and college will have their own group. Then you sit here and light candles to each group! ” Esparansa said, dismayed.

“Everyone envies me, except you.. I got almost everyone in the office to join Facebook..Even people who never tried or considered social networking. Within months, everyone was settled in everyone else’s friend lists. Now I myself have friends in Culcutta, Bangalore, Delhi, Kerala, Philippines, Egypt, Australia, US, Canada, UK, Caymans and even Pakistan.”

“Pakistan!!? Of all admired places on earth..” my mother showed disbelief.

I couldn’t resist boasting, “Only one colleague refused to join, out of the forty-odd others.”

“How come you quit Facebook, dear?” my mother turned to Esparansa.

“She quit Facebook because she’s not good at keeping in touch with people..ha ha..” I laughed.

“Yeah, Ma heard it right,” Esparansa cut me short, “Matter of fact,. am not completely crazy in the head. It’s a complete waste of time. Can’t digest the stupidity how people can keep a thousand friends whom they have never even met once..”

“Yaar.. how do I explain..”

“Ma.. you got to give this chap some ironing! Now. I want him off Facebook as soon as possible, it is destroying our happiness! I have to virtually drag him even to recite the rosary..”

“Man, I want you to keep your nose clean and stop living in a fool’s paradise... Tell me one thing, what’s so charming that you are so hooked up?” Mother asked.

“Well, honestly..,” I tried to dodge the bullet. “I want to feel popular and well-liked. Want to stay in the loop, to feel included. And. What should I say, how would people know I am still alive?”

“Are you living for your friends or family?” Esparansa demanded to know.

“I like the face-to-face friendship. It is most rewarding.” My mother sermoned, “You better stop now being a fox in a henhouse.”

“Hmm.. a fox in what?”

“What’s the fun in going through the junk that is circulated.” Esparansa took her case higher, “You can very well browse whatever you want to find on the net. Why depend on friends and warrant unnecessary comments and counter-comments and be the centre of embarrassment in the dirty linen washed around.”

“My..., it’s all about keeping in touch...” I objected. “This is the easiest way to keep in touch. Click of a mouse, you could find out what even your most obscure friends are up to, and gain some knowledge about their lives, and make them feel you are still as intimately connected as you were in hey days.”

“But I just wonder why people don’t get weary of it...” Esparansa addressed her allegation.

“Well, people are, what should I say, not as ‘lackluster’ as you are. You never bother to write a sentence on people’s wall, and although you keep tabs on everyone’s birthdays and anniversaries including mine and Aishwarya Rai’s, you never wish people. How would you expect others to be nice?”

“Well, keeping in touch is much harder, and requires lot of hard work, something which I’ve never put in. As a result, I have removed the illusion of appearing to keep in touch with 400-odd people. I keep in touch with those that matter to me most. I send emails, and make phone calls, and meet people to know what’s happening in their lives, instead of just reading a one-line status message and thinking I know everything there is to know about them.”

“That’s what women do otherwise also! Gossip! Ha ha !” I chuckled. The ladies did not find it amusing at all.

“Well, I'll admit being curious of where a few of my friends have ended up in life,” Esparansa explained, “but I wouldn't even mind reconnecting with one or two persons from the past. All in all it's not enough for me to open up a whole can of worms for it...there's just too much past and too much life to be in the thick of it again.”

“What about birthdays and anniversary pics of your friends and families that you...”

“I do miss Facebook sometimes,” Esparansa looked out the window, pondering, “because I have no end of talented photographers on my list. I could see some amazing pictures on an almost daily basis. Plus, I also have some of the funniest people on the list, so I had no shortage of good humor available.”

“I could make you laugh your socks out with some of the rare 'shared' jokes...!”

“..It’s much better being a friend, instead of just being another profile in someone’s list. I add friends to my heart when I feel what they mean to me in life.. ”

“Hmm.. you hardly accumulated a dozen friends.. Look at my list.. ” I said, proud as ever.

“Well, none of those ‘fake’ friends ever commented or atleast had a second to click the ‘like’ button on any my photos. They forever brag about how their lives are perfect but never have the time to atleast compliment on one of my decent snaps.”

“Anyway, it’s your call... You may move heaven and earth, I won’t part with Facebook!” I concluded.

“Forget it, Ma, we are beating a dead horse..” Esparansa threw up her arms and made a dash to the kitchen. It looked like she had given up on the topic.

But no. There were debates and discussion all day, so much so that our arguments almost came to a 'megaphone diplomacy'. Eventually, the scales fell off my eyes. We came to the conclusion that the negatives of Facebook far outweighed the positives!

I decided to move the goalposts and see which way the cat jumped for a while rather than create a storm in a tea-cup every other day.

Esparansa constrained me to filter all notifications on the cell-phone and minimize my time on the net at home, especially on holidays. To add insult to injury, our office IT blocked Facebook and other networking sites during working hours.

A couple of days passed. Esparansa kept her eyes peeled on me.

I moved around, played, ate and slept in time. I even prayed regularly. It was amazing to note a fresh joy surrounding my life and the richness of relationship around. I found myself talking nineteen to the dozen which proved far healthier than my Facebook activities that normally left me mute and comatose most of the day.

A week later. One fine early morning. It was a holiday.

Why did I have this strange need to log on to the net as soon as my eyes opened?

It was a nightmare I couldn't escape from. Something had made me feel worthless and depressed. Something. My life was so much better before I had Facebook. Perhaps the site had ruined my life and I regretted the day I opened an account on Facebook! I was just anxious of what I had missed all the past days.

I didn't even make it to the bathroom before I found myself connected.

I googled the site, typed my username, filled out the password, and voila! I was part of the Facebook population.”

“Hee, hee..while I was away and sleeping, the universe had been busy! Hello, World! I am back!” I hissed.

About half a dozen people had posted on my 'wall'. Another couple of dozen had ‘poked’ me and I had 8 petitions waiting to be signed. An animated goat to be milked, and Join Salgaocar Sc Fan Club! A close friend and 3 others were celebrating their birthday which I was aware thanks to my Facebook. Somebody with cancer needed me to join a group and support their cause! A teenage friend half my age had answered a question about me 30 minutes ago. And 43 people were waiting to be 'friended'.

“Why is the ex-Dempo star, who never even talked to me during our inter-village matches, suddenly gung-ho to be my friend now?” I wondered.

Indian icon Remo Fernandes had posted a one liner on Goan politicians which attracted 225 comments in less than 2 hours. I wanted to add mine and jump on the bandwagon. "If a Padmashree like Remo remarks back, I would be an instant celebrity," I contemplated with excitement.

"What to comment? It should be something very tasty to catch everyone's attention.." I thought and thought and thought.

Wait! There were people listed ‘whom I might know’ and 17 others who went to the same school as me! Okay, sure, I remember them. I'll 'friend' them, too. Hold on! My niece Cyndi in Bahrain had 3 photo albums! Ashton Bakar, the nephew in Goa had another 2. Okay, I should probably take a look at his new Asta i20.

“So many Notifications, Events and Invites.”

Wow. I never felt so loved, so needed, so appreciated, so popular! Everyone loves me! Everyone wants to be my friend! Fantastic! Accept friend request... sign a petition...Wish friends on their birthdays... Comment this post, check the next...Comment... Like... Comment...next...next... next!!!

But if I make one comment on one photo, on anyone’s status or a wall post, I realized I would subsequently receive 104 notifications telling me that other people have also commented.

“Oh my, all I wanted to say was that the photo looked nice.”

Faster and faster the requests came. I began to falter. I'd take one quiz, and 3 more would pop up. I'd sign a petition, and 2 more were waiting. No matter how hard I worked, it was never enough! One friend request turned into 5, then 23, and then 49.

It was too much and pretty hard to keep pace. My brain fizzled out. I sat there, listless – not having the energy to even push the TV remote button. I barely remembered who I was.

"Who am I?"

I used to have a real life. I used to have real interests, real hobbies, real friends... Used to...

I used to have a life... before Facebook.

It was time I was ‘myself’ again. Like a child. Bubbling. Happy. Carefree. Alive.

My hands were shaking at the weird thought. With great difficulty, I ignored the Requests, Notifications, Messages that glowed on my screen and clicked on the profile page.

There I was. The essence of me on Facebook: name, address, birthday. It was so validating, so empowering, so... time-consuming, so unnecessary, so completely and totally exhausting.

No more. It had to stop. This wasn't who I was. I was more than a brightly colored image on a web page.

For well over 5 minutes I hunted and punted how to delete the Account permanently. For those of you who haven’t been to this dark side of Facebook, please note: Trying to 'permanently' delete a facebook account is akin to solving the Rubik's cube, or a mystery puzzle that leads you nowhere.

Annoyed to the max, I clicked on the Help Centre.

How do I permanently delete my account? With a deep breath, I moved the mouse and the cursor over submit your request here.

But you know you can't delete the wretched thing because you would subsequently leave over a hundred friends wondering why you had decided to cut them out of their lives, so abruptly.

“Maybe I should reconsider. If I don't say ‘hi’ to atleast a few people, it would just be rude.”

But I thought against it.

Click.

Delete my Account?

There was a message: If you do not think you will use Facebook again and would like your account deleted, we can take care of this for you. Keep in mind that you will not be able to reactivate your account or retrieve any of the content or information you have added. If you would like your account deleted, then click 'Submit'.

I clicked.

It took me to a pop-up page that asked me, in big, bold red letter words as if I was committing a grave crime on humanity: "You are about to permanently delete your account. Are you sure?"

Click.

Click.

Click.

At last!!! I was myself again. I sighed a breath of relief.

“Are you on the internet,” a familiar voice from the bedroom.

As Esparansa made her way into the hall, I looked at her -- like a hostage just released -- free, alive and vibrant to all my senses.

“Yes, am on the net!” I gazed into her eyes. There was no guilt in me whatsoever. The heart was light and completely at ease. Seemed like a season of flowers had come...

...Moving a strand of hair over her head she said, “Please accept my ‘friend’ request, I added you up on Facebook last evening!”

Another story Click: Breaking News: An amazing achievement!

HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

:::My dearest esparansa:::

GOA Maroons crowned champions in a spectacular finish at Kuwait’s Kazma Stadium

2011-06-09T10:22:00.007+03:00

J.P.D’Mello KIFF League 2010-11

By Gasper Crasto

Kuwait: Goan Overseas Association (G.O.A) popularly known as Goa Maroons won the prestigious J.P. D’Mello Memorial KIFF League Trophy defeating Kuwait Goan Association (KGA) 4-3 in the final played at the ‘Peace & Friendship’ Stadium on 10th June 2011.

The season ending match of the Kuwait Indian Football Federation (KIFF), was balanced in terms of performance in the first half. However it was Maroons who surprised KGA with an early lead. Prolific scorer Kennedy Ferrao broke the KGA off-side trap by a mile and took his time to round off the goalkeeper before tapping into the empty net.

On the other hand Maroons goalkeeper Guilerme Gomes was able to defend on a number of occasions. KGA who steadily organized themselves in the second half showed class, character and a superb fighting spirit, attacking from all ends with medio Bernard Pires dazzling in the centre. Ismayil, Luis Dias, Vitorin Menezes, Valente, Jacob Dias, Edward Dias, Cristo Colaco, Tiago Fernandes, Anil Thakuri and Vico D’Souza also excelled for KGA. With minutes left for the final whistle KGA drew level through Josse Fernandes who headed home from a corner kick taken by Bernard (1-1).

The extra-time produced no result which sent the teams into a penalty shootout. Maroons, already declared season’s champions for a super performance throughout, were determined to finish on a high. Goalkeeper Guilerme saved the last penalty in the tie-breaker to clinch victory for the champions. Ian D’Souza, Gabriel Fernandes and Bonny Niasso scored for Maroons, while only Valente and John Costa were on target for KGA.

Later, Goa Maroons President Raymond D’Sa expressed great joy in the victory and on winning the Trophy, a record equaling fourth time for Maroons in the league history. Navelim Youth Centre is the other team with maximum titles. Maroons coach Julio Cardoso told that such achievement comes with great efforts by the players, noting that the title was a remarkable end to a memorable league by KIFF which is played on league cum knock-out basis.

Goa Maroons comprised of Guilerme Gomes, Carlos D’Sa, Ian D’ Souza, Gabriel Fernandes, Regi Rodrigues, Sandy Fernandes, Terence Carvalho, Patrick Pinho, Bonny Niasso, John Ferrao, Elvis D’Souza, Joe Rebello, Joseph Correia, Albert Pereira, Jose Savio Pereira, Everest Rodrigues, Valentine Gonsalves, Jerry Mello, Julio Cardoso, Steven Rodrigues and James Figueira.
Coach: Julio Cardoso
Team Manager: Assumption D’Sa

The final was officiated by John Furtado supported by Victor Andrade and Roland Fernandes on the lines.

Shri Vidhu P. Nair, Charge D'Affaires Indian Embassy was the chief guest at the event while Mr. A. C. Roy, Chief Operating Officer Gulf Cable and Electrical Industries Co. was the guest of honor. Special invitees present on the occasion were Mr. Huzefa (Asst. Marketing Manager of Al Mulla Exchange) and Kevin Simoes, Joseph and Elvira D’Souza, ex-President of KIFF Mr. V.K. Vohra, UFC President Cajetan Pereira, CRC Chinchinim President Bosco Leitao, Navelim Vice-President Luis D’Silva, Rising Stars President Lawry Pinto, Cajie of Skynet, etc.

The teams were introduced to the guest of honor Mr. A.C. Roy and other dignitaries. National Anthems of Kuwait and India were played with great respect and honor while a set of white doves were set free to mark the event. A minute’s silence was observed in remembrance of J.P.D’Mello.

A special attraction of the evening was a dance program performed by about 20 children from Ballerine's School of Dance under the direction of choreographer Sudhi Frantero. DJ Mario entertained the spectators with some catchy numbers. The function was compered by Gasper Crasto.

KIFF President Fidelis Fernandes addressed the teams and emphasized on the need for unity and support to the federation to carry out KIFF activities smoothly. While applauding the support he received from his committee, he expressed wholehearted gratitude towards Gulf Cable and Electrical Industries for backing the Federation, and also thanked Al Mulla Exchange for their tremendous support all season.

Mr. A.C. Roy also voiced his appreciation. KIFF Vice-President Clifford Pinto proposed a vote of thanks at the prize distribution ceremony thanking the sponsors, affiliates, referees and specially the media for the coverage given to Indian football in Kuwait. The news on the league has been covered by Kuwait’s Arab Times, www.indiansinkuwait.com, http://mangalorean.com/, http://www.goa-world.com/, etc, among others.

Earlier, Rising Stars beat United Friends Club (UFC) 3-0 to win the hardline finals for a 3rd position in the league. Prakash, Shafeeq and Lusiano scored for Rising while UFC were strangely found wanting, conspicuous by the absence of some star players.

An exhibition match of young kids from the Salmiya Community Services was also held during one of the breaks.

The high profile Fair Play Trophy was won by Skynet Raiders for their overall discipline and respect to the game.

Apart from the new-look J.P. D’Mello Memorial Trophy, following prizes were awarded:
Season Champions – Goa Maroons
Fair Play Trophy – Skynet Raiders
Player of the League – Vitorino Menezes
Top Scorer of the Season – Kennedy Ferrao
Man of the Match (Finals) – Ian D’Souza

Mementos were presented to Jerry Mello, P.A. Tony and Gasper Crasto for their assistance towards the functioning of KIFF Referees Body since its inception. Glittering individual trophies were presented to the winners and runners-up, while the KIFF referees were presented with medallions.

KIFF President Fidelis Fernandes handed over the coveted J.P. D’Mello Trophy to great jubilations of Goa Maroons fans.

KIFF Committee for the season consisted of Fidelis Fernandes (President), Clifford Pinto (Vice-President), Michael Fernandes (Secretary), Bernard Fernandes (Sports Secretary), Nicholas Rodrigues (Registrar), Pascoal Afonso (PRO), Seby Dias (Treasurer ) and William Stronach (Releiver).

PREVIEW TO FINALS: Will it be Goa Maroons or Kuwait Goan Association

Kuwait: Kuwait Indian Football Federation (KIFF) League, the only competition of its kind among expatriate Indians in the Middle East promises a spectacular finale when the best two teams in the League, Goa Maroons and Kuwait Goan Association clash on 10th June at Kuwait's famous 'Peace & Friendship' Kazma Stadium for the coveted J.P.Memorial Rolling Trophy.

The summer heat and humidity in Kuwait may not be a perfect climate for the amateur players to display their full potential nor for a turnout of colorful spectators for the KIFF League finals but anyway it will all seem like a lovely antidote to enjoy an evening in the open. Football among expatriates in Kuwait fulfills its function to divert one's mind from reality and all football lovers fall for the con.

Football is the only sport which is innocent, honest, and somehow democratic in an otherwise sleazy world of Kuwait. It is the collective delusion about a better world. The mythology of football here is that it is a independent game, where the working man in particular can be heard. Trouble is, real life isn't like that. The myth of football here holds that the spectators are the clubs and it's their collective memory which remains constant as players, officials and clubs come and go.

In today's world of Cable Television, it is as if there is a theological choice to be made, between the doctrine of TV and the true path of actual attendance. Expatriate Indians and specially Goans miss watching their favorite teams Salgaocars, Dempos and even their village teams in action and as such most have found 'Live' telecast of European soccer on TV thrilling.

Nobody is in any doubt that evil satellite television, making the games of brilliant teams such as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United available to all, has corrupted the sensitive spectator. Everybody seems to be a Messi, Rooney or a Ronaldo fan but that has not really taken away the excitement of enjoying the Friday games in Kuwait.

The die hard supporters always throng the grounds and cheer the lads. People who have witnessed some of the most exciting matches played in recent years do not believe in the negative hype of television soccer. Everyone is aware the games here are played for love and not fortune.

One may not certainly see huge crowds and players changing shirts with opposition teams after each match as seen on TV but the euphoria created during some games is nothing less than a 'World Cup' match. It is so in football anywhere in the world. If football weren't so exciting to watch, offering unscripted drama, it wouldn't have its global appeal. The semifinals of the ongoing league in which Kuwait Goan Association came from behind after trailing 0-2 to beat holders United Friends 5-2, was one such exciting game in Kuwait this season which will be remembered for a long time by those who witnessed it.

Like all major sport, soccer in Kuwait brings together Indians of different cultures and societies arousing the crowds through an electric effervescence. Though there are clubs of Kerala, Mangalore, etc, majority of the spectators ofcourse are Goans and one can see most players crossing their hearts as they run onto the ground.

Individuality in football is important, but obviously the team is more important than any one individual which begs the question: "where we'd be without some kind of a community, club, be the family, friends down the line, or our fellow supporters? We'd just be individuals and a bit lonely and isolated."

Many communities and clubs in Kuwait have helped numerous young youths and individuals to expose or find their hidden talent and assisted them in achieving better skills in football; and by virtue of their soccer talent alone (rather than their education), promoted them in other fields to become superior humans in society. In a different country and in a competitive world, most youths find it hard to attain great results without the help and support from a community. This might sound like politics, but we wont be mistaken if we say there would be no Maradona without Argentina and no Maldini without Milan. Individuals should never be more important than a community but unfortunately, with involvement of some negative thoughts, success and glory are sometimes personalized and exploited.

Other than shopping which more or less is a kind of a social event and a sport for most expatriates in Kuwait, playing and watching football has become a way of enjoying a weekend for many enthusiastic Indians. Here are some interesting comments about football in Kuwait:

A die hard supporter: "What I like about football here is the atmosphere at every game, you can feel the vibe of the other supporters when your team is winning, you can feel the anger from the other spectators when your team is down or if the referee made a bad decision, its like all the spectators are friends and get along together..."

A player: "I love football because it's an art, can drain out all of the emotions in a man week in and week out."

A Goan spectator: "I love watching football Live! Be it here, Goa or anywhere. I love watching the various ways of expressing pleasure and anger by players and their supporters at the end of the match and the different types of shouting especially in Konkani."

A female supporter: "What I love most about football: My husband being completely, completely absorbed while watching football. I love football very much. I love the fact that there are always celebrations when our team wins a match, and if we lose, everybody feels depressed. We are like a big family when it comes to football."

Football activities in Kuwait were started by expatriate community way back in 1975. As years went by, these activities gained momentum and slowly flourished as more sports clubs were formed and this sport became very popular among the large expatriate community.

The Kuwait Indian Football Federation (K.I.F.F.) established in 1984 controls all Expatriates Indians Football activities in Kuwait. Apart from the League, Four(4) Regular; Five(5) 7-A-Side and One(1) 9-A-Side Non-Regular Tournaments are organized by clubs affiliated to KIFF. The J.P. Memorial Rolling Trophy - KIFF League is named after late Jerome Pascoal DMello (popularly known in India and Kuwait as J.P). Ex-FIFA referee and Member of Asian Football Confederation Referees Committee and Ex-Hon. Secretary and Member of Bombay Referees' Association, DMello who lived in Andheri East, Bombay, left for his heavenly abode in 1994. He was the prime architect in conceiving the idea of forming KIFF.

A Fair Play Trophy and Top Scorer of the season will be awarded at the finals according to a message by KIFF President Mr. Fidelis Fernandes. The coveted J.P. D'Mello Trophy will also be given for keeps this season, and in place, a new look trophy reinstated for subsequent editions.

Goan teams to fight for top honors at Kuwait's Kazma Stadium
Kuwait: Best teams in the world are always judged by their supremacy in their respective leagues. In a just concluded season, the champions in England are Manchester United, Barcelona FC in Spain, AC Milan in Italy, Qadsiya SC in Kuwait, and Salgaocar FC in India. In a lesser world of Indian expatriates in Kuwait, two Goan clubs will compete for top honors in the final of Kuwait Indian Football Federation (K.I.F.F) League 2010-11 for the prestigious J.P. D'Mello Trophy.

The Goan outfits -- popular Goa Maroons, and Kuwait Goan Association (KGA) reached the final after beating their rivals in 'neck-and-neck' semifinal battles reminiscent of any grueling and ferocious sport in the world.

While KGA came from behind a 0-2 deficit to maraud defending champions United Friends Club 5-2, Goa Maroons scored a 2-1 victory over Rising Stars in a match marred by controversy and chaos. Both the games played in soaring temperatures nearing 50°C kept the spectators on tenterhooks and made hot news over the weekend among die-hard Indian football followers in Kuwait as well as back home.

United Friends v/s Kuwait Goan Association

United Friends Club (UFC) will rue themselves for squandering a 2-0 lead taken off the boots of Alexandro Gomes and Denzil Jadhav early into the match. But then, amateur teams are no Barcelonas to play ball possession and finish off such a wonderful advantage of 2 goals. The joy of UFC, champions of the league in 1999, 2003 and 2010, was short lived as they saw their fort crumbling, mainly due to a non-existing midfield. Medio Remedio Fernandes, Edwin Dias and Darwin looked drained out in the second half, and the efforts of hardworking striker Godwin Fernandes and Hemanth Kumar to fall back in aid of central defenders Teotonio and Mauricio Simoes was not just enough.

KGA, who played a â€˜foxy, wait and grabâ€™ game, made the best of all opportunities scoring the goals in quick succession within a space of 20 minutes to turn the tables over UFC (5-2). The goalscorers for KGA were Vitorino Menezes (2 goals), Anil Thakuri (1 goal) and substitute Josse Fernandes (2 goals).

The livewire in KGA ranks was former East Bengal and Salgaocar player Bernard Pires who controlled the entire game. The untiring Vitorino Menezes, who was later declared man of the match, was also amazing. However, the mastermind of the KGA team this season has been their captain Tiago Fernandes. The hardened warrior who started his football in the late 80s playing for Goa and later Salgaocars and Dempos still rules the roost (more than 20 years later) with precision, goal-scoring passes and long range shots. KGA will depend much on this iconic player to beat Kuwait's most popular team Goa Maroons in the grand final of the league.

GOA Maroons v/s Rising Stars

Winning over tough rivals is great but winning with discipline is a greater than the sweetest of victories. Goa Maroons and Rising Stars, perhaps the oldest existing clubs under KIFF, had everything at stake in the match. Both teams wanted to prove their superiority and beat the other for a place in the final which is equivalent of a Champions League appearance for most players and fans.

It was Maroons who took the lead midway into the first session. The goal was probably the result of a move planned in training, which saw medio Terrence Carvalho passing the ball down the line to Bonny, who crossed at the top of box. Elvis D'Souza, one of Maroons' swiftest players, who had raced from the centre line met the pass and placed it past Rising keeper Lusiano Fernandes (1-0).

Maroons were in total control for most part of the game. Carlos D'Sa, Gabriel Fernandes, Regi Rodrigues, Sandy Fernandes and captain Ian D'Souza were excellent throughout the match. Prolific scorer John Kennedy scored the other goal for Maroons (2-0). Rising Star's main striker Maveli Fajilu pulled one back which brought excitement to the match and charged up the footballers.

With 8 minutes left for the final whistle and Maroons leading 2-1, the match went into bad weathers when Rising Stars defender Vadakath Balagopal rushed to the assistant referee on the far touchline questioning an offside decision which he alleged was not pulled off. His altercation and misconduct with the official warranted him a straight red card which was however not accepted sportingly by the Rising players. Some players argued while others walked off the field prompting the official to flash a yellow card to Rising's star player Fajilu who had taken off his jersey. The card turned out to be Fajilu's second yellow of the match. As a rule, it was followed by a red. Rising players protested vehemently and did not continue the game thereafter. The match was abandoned; Maroons were later declared winners by a 2-1 margin.

Finals on 10th June 2011 at Peace & Friendship Kazma Stadium

While the entire league, that started last September consisting of 14 affiliated clubs was played at MOH ground Shuwaikh, the grand final of the league will be moved at the famous 'Peace and Friendship, Kazma Stadium' and will be played on 10th June 2011 under floodlights. The grand finale will spark off at 6pm sharp with a hardline final for the 3rd and 4th place between United Friends Club and Rising Stars.

The final promises great entertainment as usual in a League finish and it's an enormous occasion for Maroons president Raymond D'Sa as well as KGA president Salvador Dias. While Maroons has a history of winning top finals, KGA will look to reclaim the J.P.D'Mello Trophy they won in 2007. Navelim Youth Centre have won the trophy for a record number of times since its inception.

Maroons who won trophy in 2009, are sure to stick to the semifinal lineup. Once again, they will be without the services of the indomitable James Figuera, Kuwait's best known footballer who is out injured; while KGA are still nursing on the fitness of Jimmy Goveia, their super sub.

Shri Shri Vidhu P. Nair - Charge D'Affaires, Indian Embassy of Kuwait has consented to be the chief guest at the finals. Mr. A. C. Roy, Chief Operating Officer - Gulf Cable and Electrical Industries Co. will be the Guest of Honor.

In a message sent to all affiliates of the federation, KIFF President Fidelis Fernandes has welcomed Indian football lovers and the expatriate communities to come and witness the grand finals.

A dance program by Ballerine's school of dance will be a special attraction at the event.

KIFF and J.P. D'Mello Memorial Trophy

Apart from the League, the Kuwait Indian Football Federation (K.I.F.F.) established in 1984 conducts other 11-aside and 7-aside tournaments organized by clubs affiliated to KIFF. All matches under KIFF are officiated by KIFF referees.

J.P. D'Mello Memorial Rolling Trophy - KIFF League is named after late Jerome Pascoal D'Mello (popularly known in India and Kuwait as J.P). Hailing from Bombay, D'Mello lived and worked in Kuwait and was the prime architect in conceiving the idea of forming KIFF. Ex-FIFA referee and Member of Asian Football Confederation Referees Committee and Ex-Hon. Secretary and Member of Bombay Referees' Association, D'Mello left for his heavenly abode in the year 1994.
Probable team line-up for the finals:

Goa Maroons: Guilerme Gomes, Carlos D'Sa, Ian D'Souza, Gabriel Fernandes, Regi Rodrigues, Sandy Fernandes, Terence Carvalho, Patrick Pinho, Bonny Niasso, John Ferrao, Elvis D'Souza, Joe Rebello, Joseph Correia, Albert Pereira, Everest Rodrigues, Valentine Gonsalves, Jerry Mello, Julio Cardoso, Steven Rodrigues and James Figueira.
Coach: Julio Cardoso
Team Manager: Assumption D'Sa

Kuwait Goan Association: Luis Dias, Jacob Dias, Eduardo Dias, Francis Fernandes, Vitorino Menezes, Tiago Fernandes, John Costa, Ismyil Kayungal, Valentino Fernandes, Anil Thakuri, Bernard Pires, Christovam Colaco, Josse Fernandes, Zelito Cardozo, Blesson Dâ€™Souza, Concessao Rodrigues, Godwin Fernandes and Jimmy Goveia.
Coach: Tiago Fernandes; Asst Coach: Pascoal Fernandes
Team Manager: Concessao (Connie) Rodrigues

A marriage made in Heaven!!!

2011-05-02T10:50:00.004+03:00

a marriage made in heaven...

...the royal wedding

Greetings!

We all know what a spectacle a wedding can be. A lot of money is spent trying to produce a perfect moment in time that will join a couple together in marital bliss. Typically, the church is decorated to the nines.., the bride is stunning in her pure white wedding dress and the groom stands nervous. It is a special moment in the lives of those two individuals and for the people who know and love them...

Weddings, here on earth, are a special thing! Everyone who has a wedding is looking for one thing: a marriage made in heaven !..

Well, I just want you to know that while some marriages may have been made in heaven, they still have to be lived out here on earth. That, in itself, makes them all less than perfect...

Just over the years, I was in a relationship with a girl who lived locally. She was a Christian and by all accounts a nice girl. However, inside me I knew that this was not the girl I would end up marrying. It's one of those things we try to ignore and hope it will change as things develop. On the surface there was nothing wrong with the relationship but deep inside I knew it would not lead to marriage...

Perhaps it was wrong of me to let it carry on like that, but I imagine many people will understand how hard it is to leave such a relationship. It's a massive step of faith to hang on to the belief that God really has chosen you something with a heavenly reason...

At this point let me just describe my relationship with God till now. I believe in God and accept all the stuff about Him 'loving me' in my head, but somewhere inside me I also know God with a 'big stick'. As stupid as this seems I feel that God always wanted to test me over things that I wanted. I felt that He would put something good in my path and then tell me that I couldn't have it... What would I do, take it or leave it?.. If I took it then God with His big stick would come along and beat me up. Sounds strange, doesn't it?...Yet I am sure that some of you will know exactly what I am talking about...

Well, forget it for the moment... Let us talk about an event in heaven that will take place while the earth is in the midst of a tribulation period. I want to tell you about a marriage made in Heaven...a royal wedding!

Typically, a wedding is followed by celebration. The time before a wedding, is usually filled with tremendous stress and many hours of preparation time.

In Heaven, things will be different!.. If you and I intend to be in tune with Heaven, then we need to learn to use a little heavenly language. If something blesses your heart, just say Amen!. If the Lord is moving in your soul, just say alleluia! I will guarantee you one thing. It won't hurt!..

I realize that we live in a day when some people frown on old time worship of the Lord. I mean, it's all right for people to sing the alleluia, but if they shout, they are considered nuts and fanatics!.. I want you to know that old fashioned praising and glorifying God never goes out of style

At the time of the marriage in Heaven, God's plan for the ages will be finally complete. Since man sinned in the Garden of Eden, God has been working to bring man back into fellowship with Him. This was accomplished when Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Now, all those who place their faith in Jesus are saved by the grace of God and brought near to Him! This will be the most special moment in all the history of creation!

By the way, note that at this wedding, the groom, and not the bride, will be the center of attention. Down here, everything is on hold until they start playing the wedding march and the bride is in focus... In heaven, things are just a little different! It's not the bride, but it is the groom, the Lord Jesus, who is the center of attention! If that happened here, there would be some angry women! However, over there, it won't matter in the least!

(We) the bride of Christ are in the midst of this engagement period right now ! We are just waiting to go to Him. The marriage would be complete, and the wedding will continue with a celebration like nothing this universe has ever seen! The Lord Jesus is going to present His Bride with a celebration that will last 1,000 years!

After the wedding, we will return with Him to this earth. He will put down His enemies and establish His throne on this earth.

Prepare for the Wedding..

We all know about the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. It was a spectacle of enormous cost and thousands of people watched the royal wedding..

Friend, I am trying to tell you about a real royal wedding!.. One that will be attended by more people than any other in history. One that will be more extravagant than any in history. One that will produce a marriage that will last longer than any in history

For those who are going to attend, consider for a moment how you are preparing for that day! The time to prepare is today! The place to prepare is here! The person to prepare is you... Will you come and let the Lord work in your heart and life?.. Are you ready for that wedding in the sky

There's going to be a marriage in Heaven someday, but only the redeemed are invited. Does that include you? If not it can!.. Please come to Jesus and be saved

(Specially written/compiled...incorporated with excerpts of prophetic interpretation from the Holy Book of Revelation - Chapter 19, enlightened by a letter written by my friend - Sr. Philomena - Missionaries of Charity, Auxilium Convent, Barasat, West-Bengal)

sincerely,
gasper crasto
(The article (not mentioning Prince William & Kate) was first published in gaspersWorld on 29/12/2002)

email: gaspercrasto@hotmail.comvoice: 00965 9502 686
web: http://gaspersworld.blogspot.com/

Historic Indian International Football Tournament in Kuwait

2011-03-06T15:30:00.005+03:00

Sheikha Huda Al-Sabah Memorial International football tournament in Kuwait
Aldona United FC (U.A.E) crowned Champions
By Gasper Crasto

Kuwait: Aldona United FC (Dubai, U.A.E) were crowned champions of the 1st Late Sheikha Huda Bader Mohammad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah Memorial International 7-aside Football Tournament played on 25th February 2011 at the Baladiya Ground, Salmiya, Kuwait.

Aldona beat strong contenders Fahaheel Brothers “A” in the tie-breaker 3-2.

The grand tournament was presented by newly formed Real Betalbatim Football Club under the patronage of Goan MLA Mr. Mickey Pacheco.

The tournament kicked-off in an atmosphere engulfed with mist. The teams were introduced to the guests present and to the Executive Committee of Real Betalbatim F.C. A minute’s silence was observed in respect of Late Sheikha Huda Bader Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah. Later, His Excellency, the Ambassador of India, Shri Ajai Malhotra graced the occasion for a short period and in his speech he emphasized to keep politics in sports aside and enjoy the games. As a memento, a jersey and a plaque were presented to His Execellency by Robin Fernandes, CEO of Real Betalbatim.

Sheikha Dalal Al-Sabah, sister of Late Shaikha Huda Bader Al Sabah was the chief guest at the historic event.

“I have no words to express my joy to see the memory of my sister being brought alive,” said Sheikha Dalal Al-Sabah referring to tournament held in memory of late Sheikha Huda. Whilst congratulating the finalists for a great game of entertainment and appreciating the efforts of the organizers she further stated, “We support Indian football and we will support the next edition of the tournament as well.”

A Historic Event

Real Betalbatim President Derick Gomindes thanked the participating teams, IFRA Officials, Media, Sponsors and everyone involved in making the event a grand success. He said, “It’s a privilege and honor for Real Betalbatim F.C. to organize such an event in loving memory of Late Sheikha Huda Bader Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah and to keep her memories alive. He further stated, “This is the first tournament and will not be the last. Real Betalbatim will continue to be associated with Al-Sabah family for years to come”.

Mr. Derick also thanked Sheikha Dalal Al-Sabah and Sheikha Hanouf Al-Sabah for supporting Real Betalbatim F.C. in making this event a success and for accepting the invitation to attend the function in spite of a busy schedule. He also thanked IFF-K Council Members and Executive Committee for allowing Real Betalbatim to stage this event.

The day-long tournament attracted 22 select teams of Indian origin including 2 overseas teams from UAE. A number of top players from across the Middle East were seen in action. The matches were watched by a large number of holiday spectators with games providing sizzling drama and excitement.

Participating Teams

The participating teams were AVC –Kuwait, Don Bosco Oratory, Navelim Youth Centre, Goa Maroons, Veterans United, Real Betalbatim Football Club, Fahaheel Bros, DHL Football Club, SkyNet Raiders, Kuwait Goan Association, CRC Chinchinim, Big Boys, Indians FC, Friends Circle, The English School, Domnic Savio Panjim, Guirim Boys. Vaxim Divar and Aldona United F.C were the outstation teams from Dubai, UAE.

The participants were divided into 4 groups for a round-robin league. Top two teams from each group qualified for the quarter-finals. The teams from U.A.E lived up to expectations although Vaxim Divar (champions of Gulf Goans Cup 2010) were eliminated in the quarter finals.

Organizers – Real Betalbatim Football Club (RBFC)

The organizers Real Betalbatim Football Club (RBFC) left no stone unturned to ensure an entertaining tournament. The club formed in the year 2010 by well-known Indian expatriate football icons in Kuwait such as Robin Fernandes, Derick Gomindes, Teddy Pinto, Philip Ferrao, Vijay Gonsalves, Francis Fernandes, Joe Braganza etc, created history by becoming the first Indian organization to successfully organize an International football event in Kuwait. Real Betalbatim Executive Committee comprises of Robin Fernandes - CEO, Derick Gomindes - President, Francis Fernandes - Vice President, Teddy Pinto - General Secretary, Vijay Gonsalves - Sports Manager, Philip Ferrao - Team Coach, Joe Braganza - Asst. Sports Secretary, Sarto Baptist - Executive Member, Noel Pinto - Executive Member etc.

The Grand Finale

The tournament fiesta coincided with the 50 Years of National Day Celebrations of Kuwait.

In the finals, Aldona United and Fahaheel Brothers were locked goalless. In the ensuing 3 penalty tie-breaker shootout Aldona United came out victorious with their stand-in keeper Flackson Fernandes dazzling under pressure.

Earlier in the semi final, Aldona United beat a star studded DHL who had knocked out favorites Navelim Youth Center in a quarter final tie-breaker.

Prior to the finals, in an exhibition match of budding footballers, Real Betalbatim (Blue) beat Real Betalbatim (White) 3-1 in the tie-breaker, Decklon, Kevin, etc, excelled for the winners.

The tournament was officiated by Indian Football Referees Association, a professional Indian expatriate officiating body in Kuwait.

Guests and Dignitaries

A number of distinguished dignitaries attended the event. In a memorable finale, the finalists Aldona FC and Fahaheel Brothers were introduced to the chief guest Sheikha Dalal Bader Al-Sabah. Colorful balloons were released in the skies amidst lively cheers while the National anthems of Kuwait and India were played with respect. For the first time in Indian football history in Kuwait a catchy theme song of Real Betalbatim was also played to mark the event. The RBFC theme song has been composed by Mr. Theo Rodrigues.

Earlier, Sheikha Dalal Bader Al-Sabah was welcomed by the children and given a standing ovation by spectators present upon her arrival at the stadium. A Memento in the form of RBFC team jersey and a plaque was presented to the Sheikha by RBFC Sports Manager Vijay Gonsalves.

The day was brightened by the presence of DJ Cajetan Ferrao providing stimulating music. Comperes Alex Taylor and Merwyn Pereira kept the crowd animated while free refreshment provided by Lays Chips and Lipton Tea was provided to spectators.

Prizes and Awards

The trophies presented were especially customized and imported from the United States of America, and the Rolling Trophy is a marvel to behold.

Following prizes were awarded:
Best Discipline Team – Vaxim Divar, Dubai
Best Defender – Russell Rodrigues (Vaxim Divar)
Best Goalkeeper – Flackson Fernandes (Aldona United FC)
Best Centre Half – Ismail Konju (Fahaheel Bros)
Best Forward – Sony Gomes (CRC Chinchinim)
Man of the Match (Finals) – Sonu Halanker (Aldona United F.C)
Man of Match 3rd & 4th Place – Anthony Fernandes (CRC Chinchinim)
Man of Match Semi-Finalist – Devendra Kauthankar (Aldona United and Ismail – Fahaheel Bros)
3rd Place Team Winners – CRC Chinchinim
4th Place Team Winners – DHL F.C.

The glittering Rolling Trophy was given away by Sheikha Dalal Bader Al-Sabah to the Champions Aldona United F.C captain and other prizes were distributed at the hands of William Gonsalves, Assumption D’Sa, Gasper Almeida, Gasper Crasto, Patrick Pereria, Adolf D’Souza, Junifer Rodrigues, Sarto Baptist, Fatima Gonsalves, Vinita Fernandes, Benedicta Fernandes, Ivan Barretto and the Executive Committee of Real Betalbatim F.C. The day’s events were captured on video by Mr. Felix while the photography was covered by Rivon Gomes, a professional photographer.

Kuwait pays Tribute to Rosary Ferns

2011-02-22T16:43:00.011+03:00

Lives of great men all remind us,
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us,
Footprints on the sands of time.

-H. W. Longfellow

By Gasper Crasto
Photographs: Rivon Gomes - http://www.goa-world.com/

Kuwait: Few people leave a lasting impression on others, and even fewer have the chance to truly impact people.

Rosary Ferns, who died an untimely death on 12th January 2011 while on holidays in Goa, left a permanent legacy and will be remembered for a long, long time to come for his contribution towards drama and art in the form of VCDs, CDs and cassettes. Konkan people who were fortunate enough to see Rosary Ferns on stage will perhaps never ever see another star of his calibre – a great playwright, philosophical composer and singer.

Kuwait Konkani Kendr (KKK) organized a condolence assembly on Wednesday 17th February 2011 at Village Inn, Kuwait City to pay homage to the star who spent much of his life in Kuwait.

Well-known Goan writer and social activist Veronica Fernandes conducted the meeting which was attended by invited guests from the Goan and Mangalorean communities.

Prominent Konkani stage artistes Mendes Brothers namely Felix – Xavier – Derek, who acted in the shows directed by Rosary Ferns and who always admired Rosary for his Tiatro skills, were among the crowd along with other significant personalities. Luis Cardoso, Vice President and one of the pillars of KKK, a great lover of Konkani and Goa was also present.

KKK Gen. Secretary Mario Rebello, a leader of Konkani movement in Kuwait contributing immensely for the cause of Konkani, commenced the gathering with a short prayer.

In his emotional speech, Veronica Fernandes, one of the living encyclopedias on tiatr, enlightened the audience on the greatness of Rosary Ferns with numerous quotes. “We have lost a great Goan personality, famous for his remarkable dramas, a ‘wisdomatic’ composer, and a singer of immense talent,” stated Veronica.

It should be noted Rosary’s last drama ‘Kuwait Soddun Vetana’ (Whilst Leaving Kuwait) was staged both by the Goan and Mangalorean Community.

Veronica described his close association with Rosary Ferns and sang a heartrending ‘Motet’ accompanied by musician Aggie D’Silva on the clarinet, which welled the eyes of many bringing recollections of this conventional composition usually sung during the lent season. As per Veronica, this was the best item of his repertoire liked by Rosary.

In his emotional speech, Veronica Fernandes, one of the living encyclopedias on tiatr, enlightened the audience on the greatness of Rosary Ferns with numerous quotes. "We have lost a great Goan personality, famous for his remarkable dramas, a 'wisdomatic' composer, and a singer of immense talent," stated Veronica.

Veronica declared “Rosary’s loss as a loss for the entire Konkan community.”

Gulf Goans E-Newsletters moderator Gasper Almeida summarized his observations about Rosary Ferns over the last two decades stressing that one should not forget the journalistic objectivity, while reporting or getting the issues focused. “I must admit that I’am in awe of Rosary Ferns. He was a man with unlimited energy and a generosity of spirit able to withstand all kind of attacks, criticisms and prejudices with a smile and an open mind. He had no comments, no ill feelings, no rhymes nor lyrics on anyone. I have had the pleasure of meeting Rosary Ferns and interacting with him on many occasions.”

“We have lost him, but his songs and works on the Konkani stage will last forever,” he concluded whilst announcing a message by goa-world.com founder Ulysses Menezes dedicating a Glorious Singers’ Section on the online www.goa-world.com radio station in remembrance of Rosary’s contribution towards Goa and the Konkani language in general.

Fidelis Fernandes, brother of Rosary, spoke on the life of the beloved icon terming Rosary’s birth into this world as a miraculous phenomenon and his life a ‘pride to the family’. “Rosary was born with stagecraft in his blood. His birth was rather miraculous. Doctors had informed my father that due to pregnancy complications, there was little or no chance of his survival, but the power of prayers overcame medical limitations and my mother delivered a healthy baby boy on 16th August 1962, whom they named Rosary Menino in gratitude of the intercession of Mother Mary and Menino Jesus at the time of delivery,” disclosed Fidelis in a voice choked with emotions.

He further added, “Tiatro to Rosary was in the blood. Rosary started acting, writing tiatros, one act plays, composing and singing songs at the age of 12.”

Peter Fernandes, other brother of Rosary was also present.

A close admirer of Rosary Ferns, Fr. Melvin D’Cunha, former Vicar of Holy Family Cathedral and on a visit to Kuwait, said, “Rosary’s life was a lesson for all to disclose god-given talents to the world.”

Lawry Pinto highlighted the significance of Rosary Ferns among the Mangalorean community. He said, “Rosary was the bridge between Mangaloreans and Goans which helped to bring the two Konkan communities together in friendship.”

Ms Ida D’Silva underlined Rosary’s contribution to the Konkani world adding “Rosary’s works will remain forever immortal.”

Raymond D’Sa, a special guest on the occasion expressed his condolences to Rosary’s family, and revealed his appreciation towards KKK for organizing the event to pay homage to the celebrated artiste.

Tony Gonsalves, Salvador Dias, Gasper Crasto, etc, were the others who spoke on the occasion.

An audio and video presentation of Rosary’s songs was played to the gathering which brought fond memories of the much-loved star.

Veronica Fernandes concluded the function acknowledging everyone’s presence and praying Eternal Rest to the departed soul.

:::Life of Rosary Ferns:::

A well-known Konkani star, Rosary Ferns hailing from Colva, Salcete, Goa came to Kuwait in 1985 and since then he worked for Kuwait Danish Dairy Company.

As a person, Rosary was a thorough gentleman, decent and upright in his behavior maintaining all the high attributes he learnt in his family. He leaves behind his beloved wife Cassilda, two sons Cynan and Cullen, his dearly-loved mother, three sisters and two brothers.

Rosary has been, in his own way, instrumental in improving the overall standard of tiatr and took the Konkani art to new heights. His death is definitely a big loss to Goans and will leave a vacuum in the field of tiatr that will be hard to fill for a long, long time to come.

Rosary was one of the best tiatro writers and directors and during his 25 years in Kuwait, he staged 12 tiatros some of them for the cause of charity. Many associations in Kuwait staged his tiatros. One of the tiatro was staged by Colva United Centre and the entire profit was utilized to build the Colva church hall back home in Goa.

In all, Rosary wrote and directed 21 full-fledged Konkani Tiatros. Some of his masterpieces include ‘Mhojem Dusrem Ghor’ (My second home), ‘Tumkam Lagon Jielom’ (I lived for you), ‘Sukh Khuim Asa’ (Where is Happiness), ‘Bhurgim Mai Paichem Sukh’ (Children, a joy of parents), ‘Devachea Marak Avaz Nam’ (Justice of the Almighty reigns Silent) ‘Ghor Bandlem Ghorabo Moddlo’ (Built a house, broke a home), etc.

Rosary was gifted in writing tragic stories and his forte lied in composing tragic 'cantos'. Among the expatriate tiatrists Rosary Ferns was the only person who was known to be a great composer of traditional 'Mandos'. Some of his golden, original Mandos feature in his Audio albums.

The eminent artiste had his first professional break in his fellow villager’s drama. Goan stage great C.D Silva on seeing the immense singing potential of Rosary booked him for his show ‘Kalliz’ in 1976. Rosary sang two duos in the drama. Rosary was 12 years old and studying at Infant Jesus High School, Colva, in the 7th standard at that time.

Rosary was later enrolled by his father Jose Luis Fernandes, a tiatrist himself, in St. Anthony’s High School, Majorda, and he had to stay at his sister’s place at Velsao. Though uprooted from his tiatrical friends and surroundings, he built a ‘tiatrical’ community wherever he went, Velsao was no exception. Here too, he staged a tiatr called 'Hem Ord Tuka' (This Half for You). This tiatr created a record of sorts as it turned out to be the first ‘All Ladies Show’. The Tiatr was staged all over Goa in 1980.

:::Rosary creates history in Kuwait:::

Rosary created history yet again when his Konkani Drama "Kuwait Soddun Vetana" was staged in Kuwait by the Mangalorean Konkani community in a Mangalorean dialect in the year 2009. The original drama was in Goan Roman Konkani which was well received by the Goan audience as one of the classic masterpieces of the great writer.

A very humble and soft spoken person, Rosary Ferns strived through Konkani stage and cultural programs to bring about fusion of all the Konkani speaking people in Kuwait, Mangalorean and Goans in particular. In the past, he wrote and directed Songit Sanz under Kuwait Konknni Kendr.

Rosary also encouraged and promoted young and budding artistes and developed them into full fledged artistes.

Rosary Ferns is on record to have staged more Tiatros in Kuwait than any other artiste and all of his tiatros have been well attended and appreciated by the audience. In fact in Kuwait, he created a special and very precious niche for himself among the audience. For this reason his tiatros were handsomely attended not just by Goans but also Mangaloreans and other Konkani speaking people.

:::Awards for Rosary:::

In August 2005, for his enormous contribution in the promotion of Konkani Songit Kala, Rosary Ferns was honored by the Mangalorean Association Konkani Kulvar, Kuwait. He was also felicitated by Kala Mogui Kuwait (KMK) in 2010 at the hands of the Indian Ambassador to Kuwait.

Besides tiatrs, Rosary wrote a number of One Act Plays, Operettas, Mandos & Dulpods and countless songs. As a matter of interest Rosary was the first person in the history of Goan-Konkani world to produce the first CD of songs which was made in Kuwait. In all, Rosary has produced 13 Konkani Albums in the form of Audio Cassettes & CDs. ‘Kuwaitche Dinar’ (Dinars of Kuwait), ‘Raag’ (Anger), etc, were some of his famous CDs.

He was known for his powerful solos with a message of good morals, upholding religious doctrines and beliefs.

Rosary’s last Album 'Dinaracho Valor' (The value of Dinar) was his last Audio CD. Additionally, he produced 2 VCDs 'Kanvllo Roddlo Lozen' (The Crow cried in Shame) and 'Mogan Tujea Lasota' (Burning in your Love).

Incidentally, at the time he breathed his last, Rosary was working on a video album entitled ‘Thank You Kuwait”.

Links:
IndiansinKuwait.com - Beloved Rosary Ferns: Death of a Konkan Star

Kuwait: Eminent Konkani Artiste Rosary Ferns No More

AVC Kuwait create World Record: NYC Trophy 2008

2011-02-21T17:51:00.004+03:00

By Gasper Crasto

Kuwait City Jan 30: Kuwait Goans Association (KGA) won the prestigious 18th NYC Trophy football tournament organized by Navelim Youth Centre beating AVC Overseas Association 1-0 in the final played at Salmiya Municipality Grounds on Friday, 25th January 2008.

Jubilant Kuwait Goans with the guests after the finals

AVC failed to break the jinx of winning the prestigious NYC trophy yet again in their fourth consecutive final. They lost the earlier 3 finals to G.O.A Maroons, Curtorcares United and DHL respectively. There is no other available instance in world football of a side losing 4 straight finals. While Bombay holds the record for most consecutive titles in the world (15 Ranji Trophy championships in a row from 1958-59 to 1972-73), AVC Overseas Association, known as Real Madrid of Kuwait Indian football have broken the record of English Premier giants Arsenal of 3 consecutive runners-up titles. Arsenal were League runners-up from 1999 to 2001.

The final played in chilling temperatures (8°C in Kuwait City) was watched by a sizeable number of spectators, many ladies were drawn to watch as well. But the match failed to live up to the expectations. The first half was so dreary, not a single hard shot was taken on the goal. Some of the players made more show of themselves than play good football. It was pathetic to see some players turn around with a glare and give that 'I will kill you' kind of a look for even a slight touch or a fair tackle and scream 'ref' every for every body contact. Some played like enemies instead of playing like true opponents.

Chief Guest Shri. Wilson Coelho handing over the NYC Trophy to Kuwait Goans captain Vico D’Souza. Also seen in the photo are Nicholas Monteiro, Agnello Dias, Lawry Pinto and NYC President Mario Carneiro

"Gone are the days where teams like Navelim, Goa Maroons, Incredible, United Goans, Rising Stars to name a few, used to dish out magical football," sighed a star footballer of yesteryears, "Spectators used to watch 'those' games with excitement, never taking their eyes off the ball. Today's players come to the ground laughing, joking and showing off their looks and 'expensive' boots. There's a lack of seriousness or a feeling of competitive anxiety towards the game..."

The match gained momentum only in the second half after KGA shot into the lead taking advantage of a defense lapse. KGA's Vico D' Souza rushed forward and passed the ball to unmarked Russel Rodrigues whose crisp shot beat goalkeeper Alvaro Dias in the AVC goal (1-0).

There was plenty of action in the last quarter of play with AVC moving the ball forward with alacrity, trying hard to get an equalizer. They peppered KGA's goal with a flurry of scoring opportunities with tries from Lucian D'Souza, Ronnie Fernandes and Francisco Fernandes. AVC came up with all out efforts in the dying minutes of the match which forced KGA goalkeeper Martin Dias to make splendid saves off Joseph Quadros and Leroy Rodrigues. Jubilant supporters of KGA rushed on the ground to hug their players on the final whistle of the match.

Sarto Baptista affiliated to Indian Football Referees Association (IFRA) officiated the match assisted by Tony D'Costa and Phillip Ferrao.

NYC President Mario Carneiro was all praise for Kuwait Goans for inscribing their name on the prestigious trophy for the first time. He congratulated them "for being the new champions of Kuwait Indian football."

Shri Wilson Coelho, honorable President of Goan Welfare Society was chief guest on the occasion and spoke at the prize distribution ceremony. He praised Navelim Youth Centre for successfully conducting the 18 editions of the trophy. He also acknowledged the efforts of Kuwait Indian Football Federation (KIFF) to promote football among the Indian expatriates living in Kuwait. While hailing the publicity given to the tournament in Arab Times, indianfootball.com and other websites, Mr. Coelho promised all support on behalf of Goan Welfare Society and in his own capacity to look into the prospects of further promoting the sport. He also assured to take up the matter with the Indian and Kuwaiti authorities for an appropriate and a regular playing field for Indians.

Lawry Pinto, Ex-President of KIFF was the guest of honor. Other distinguished dignitaries that presided were Cajetan Pereira - President of United Friends Club, Manuel D'Costa -Vice-President of KIFF, Thomas Fernandes - Founder member of Navelim Youth Centre, and Nicholas Monteiro, ex-player of Navelim Youth Centre.

Wilson Coelho presented the Trophy to the winners to a big applause of the KGA supporters. NYC Rolling Trophy, perhaps one of the most uniquely sculpt trophies worldwide was instituted in the year 1993, Saligao Sports Club being the winners in the inaugural year. 19 registered teams affiliated to Kuwait Indian Football Federation (KIFF) participated in the 18th edition. The tournament played under the auspices of KIFF provides players with the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play -- in perhaps one of the most prestigious football tournament among Indians abroad.

Earlier, the guests were introduced to the teams by Agnello A.S Fernandes, Advisor of NYC.

NYC President Mario Carneiro handing over the Fair Play Trophy to Fahaheel Brothers Team Manager P.A. Tony.

Guest of Honor Lawry Pinto handing over the Runners-up Trophy to AVC captain Francis Fernandes

Gasper Crasto compered the prize distribution function. General Secretary of NYC, Allan Fernandes proposed a vote of thanks and in a special way thanked Arab Times, www.goa-world.com , Goanet, www.mangalorean.com, www.indianfootball.com, and goa.kranti.blogspot.com for exclusive coverage of the tournament.

The high-status Fair Play Trophy was awarded to semi-final losers Fahaheel Brothers.

Following other prizes were awarded:

First scorer of the Finals - Russel Rodrigues (Kuwait Goans)
Top Scorer of the tournament - Andre Dias (Kuwait Goans)
Best Goalkeeper of the tournament - Martin Dias (Kuwait Goans)
Man of the Match - Adelio Fernandes (Kuwait Goans)
Distinguished Player of the Tournament - Christovam Colaco of KGA
Winners and Runners-up Individual trophies to all registered players of the finalists
The prizes were offered by Sophia Fernandes (in memory of her late father Santano Fernandes), Steve Santimano, Seby Colaco, Ivo Rodrigues and Nicholas Monteiro. Winners and Runners-up Trophies were donated by Brazil Diniz (in memory of his late father Jose Diniz) and Angelo and Family (in memory of late Prisca Rodrigues).

The Champions:

Kuwait Goans Association

Martin Dias (goalkeeper), Teotonio Fernandes, Russel Rodrigues, Alex Goes, Jacob Dias, Remedios Fernandes, Cristeo Colaco, Vico D'Souza, Rummel Dias, Adelio Fernandes, Caridade D'Souza, Andre Dias, Jimmy Goveia, Zelito Cardozo, Lourenco Cardozo, Mario D'Souza, Andrew D'Souza and Concecao Rodrigues.
Coach: Lourenco Cardozo
Team Manager: Nazi Azavedo

Following clubs have won the Trophy since 1999-2000:

1999-2000 - Navelim Y. Centre
2000-01 - Colva United
2001-02 - Colva United
2002-03 - Navelim Y. Centre
2003-04 - Bombay Boys
2004-05 - Curtorcares United
2005-06 - GOA Maroons
2006-07 - DHL Kuwait
2007-08 - Kuwait Goan Association

Every Heart has a Story - I

2011-02-13T14:55:00.026+03:00

::::All stories are a work of fiction. The characters do not exist, except in the mind of the writer:::

"Heaven is just a mouse click away..." I said to myself as I logged on to the online chat messenger, and waited for my greatest friend to sign in.

It had been long since we last met in person, but over the period of time I'd realized our friendship did not depend on being together; our closeness was something inside of us. I thought of her often and fondly remembered her, and although I would never say it, I was aware everything was even more beautiful whenever I shared my thoughts with her...

My heart jumped at the sudden chime in the headphones and a pop-up on the screen as she appeared online.

"Praise God!" I almost screamed. My fingers fumbled on the keyboard as I pointed at the rose, double-clicked, moved the cursor in the text space and...

(^_^) says:
hello...
says:
hi...nut-t-t...
(^_^) says:
couldn't you sms you'd be late?..
says:
raining here...and horrible traffic.. was held up on way to the i-café..
says:
the cell's with dad..
(^_^) says:
o...k
says:
howz the weather there?
(^_^) says:
12°c, pretty cold & windy...

You have asked to have a voice conversation with . Please wait for a response or Cancel (Alt+Q) the pending invitation.

has canceled the request to start a voice conversation.

says:
... i don't wanna talk on the phones..
says:
too many ppl around..
(^_^) says:
one excuse or other... always...why don't you say.......
says:
u spoke just a few minutes back... wht u wanna talk..
(^_^) says:
!!@##$$%^&&**((()))
says:
type..
says:
i can't shout.. n scream on these phones... cold n cough..
(^_^) says:
bloody helllll..
says:
relaxxxx... why r u getting hot..
(^_^) says:
shhhh!!!...
(^_^) says:
TYPE
says:
wht 2 type..
says:
u type, i'll answer.....
(^_^) says:
don't check your mail now.. .. soon you'll say you want to run back home...
says:
just opened..
(^_^) says:
too many mails???
says:
trying to read ur lonnng, long emailllll... think i'll need a week to read that... wht have u written???????...
(^_^) says:
it's about a dream I often dream...
says:
dream?..... wht dream... tell in short, the outline atleast...
(^_^) says:
okay... one night I dreamed I was wide awake.... when I woke up I found I was asleep..... understood????
says:
......???????
(^_^) says:
how can I tell in short what I've been dreaming for years!!!...You may find no sense in it... It's about some flower... perhaps the truth of it may be clear one fine day, that's what I feel... so I keep it all written...
(^_^) says:
you know what, dreams never fail if you can interpret devoutly....
(^_^) says:
But we know our dreams are real only when they come true...right??
(^_^) says:
keep the cursor in the text frame.....don't read it now...!..
says:
I can't understnd a thng from it....
(^_^) says:
you won't...but don't worry, you will someday... read it at home..
(^_^) says:
wht happened... no mails, nothing...more than a week now...
says:
i was sick.. flu and cough, entire last week..
(^_^) says:
surprising, you survived..
says:
it was mom's turn next.....she was down with fever...
(^_^) says:
k..
says:
then it was dad on the bed...
(^_^) says:
hmm?.. must have been a hospital at home..
says:
ya...sought of..
(^_^) says:
hope you're recovered fully..
says:
fine..
(^_^) says:
i tell you so many times...
says:
tell me wht..
(^_^) says:
do some exercises, skipping... you will remain healthy..
says:
exercises good for boys...
says:
last week was really full of tension...uncle had a open heart surgery (second time)..
(^_^) says:
which uncle? u have so many of them.. uncles n cousins..
says:
cousin who's doing MBBS in Russia was down on holidays... n fell sick with liver problems just a week b4 leaving...
(^_^) says:
..now don't make me sick with those tales..
says:
ok..ok....
says:
howz everything with u?..
(^_^) says:
allz fine.. howz work...
says:
when r u gonna come down? You skip tht every---time I ask...
(^_^) says:
I told u --- I'll come when i have enough money to burn..
says:
cut the crap..
says:
tell me..
(^_^) says:
pretty soon.. i'll let you know…why do you ask...
says:
why, I shouldn't ask?... ok, won't ask again...
says:
..might go for a party, sunday...
(^_^) says:
when you roam around it doesn't matter to your parents, they have restrictions if you talk to me... or what? i can't call.. can't sms...
says:
where did i roam!!!!
(^_^) says:
you have been moving like a ghost all the time...trip to pune during ganesh holidays.... friends... parties...
says:
party at cousin's...
says:
others I hardly go out anywhere...and I don't like to..
(^_^) says:
hard to believe 'you don't like to'...
says:
...and lately, any social i go, I find ppl hve become too inquisitive about my life...n me getting married... and if I have any... it makes me kinda sick...
says:
proposals frm all over... pressure from home too.... they seem so much worried and... ... it makes me look so old...
(^_^) says:
it's but natural for parents to get worried...esp. when they have a c-----daughter like you...
says:
c.....daughter?... c.....what?... cute????
(^_^) says:
...cock-eyed...
says:
I'll kill you...
says:
nut-t-t-t....
says:
ok..talk sense... I m not here to waste time...
(^_^) says:
...alright..
says:
how long would u be staying when u come down..
(^_^) says:
why? planning to get married during my vacation?
says:
six months?
(^_^) says:
sixxxx monthssss?..
(^_^) says:
wish i was the general manager of my company..
says:
then..... 3 months?
(^_^) says:
you think it's my father's company i work for.. ?
(^_^) says:
they have rules n policies here...
(^_^) says:
my mother too says the same thing.. she wants me to stay long enough when i come.. she misses me a lot, you know?...wish there was someone who missed me too, down there..
says:
wish there was someone...
(^_^) says:
yes, I really wish..
says:
naah, not you... am not talking about you....wish there was someone who misses...
(^_^) says:
misses you? nobody will ever miss you, I am sure.... that might be one reason your folks are keen to dispose you off - like garbage - as soon as possible...
says:
youuuu...
(^_^) says:
.........^.........
(^_^) says:
you never told me about the proposals earlier...
says:
atleast a dozen last 2 months.. I said no to my folks - outright... and now there r questions popping up everyday...
says:
dad is really furious...
(^_^) says:
why would you say no.., are they not...i mean the boys..
(^_^) says:
why should u say no..?
says:
boys from good families...businessmen, CAs, IT ppl, even an IAS officers, and what not...
(^_^) says:
so, why not choose one...
says:
choose?...i've not even thought of having a look... u r not saying this seriously, r u?..
(^_^) says:
I am s-e-r-i-o-u-s ...
says:
Nutt-tt, wht would u do if I were u, if u had to make a choice in my place...
(^_^) says:
how do I know what you're looking for... oranges or apples? riches or looks; status or dudes?...
says:
I said I've not given a second thought, but they r talking about one thing often - 'a good character'.
(^_^) says:
then, ask them to check on the temple 'pundits' out there in the neighborhood... they have super 'characters'...
says:
shh... I simply told u... I m so tensed here... sometimes, I feel I'm just existing... I just don't understnd what 2 do... u are least bothered about my life...nut-t...
(^_^) says:
... I am kidding, can't you see?...
says:
stop it... don't be so cynical..
(^_^) says:
it is not just 'character' which makes a man even though one may have a character of a saint...in today's world, something more than character 'speaks'.... anyway, what's your dream wish...
says:
simple... someone who will support me, respect me, be understanding, and be my best friend in life...
(^_^) says:
don't you know it's impossible for Indian women to marry 4 men?... you are too complicated, I suggest you marry - understanding..!
says:
whattt...!... dumbo......stop it..
(^_^) says:
well, that was mature thinking... anyway, parents' dream is to see their children's happiness more than anything that concerns them... aren't they better people to choose?..
(^_^) says:
best thing is, let them handle... they know what is good for you... just think over, what would a daughter be without her parents???
says:
many a time you are right... that is some reason I tell you everything...
(^_^) says:
e-v-e-r-y-thing?... telling me about your headaches, cold and flu is everything?... don't tell me next time, I fall sick myself everytime I hear you say you have that - headache...
says:
;)......
(^_^) says:
...abt the proposals, you could have told me over the phone...
says:
well...some things cannot be spoken... n I feel so embarrassed to talk abt all this...
(^_^) says:
that case, you could have written...
says:
yaaa... but best answers are received only through instant thoughts...isn't it?..
(^_^) says:
well...i choose rather to fling a chance stone than speak choosy words...esp. when it comes to you...you know that...anyway, we could have talked, better...
says:
u know, a man's character can be known from his words...we don't need to talk long to discover whether he has a mind that is wholesome, or a mind that is dirty...
says:
we don't need to listen long to know whether he has a mind that is kind or a mind that is cruel...
(^_^) says:
why the lectures ma'm, suddenly??? hmm???
says:
we do not need to listen long to a man who is preaching or teaching or lecturing to find out whether his mind is clear or if it is muddled...
(^_^) says:
what do you want to say...speak for yourself... what is this – 'we'…'we' …?
says:
I mean...we all, continually reveal wht we are by what we say... n e way, it's a relief telling u... kinda burden off my chest.....
(^_^) says:
there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in your philosophy... just leave everything to god, allz gonna be fine... pray.... .. why take the world on your head...
says:
listen...i don't wanna find myself in a situation like most people - married in haste to repent later... marriage is something you have to give your whole mind to... agree?..
(^_^) says:
???... I didn't know that... but I guess it's a girls business to settle in life as soon as possible...
(^_^) says:
unless you have huge, ambitious plans or...
says:
or...
(^_^) says:
or…if you're in love...
says:
...what if I am...
(^_^) says:
reallyyyyy???
(^_^) says:
then I guess I'd be the first to know... right?.. for ages you've been telling me about your world... Now..., why would you hide that...
(^_^) says:
But first, tell me one thing, do you really know what 'true' love is... and... do you 'really' love someone...
(^_^) says:
do you 'true-ly' love someone...?????
says:
I have been...
(^_^) says:
you have been????... you kitten-n-n-n...yyyou never told me..
(^_^) says:
anyway...i think it's great... but!!!.. who's the unfortunate prince... maybe he doesn't know what a devil you are...ha..ha... how is he?...
says:
I don't know...
(^_^) says:
heyyy... be honest... I am not gonna tease you...or laugh at your choice... I am sure you will choose right.....tell me..
says:
I really don't know...
(^_^) says:
wht rubbishhhhh!!!!!!!! Nowww... who's fooling!!!! me or you!!!!!
says:
I m not fooling...i really, really don't know what to say... I can say one thing that I know.... he seems to be living in my heart... and speaks to me when I think of him...
says:
moreover, now, i've begun to realize wht's the worth of anything in this world... than his presence in my heart...in my life...
(^_^) says:
who the f.... is he….!
says:
well.....
says:
he is not as bad tempered...
says:
rough...
says:
and a 'joker'... like you........
(^_^) says:
ok, never mind what I am, I know what I am... Now, don't knock around the bush... tell me about this white horsed knight and I'll paint him a black sheep...
(^_^) says:
tell...
says:
I'll tell you when you come down...
(^_^) says:
tell me now...stupid........
says:
no............no-o-o-o
(^_^) says:
you keep things hanging around always...why? you think life is some TV serial???? this is one reason I hate you...shhh, I won't chat again...
says:
ok..good... I won't come online either... fine????
(^_^) says:
(((((())))))... you could atleast tell me who he is...
says:
don't worry, u'll be the first one to know if things materialize...
says:
right now, I am scared... worried...n in a dilemma - one foot in sea, the other on shore...
(^_^) says:
scared?...of what... whom... why.....
says:
...love marriages have never materialized in our ancestral history...
(^_^) says:
forget histories... tell me about this mystery you're hiding...
says:
u don't understand... wht if they raise objections...
(^_^) says:
why would they object?... you just have to speak the truth...
says:
n will they consent?..
(^_^) says:
iam sure your parents are much liberal... don't be ashamed to tell them even if he has no dime or a pot to piss in... even if he is as poor as a church mouse... if you love, proclaim it faithfully...
(^_^) says:
I am certain they'll give first choice to your wish...after all your happiness is their happiness...
says:
naah... it's the other way round here... ... my parents' happiness means more to me than all the diamonds in the world... I will do anything in life to see them happy...
(^_^) says:
then, why fool around with yourself?... stop being foolish, stop dreaming... just wait for the apple to fall on your head, eventually...
(^_^) says:
...and with your attitude, I won't be surprised even if the tree falls down your neck...
says:
what do you mean???
(^_^) says:
how could a bird brain like you imagine possibilities of making the apple hang in mid-air, or fly in a direction that you desire... you are no Newton...
says:
that's what...! I m paranoid of life's gravity techtonics robbing away my dreams without ever being able to experience the reality... I don't wanna lose my soul-mate but my mind is so much troubled and in doubt...
(^_^) says:
doubt whom you will, never your heart... Just put your trust in god and you will win what you wish...
says:
wish?...if wishes were horses, beggars would b kings, don't u knw that?.. Nut-t...
(^_^) says:
Duffer!!!...I didn't say 'wishes'... what I mean is - 'prayers'... even the prayers of an ant reach heavens... you should know that..!
says:
if prayers were all, ants would be elephants...
(^_^) says:
hmmm...smart... okay..... I don't want to seduce you into thinking wrong... iam sure you will decide just... Now, be good and tell me who this 'punk' is...
says:
@>>>>>@
(^_^) says:
how is he doing...
says:
so so...
(^_^) says:
tell me more...
says:
Enough!!!... I've said enough...I told u, 'you'll be the first.....'
(^_^) says:
((((((((( ))))))))))
says:
...what else...
(^_^) says:
hope you're enjoying your work...
says:
work's cool...
(^_^) says:
how are the friends, colleagues...
says:
they're ok..one's getting married in dec...
(^_^) says:
love or arranged...
says:
...to a boy working in Bahrain..
(^_^) says:
hmm...so indian girls do prefer NRIs (Not Required Indians)......
(^_^) says:
half day tomorrow, right?...saturday... I might call...
says:
...why... iam online sometimes...and you spoke today... and spoke on Monday as well...
says:
something important?...
(^_^) says:
just want to make sure you're home...
says:
doing..... 'jassusssi'......or what??..
(^_^) says
just wanna know about this 'mouse' you've been talking about...pick up the phone at 3pm IST...
says:
mmmm.....
(^_^) says
don't forget...
(^_^) says
okay?... I won't ring twice... hope you remember... don't forget !!!
says:
hhhow can i forget if i don't remember...
(^_^) says
zzzz-zzzz
says:
mmmmmmmm
says:
whatsa gonna bring me when you return...
(^_^) says:
i am gonna bring you... ...
says:
yes... tell me!!!!!!!
says:
tell me...
(^_^) says:
s…m…i…l…e…s…
(^_^) says:
just be good..
says:
why, am i bad?
(^_^) says:
shall I tell the truth?... ...
says:
yes...tell... am i bad?..
(^_^) says:
you are not as good as me..
says:
ok..ok..
says:
getting dark...can i go now?..
(^_^) says:
do you have to?
says:
n-no...
says:
but i have to.....
says:
last time, remember?... reached home 7.30... they were worried... then had 2 go out with a friend
(^_^) says:
friend?... who... where did you go......
(^_^) says:
...roaming in the nights too...?
says:
sorry, missed a word... had 2 go 2 a friend's house...'twas her birthday...... close by......
says:
ok...byeeee.. I will leave now.
(^_^) says
what lies are you going to tell home, today...
says:
actually told them I was going on the net to chat with u...
(^_^) says
that case you could have logged in from home.. why come to a net café, you coward..
says:
ok... then I'll tell them the truth today.....fine?..
(^_^) says
don't bragggg..you...
says:
cool down now.. byeee..
(^_^) says
...stay safe..
says:
take care...
says:
control ur temper... no bad words... no bad films...
(^_^) says:
you know something?
says:
wht is it.....
says:
quick... type fast...
(^_^) says:
I just want to see you soon...
says:
why?..
says:
whyyyyyyyy.................
(^_^) says:
coz' I haven't seen you for a long time.... just wanna see your hairstyle...
says:
nut-t-t-tt....
(^_^) says:
I know things are changing.....
says:
as u are?..
(^_^) says:
I have not changed..
says:
neither have i.....
(^_^) says:
good to know that....
says:
or may be.....don't know wht's next... the 'temperature' at home...
(^_^) says:
i'd sent you a card on teacher's day...did you receive?..
says:
yaaaa..got it...thanxxxxxxx so much.. i'd replied with a thank you e-greeting...havn't u recd?..
(^_^) says:
your greetings are as lousy as you...
(^_^) says:
says:
so sick...such a comment...!
(^_^) says:
actually the card was meant for a mother...
says:
mother?... nut-ttt... so mean.. why such an opinion... sometimes u think i m a kid... sometimes...
(^_^) says:
... i think about and respect my mother, the most..
(^_^) says:
i'll tell you when i think of you as a '_________'
says:
as a '--------' wht?
(^_^) says:
as a p.....
says:
if u type something rude, i'll just sign off..
(^_^) says:
blackmail? hmm?...
says:
as a p-----------, what?
(^_^) says:
as what you've always been... as what you are - a p...........
says:
ok...bye..
says:
take care...
says:
byeee... n good night...
(^_^) says:
good night? it's still noon here..
says:
Nut-t-ttt... byeee
says:
what's that i am..?. a p---------
(^_^) says:
you watch the cartoons? ... I remember you and your 'walking style' when I watch:...
says:
answer-r-r...
says:
p-------- what!!!!!!!?????????
(^_^) says:
p-pink panther...
says:
ok... bye!!!!!!!!!!!!..
(^_^) says:
hey... wait...
(^_^) says:
listen...
(^_^) says:
i think of you...
(^_^) says:
as...
(^_^) says:
a...
(^_^) says:
...p-perfect
(^_^) says:
...rose...
(^_^) says:
...stay the flower that you are...

As she went offline, I sat back - lost in thought - eyes fixed on the monitor...

Seeing the happiness she brought along with the conversation gave me a greater sense of well-being...

...There were people in my life who cared more about me, who were closer than her, but the way she made me feel was incredible. Even her presence online, for me, was an 'oasis in a desert'...

But then, I reminded myself what she was to me - I would weep with delight when she gave me a smile, and trembled with fear at her frown... and all along I'd treasured each word I had with her, and to my amazement, every time I came across a certain phrase in the Book, it reminded me of her graceful words.

...I scrolled back to read the whole chat again, reading between the lines, trying to analyze each sentence, each word, each dot... If truth be told, I was heartily pleased that I was able to tell her, for the first time, what I always felt, dreamed... and thought of her - a perfect rose...

Just as I was about to sign off, I reached the message at the bottom of the text that made my eyes squeeze out a tear...

The following message could not be delivered to all recipients:

(^_^) says:
i think of you...
(^_^) says:
as...
(^_^) says:
a...
(^_^) says:
...p-perfect
(^_^) says:
...rose...
(^_^) says:
...stay the flower that you are...

click http://gaspersworld.blogspot.com/

a truth in masquerade
(Chapter 1 of a 9 chapter e-novellete -- 'Every heart has a story')
© -gaspersWorld

Also Read:

Chapter II - Unveiling the rose...14/02/2006

Chapter III - ...and thereby hangs a tale...13/02/2005

Other Stories:

"a rose is not just a rose!"...22/09/2004

A-L-A-R-M-S of Recession

2010-10-26T08:28:00.007+03:00

:::Prologue:::

Recession has hit everybody – in a big way or small, only the measure differs.

The job market is badly hit. There are retrenchments, salary cuts, freeze on new recruitments and much more. In this ‘state’, employers have become demigods. They are retaining only those employees who are in the ‘core’ and the company can’t do without them. While those on the periphery are mercilessly shown the door…

In such a demanding situation, you need to first keep your job. But no matter how hard you grind and slog, there are fears! Fears of uncertainties, fears of losing your job...

'Alarms of Recession' – is inspired by my own experiences in Kuwait.

gasper crasto

Kuwait, 26th October 2010

It was raining with biblical fury.

I was wet as a drowned rat walking across from the car park to the entrance of our building. With the laptop in one hand like a medical rep carrying his brief case, with the other, I unfastened the tie from strangulating my neck. Steps of water-marks trailed me to the 'lift' and right upto the apartment.

I keyed the door open, and putting up a plastic smile on my distraught face, entered.

She giggled as she approached me like a cat from nowhere. I thought she was going to whisper 'sweet nothings' in my ear, as usual, which I was in no mood to hear. I pulled her to me instead and held her tight in my arms, softly kicking the door shut behind me.

She felt oddly dazzled by the spontaneity of my gesture. The water from my rain soaked shirt wet her dress, and when she pulled away, she looked like someone had directed a full force of the garden hose at her chest.

“I am sorry,” I said, “I...”

“It’s okay..” she giggled again, “the storm.., ..must be awful driving out there in this weather.. such thick, cold rains, and thunder, and the winds.. ..strong enough to blow away buildings.. .Thank god you are home safe...”

I put my wallet to dry, there was nothing much in it to be dried anyway. Next, I had a warm shower, and changed. I sang some nonsense all along.

Within moments she emerged from the kitchen carrying steaming cups of tea, and toast.

“You seem to be a bundle of life this evening,” she said, "Your voice sounds funny; what happened?"

"Nothing!"

"Something's wrong. Why don't you ever tell me when something's wrong?"

"There's nothing," I tried my best to evade her inquisitive eyes.

"You never tell me what's going on; when you think I'll worry about something you keep it to yourself."

"Well, I tell you everything."

"Hmm!"

“Well, things happen you don’t plan,” I said dumping the towel on a chair.

“Like.. ..” She gazed at me.

I didn’t know what to say further. Even then, I was amazed I could keep up the smile.

“I can’t make head or tail of what you’re driving at....what in the world happened?” she was eager to know.

I contemplated, sipped my tea, and reflected some more. “Nothing much. I thought I was going to tell ma first.”

“Tell ma first, what.?” She was impatient.

I stared at the TV, she stared at me with her big, fat eyes.

“I lost my job,” I said.

She was stunned. I knew it was a devastating statement, I was afraid she would howl and tear her hair, but nothing of that sort happened. Perhaps she figured out it was wise to keep her cool. She simply moved her gaze off me and stirred her tea gently.

She knew I was not kidding.

I rubbed my forehead with my thumb and forefinger. “You see it was everyone, really – almost everyone. Last week our company lost a multi-million contract despite being L-1. They were banking heavily on to that, you know. ..Anyway, in my worst-case scenario I imagined a pay cut or even a transfer to our other division. Turns out, my fears hadn’t even been close to the actual nightmare that unfolded.”

She shifted her eyes to the TV, but I could see that she was not really watching.

“We shall let go of this apartment and find a smaller place to live in somewhere, first thing.. okay?” I said.

“I don’t think we have to worry about that right away,” she said. The tone was tinged with derision. Or was it bitterness? Tears had welled up in her eyes. Her mature audacity gave way to childlike insecurity. She picked up her cup and took a long sip.

“This group of executives from the HR department started calling people into the manager’s chamber, and one by one they’re going in: Abby, Melvin, Manju, etc..”

“Manju? Her kid is fighting blood cancer! This is awful.”

For the honesty of it, I wouldn’t give a damn if a plane should crash down our building. I was tortured by my own condition than to be bothered about others at the moment. Perhaps it was only human?

“It was everybody, but you’re not going to worry,” I said trying to put her at ease.

She leaned over and took my hand, and inadvertently kissed my fingers - maybe with compassion.

“To tell you the truth, I have no idea how I am taking it. I think I am in a shock,” I squeezed her hand reassuringly. “We shall figure this out, we have figured out plenty of things before...”

Later, I sat to watch TV while she took to the kitchen to cook. Soon it was time for prayers and food. No sooner, the dinner was done I re-positioned myself on the sofa senselessly switching from channel to channel.

11.00 pm.

I was still watching TV when she commanded her customary creed with her sweet tone, “Could you please swab the bowls and do away the trash?”

“It’s getting late. I think I’ll go to bed,” I said lazing towards the bathroom. I took up the brush and squeezed toothpaste on it.

Somehow, all through my stressful thoughts, I trod like a proud lion as I brushed.

She was still in the kitchen making sandwiches for the next day’s lunches. She rinsed out the plates, put spoons and bowls in place in the rack, took meat out of the freezer for the following evening, and checked the sugar container.

She then put some clothes on the dryer, put another load into the washer, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button. She picked up the game pieces left on the table and put the telephone book back into the drawer. She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket from the sitting room and hung up my towel to dry.

After a while, she yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom.

She stopped by the desk and wrote a note, counted out some cash, and pulled a book out from hiding under the chair.

I went across the hall, and bluntly switched off the computer plug instead of hanging around to shut it down.

Meanwhile, she wrote a quick note for the grocery store, moved across and pasted the postscript on the 'fridge'. She then washed her face with 3 in 1 cleanser, put on her night solution and moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth and filed her nails.

I stood and gazed at the TV vacantly; my mind as blank as a double blind.

She called out, “I thought you were going to bed.”

“Am on my way,” I replied.

She then made sure the main door was locked, laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack, threw some dirty socks into the hamper and added three things to her 3 most important things to do list.

Later, she stood in front of the crucifix and eyed the lone candle burning there. The candle looked beautiful, bright and full of promise while she murmured something, and perhaps visualized the accomplishment of her goals.

About that time, I turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular. “I am off to bed.” And I did, without another thought. Just before hitting the sack I set the alarm on, and twice made sure it was truly on.

Panic had gradually overtaken the optimism of the evening. I found myself staring up straight at the ceiling, lying there with ants in my pants; my eyes dilated wide, fists closed so tight that my knuckles appeared a bloodless white under the shaded lamp.

“Are you okay?” she asked as she crept into bed. She rolled the lamp’s dimmer low, made the sign of the cross in all directions around the bed and on the pillow, and kissed me ‘goodnight’.

“We are in big, big trouble,” I whispered. “I have to find a job fast.”

“You’ll find a job,” she said, trying to comfort both of us. She put a hand on my knuckles. “You need to relax. Take some time; think about yourself for a change. When you’re ready, there’s going to be a great job for you.”

Her gaze finally settled on my perturbed face. She looked at me tenderly, until I realized she was not being superficial in her words or actions.

We lay there beside each other, not talking about ourselves, not talking about life. Finally, we rolled towards each other and kissed, sweetly, chastely. No matter what happened, there was always that kiss at the end of the day, and I wondered what it would be like, to go to sleep without it.

When I woke up, it was four o’clock in the morning, but I knew I was finished sleeping for the night. I watched her in the multihued light of the lamp. She looked like Venus, the Roman goddess of beauty that I had seen so many times in magazines or internet. She was so beautiful that I couldn't resist myself looking and looking at her.

The hours ticked by.

I sat down in bed, pulled the curtains aside to peek outside at the day breaking. The sky was still clouded and it had started to sprinkle. When I was about to slip back beneath the covers, I knew I had woken her awake. She was fully conscious and staring at me with those big, fat eyes.

Slowly, she laid her head on my chest, slipped one hand across on my shoulder, and sighed. I kissed her head and for a moment I had the distinct feeling that the mood in the bedroom was about to shift, but then the phone rang.

“What if they changed their mind!” she exclaimed immediately, sitting up on the bed upright.

“Whoever it was, was calling too early.” I thought reaching for the phone. But it went off just as I was about to pick it up.

“Get up before it rings again.” I heard her yell.

“Let me sleep a while.. it’s raining....” I mumbled.

“What..!. Oh yeah,,, Raining..!.. .. Fine rain.. like the misty dew.. .. Isn't it???? You feel it?”

“Yeah.. yeah.. fine r-a-i-n-s..” I rubbed my face, a voice inside my head was still debating. Then I opened my eyes. She was holding the ironing spray-on over my face.

“Aren’t you working today?.... Come on, we'll be late.. Quick..., I’ll iron your shirt..come on, come on..” she sprayed on my face.

“No-o-o.. .. stop it.. .”

“Why you keep setting your alarm if you’re not going to get up when it goes off?” her voice was now as clear as the day.

“Can’t you see I am awake.. .. and alive..Praise God.. .. What time is it?”

The alarm went off again. Louder than before. I jumped off the bed bubbling with life -- undaunted by the eerie sense of déjà-vu, unalarmed by the uncertainties of another day.

:::Postscript:::All stories are a work of fiction. The characters do not exist, except in the mind of the writer.

Another story Click: Breaking News: An amazing achievement!

HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

:::My dearest esparansa:::

Preview: ‘MUSICIAN’ - New Konkani Video Film by Shahu Almeida

2010-09-28T10:32:00.015+03:00

By Gasper Crasto

Kuwait, Sept 29, 2010: Musicians usually specialize in particular types of music although there can be the opportunity to move between the genres. The job requires high levels of skill, expertise and dedication. Most musicians do their job as they have a passion for music.

Kuwait based Goan musician Shahu Almeida, first Goan musician to play a one-man band in dramas, has been playing a variety of music right from his young age. He ventures his skills into direction and singing in a Konkani songs video (DVD) album comprising select Goan artistes based in Kuwait.

The album, entirely shot and produced in Kuwait is scheduled to go public on 1st October 2010 at Kuwait Medical Association Hall, Jabriya, Kuwait.

For decades Konkani language songs 'Cantaram' on radio and on stage have been taking their cues from real life. Konkani singers are quick to get across their views, on life and day-to-day issues, with stunning boldness, criticism and satire.

Expecting the unexpected in 'Musician'

However, in a video film, the challenge any videographer faces is to create a video that keeps the ‘watcher’ captivated. It requires an extra effort spent on special effects and specialized editing techniques. Those who are new to the business may not have time to develop such techniques as they refine more basic capabilities—like learning to shoot efficiently or streamline their editing workflow—before finding the specialities. Ignatius Fernandes, the editor of the film realizes the time and burden that these demands add to a typical edit and has covered it up with a very decent cinema-photography.

‘Musician’ doesn’t have creative elements to boast of but it definitely portrays fabulous artistic quality in both Shahu the musician and Ignatius the videographer. The DVD has sparkling quality in clarity.

Being shot in Kuwait, many would expect the unexpected with Ignatius to exploit what the structural beauty of Kuwait City has to offer. Still, Shahu and Ignatius have done a tremendous job. Shooting a video-film in a country like Kuwait, known for it’s strict legislation for outdoor filming, is difficult indeed. But Ignatius, the young, budding filmmaker shows great potential and professionalism with a more than average creation.

Everyone loves to sing. Including me. They say singing voice of a human is the most capable and complex instrument that is known to man. There is a complicated collaboration of vocal cords, tongue, lips, teeth, the change of the pitch of the voice, the use of calculated breath restraint or release, volume, and ‘timbre’. The combination of this with techniques of vocal training gives a breathtaking result.

A well-known band leader of 2S#arp, a musical group in Kuwait, crooning non-stop medleys is a regular flamboyance for Shahu. In ‘Musician’, he has endeavored hard to voice the opening song and he should be appreciated for the effort. With time and experience, he should be able to make a remarkable progress.

There are songs that make you feel some kind of way about things that you go through in life, sequenced with scenes nicely enacted by Mestri Camilo Vaz, Joseph Rodrigues, Agusto Morais, Adella Morais, Domnic Mascarenhas and the ever imitable Lawry Miranda.

Age in it’s mythic ways defines everyone individually in a co-existing, beautifully established world. The tune and lyrics of Rosary Ferns’ song Ponchtis Vorsam are incredible and once again shows the class of the seasoned singer.

Devak Zago Poilo

Many of our Goan singers have got a great drive to sing with their heart and their diaphragm. Sylvester Vaz and Irene’s song ‘Devak Zago Poilo’ is sure to captivate everyone. Some Konkani fans will not be able to get it out of their mind. The song is just too beautiful. Anyone can actually relate to this song. I do believe that Sylvester is just gifted not only with voice but also with the melodies. His song should receive very high acclaim and much positive reception for its magnificent composition.

Sylvester has another solo 'Konn Zait Tho' which is also rich and admirable.

‘Onupkari Put’ sung by Johny de Sirvodem and Gracy Morais has the most beautiful, inspiring and touching lyrics in modern times. The song continues in such a way that one is bound to cry the first time they sit down to watch it.

Gracy has a sweet, tender voice. The words sound so amazing and real in her expression. When I hear her voice, I always imagine she is singing to me. The song is gonna capture everyone’s attention and soul.

Kuwait's Trio Kings

The DVD consists 2 solid trios by Cajetan de Sanvordem-Mario de Majorda-Michael de Silva. Cajetan de Sanvordem is blessed and he never disappoints. His voice and music in the song ‘Global Crisis’ are in sync and you know what, people will love his ‘rhythmic style’ whilst singing. Michael D'Silva is a sterling composer-singer in his own right. With Kuwait’s popular artiste Mario de Majorda, the threesome put up great treble voices of Segundo-premier-bass. I’d give the song a 12/10 given the existing situation in the world, and especially in the middle-east.

The trio’s other song on ‘Kuwaitchi Margai’ is commendable too. Some people would find it undeniably confusing though, the way Michael proclaims ‘atam dinarak viktat Sadia Chicken’ in the chorus, as the price of chicken displayed visibly reads 795 fils in Arabic!

The last verse of the song is also ‘chilling’ in its implication. Not many will appreciate projecting the ‘local’ drinks which are arguably unfamiliar to most people in this non-alco-holy country. For sure nobody wants to soil innocent Kuwait or project the country to the outside world otherwise!

Katty de Navelim sings ‘Dadlo’ in his most powerful voice. His lyrics perhaps come from personal experience. I honestly feel sorry for always having to have experienced these emotions myself, even if, without the experience Katty would never have written the song.

'Maim ani Pai’ sung by little Gaynelle and Jeremiah is amazing indeed and nicely filmed, but I feel awful even attempting to understand the pain and anguish written in it. The picturisation of the aristocratic looking Jeremiah and Gaynelle fails to bring the desired misery and sadness to the song.

Comedy Queen Querobina makes her presence felt with ‘Sri-Lankan’, supported by Emalio.

‘Amchea Bapa’ by Bab Agnel is so significant and means so much, because it reminds us that even when we feel completely wise in the world, we are not. There will always be someone else who feels the same too.

The lyrics of Edward’s ‘Almaar’ are good and sung with a pleasant, smiley face, backed by excellent flow of music by Shahu and his troupe. However, the melody is too Goaniversal to be an all-time standout.

I am sure the video will go well with fans. But Konkani speaking audiences worldwide are much wiser by the day. People do not view videos as just a way to kill time, they judge. That people don’t compliment or comment too openly is a different matter. However, Shahu’s debut album seems to be much ahead of time. Let’s hope and pray, artistes in Kuwait get together with the maestro and make more amazing videos in days to come.

The digital Video CD, lovingly dedicated by Shahu to his beloved parents, should reach everybody out there who’s not yet heard of the great ‘Musician’.

2#Sharp to miss this band...

By Gasper Crasto

Kuwait, Sept 26, 2008: In recent years, a wide range of skilled ensembles have helped raise the profile of Goan music both nationally and internationally.

Amongst the contemporary big names of musicians, the name of Francis Almeida, popularly known as Shahu hailing from Macasana - Goa, shines amongst the stellar bracket of Goa's top-notch musicians with his indispensable contribution towards the art.

Shahu may be recognized more in the genre of dramas. But behind his simplicity, is the unmistakable halo of his talent as a star musician of Goan bands. With his past penchant and passion for innovative, brilliant music, Shahu has teamed up with Clevie Fernandes – a young Goan crooner from Bombay (born in Kuwait), to continue on what he loves to do best – hypnotize his listeners to a magical sway.

Clevie, whose parental home is in Raia - Goa, has been a fan of Shahu right from childhood days. He was a member of Funky Heads, the famous event organizers in Goa where he was involved in hosting mega programs like Channel 'V' Live, Bacardi Blast annuals, Radio Mirch, etc.

"Playing dance and party music is much simpler for me," reveals Shahu, "Unlike in dramas where I have to play complex tunes, playing pop and party music demands minimum of efforts because I know what exactly I am going to play. Ofcourse we practice a lot and we are armed with the latest tracks of rock, pop, reggae, rhetro-pop and remixes of Hindi and Goan medleys."

As noticed live, 2..SHARP's music spans a broad range of harmonies, from Goan and foreign-inspired music to more modern trends with mixtures of genres and ethnic elements. 2..SHARP have already done a number of shows. They have played alongside Goa's topmost band Forefront and other local bands.

Few however know that Shahu, a dynamic talent with his keyboard, began his tryst with music drumming his way into the hearts of his school-mates at his school's Annual Gatherings, propelling him into the musical horizon forever. He is the alumnus of St. Francis Xavier H. School Macazana and Guardian Angel College, Sanvordem.

Evolving into an ace drummer, he had the rare and splendid opportunity of honing his musical skills under the baton of Chris Perry, the eternal icon and consummate genius of Goan music and playing alongside his son Errol Perry. With music flowing in his veins, his drum beats reverberated in many well-known Goan bands of the nineties such as 'Ultimate', 'Magic Touch', 'The News', 'Human Status', 'Black Lace', etc, to name a few. Shahu disclosed that he played in over 1000 weddings as a drummer with these groups.

But it was his evolution into a keyboardist that shot him into instant fame. Interestingly, Shahu switched over to the keyboards not on his own volition but at the suggestion of Fr. Livio D'Mello under whose cudgel he played for the choir at St. Francis Xavier's church, Macasana. From then on there was no looking back.

Shahu has indeed come a long way with his association with music spanning over a decade. His musical creativity was elevated further after his arrival in Kuwait in October 1999. He began with a bang in Kuwait-based director Jose Rod's unmatched broadway hit 'Tujem Nanv Vhodd zaum' which was staged all over the Middle East and back home in Goa.

Shahu has also played in Muscat, Doha, Bahrain, Bangalore, Darjeeling, etc, and performed for top directors such as Prem Kumar, Roseferns, Jacob, Menino de Bandar, Pascoal Rodrigues, C.D. Silva, John D' Silva, Ben Evangelist, Rosario Rodrigues, etc, apart from all the directors in Kuwait. He also did a short musical stint playing live music at Dubai's famous Viva Goa restaurant.

Speaking on his experience and performance Shahu said, "I used to enjoy playing at the Rock Greenal annual musical show at Curtorim."

Shahu says his most challenging one-man performance was in Mini Mario's 'Kiteak Ho Bazar Cholta?' staged in Kuwait in April 2007. "I had to pick-up the notes on the troupe's arrival on the morning of the show and I can proudly say that I played to perfection without proper rehearsals," Says Shahu, further adding, "with musical notes handy, I can play non stop music for over 8 hours.

Shahu can be aptly described as a consummate artist with an alluring passion and drive for music. Undoubtedly his heart thumps 'musical' beats, for when it comes to music he is simply indefatigable, endowed with an amazing genius -- coupled with a prodigious memory for music.

Shahu reached the highpoint of his career when he was roped in as a music composer by the doyen of Konkani stage, the legendary Rosario Rodrigues wherein his captivating rhythm set aflame many of the unforgettable hits like 'Hanv Kallukant Sandlim' where Shahu pioneered the unique 'one man band' concept providing the entire spectrum of music on a single keyboard! Under the ace director's able tutelage Shahu had a free rein toying with refreshing, innovative ideas which enabled him to break new grounds by pushing hard the frontiers of Goan music.

With sky being the limit, Shahu went on to produce innumerable chart busting scores for numerous hit dramas and musicals which gained him popularity of a household name.

Music apart, Shahu is an intensely endearing and an adorable human being who attaches great value to friendships and family ties. Blessed with a wonderful wife and a cherubic son named Aerosmith, and a daughter born on August 31, 2008, Shahu is a devoted husband, a doting father and a dutiful son.

Sensitive and devout to the core, Shahu faithfully plays for the Holy Family Cathedral Church choir (Kuwait) for the 8.00 a.m mass every Friday since 1999. Time and experience have greatly enriched his remarkable musical abilities and today Shahu continues to add increasing complexity and refinement to his astounding gift of music which is sure to hold the audience in a thrall for years to come!

30 Years of a Thrilling Journey - A true blue story by Agnello A.S. Fernandes

2010-09-04T00:22:00.006+03:00

A true-blue story by Agnello A. S. Fernandes, Kuwait (Navelim)

On the occasion of Pearl Wedding Anniversary - 4th September 2010

Closing the apartment door lightly I kept the luggage down and slumped into the sofa.

The beads of sweat were beginning to run down my neck in small rivulets. Kuwait’s summer heat was beginning to take its toil. The calendar on the wall displayed April of year 1977. I had just returned back to Kuwait after a long and tiring vacation in Goa -- my first vacation. The Air India flight was delayed and my friend who was supposed to pick me up from the airport got the arrival time confused.

I was about to give my sisters some flashbacks of my holidays in Goa when suddenly the door bell rang.

Who could it be? I looked through the viewfinder of our door, irritatingly.

Rocky uncle our neighbor of next door stood there as usual with his immaculate white banyan, partly unshaven, white beard and stripped pajamas.

“Yes Uncle?” I said opening the door.

“How are you son?” he said and without giving me a chance to respond continued. “I understand you just arrived by Air India flight”

“Yes.” I replied making an effort to cut his conversation short. “Everyone takes a flight, no one comes walking,” so I thought in my mind.

“Is anything wrong uncle” I enquired in a bid to seem helping.

“I was expecting my two daughters coming to Kuwait for the first time – on the same flight. Its more than three hours now since arrival time and there is no news about them. Have you by any chance seen them inside the airport?” I could see anxiety written all over his face.

But this was getting on my nerves. I had never met his daughters nor seen their photographs and how in this world did he expect me to recognize them among the crowd at the airport?

“No uncle.. I was bit in a hurry to get out so didn’t have time to look around and perhaps more than one flight landed same time and that must be taking time at the immigration” I said in a bid to comfort him.

“Oh that could be.. anyway thank you” he said and letting out a sigh walked into his apartment which was next to ours.

If this was someone else I would have made a nasty effort to ask him if his daughters were celebrities or beauty queens that I would recognize them without even having met before. But Rocky Uncle was different. He was one of those pleasant neighbors that everyone wished for -- silent, un-meddling and not concerned what was happening within the next wall of his apartment. He always believed in the saying ‘good fences make good neighbors’.

There were no mobile phones then and I could well understand a father’s dilemma in this situation but there was little I could do to help him. I didn’t bother to enquire if he had sent someone to fetch them. It was highly likely they were lost somewhere since they were new.

I closed the door behind him and headed for a hot shower. Later, after a light meal I switched on the TV for updates of local news that I’d missed for the past month. This was the only way those days as mobiles and internet was unheard of those days. There was nothing major in the news that drew my attention and switching off the lights I headed for my bedroom for a well desired sleep.

I had almost forgotten the incident when suddenly it began coming as a flashback. Two young Goan females on the same aircraft, huh? I began to curse myself for not being more extrovert and looking around. Were they beautiful and sexy? Would life be more exciting to have two young females next door? These and so many other questions kept creeping in my mind but before I could realize I dozed away in sleep only to wake up next morning.

“Utt.. kitlo nidtai?? Goemchi kanser Kuwait kadttai kitem?” My sister standing next to my bed tried to awaken me. “Chol thond dhu, dukonar vos ani kabouz ani il’lem dudh gheun eio”.

I looked at the wall clock and was surprised to note that I’d slept beyond the required hours. I had a quick wash and pulling up my normal clothes headed to our nearest grocery store below our building. As I reached on the first landing of our staircase I saw Rocky uncle climbing up in the opposite direction. Accompanying him was a young female briskly walking behind him.

“Good Morning son” he said.

“Good Morning uncle” I responded.

“Meet my eldest daughter Neeta,” he introduced the young female like any proud father would. “Remember I told you yesterday they were on the same flight as you were? Immigration took them a while to stamp the visas but both of them reached home safely.”

This was the first time I met her, I was startled by her beauty--though beauty isn't precisely the right word in that it connotes certain culturally accepted aspects of form. In the eyes of our culture, she was probably more cute than beautiful. But what I felt was sheer beauty. Something emanating from deep within her touched something deep within me. I remember, I could hardly speak at first instance. My mind went blank for moments, creating awkward pauses. She must have known how stunned I was by her very presence. The cool morning breeze was hitting lightly on her face and her hair fluttered in the air running down her neck creating magical waves. She smiled back – a very typical Goan smile that almost shattered my heart to pieces. Love at first sight? I don’t know but it certainly did not demand that I walk by a second time.

Yes ! that was how I first met my soul mate of 30 years. I know my children today would be dancing at this revelation as they had done a lot of investigative work to find out this secret but without success. A shy person by nature that I was but apparently those days my biological hormones were at peak working overtime and from that time on I knew I had found a partner whom I could trust for the rest of my life. Barring the numerous problems we faced for the next 3 years, during our courtship, we finally took the plunge on 4th September 1980 determined to have and to hold till death do us part.

“So what’s the big idea behind this whole history?” Everyone reading this are sure to say. Well, there is nothing extraordinary, no filmy scripts no fairy tales. This could have happened to any ordinary person. But hold on.

4th September would crop up again and we would be celebrating our ‘Pearl Wedding’ -- 30th wedding anniversary this year - 2010. It got me thinking. Have I anytime said “Thank you” to her during the past 30 years for being there when I needed her most? Am I taking her for granted? A million dollar question but no answers.

“You don’t have to. She didn’t say that to you as either.” A devilish voice was prompting within me.

Shrugging off my darker side I remained persistent. This year I thought I should muster up the courage to do it, perhaps who knows, another opportunity might never come.

I reached for the pen to jot down the bullet points I would tell her. I planned to let her know ever since she walked into my life, I have been smiling. And I am glad that she came into my life. I planned to thank her for our 3 beautiful children she brought up, for her soothing touch during my illnesses, being understanding, loving, caring, faithful and most of all someone who accepted me for who I am. I wanted her to know that she was the person I was looking for and that instincts told me that she was my princess when I first met her on the staircase landing.

I wanted to thank her for not thinking twice when I asked her to be my wife and want to reassure her that there could not be, anyone better than her out there for me. I want her to know that these 30 years are the finest years I spent on this earth. Finally, I pray to God everyday to bless us with everything we deserve until the end of time.

The ‘bullet’ list was endless with more negative than positive points which I painfully omitted but when I finally finished it, I was surprised at how many things we shared in common and I never bothered to wink back in appreciation. Was I being philosophical now? To an extent, yes. But still, if there are husbands out there who think like me that “Thank you” is not important and taking your wife for granted is our birthright then its about time they did contemplate for a while. Come to think of it again. Probably the wife is the only other woman after your mother who would still remember your thick black hair and handsome face 30 years down the line.

“You are wasting your time. This is not important and not required. She should think the same way too,” The devil was again butting in. I could see he had done his Ph. D in home-breaking.

“Oh Yeah?” I fought back. “Does two wrongs make one right?”

I had to do this quickly or else my darker side would overtake me like a total eclipse. I was beginning how to convert my thoughts into actions on this anniversary and what gift I should give her. With the past 30 years I had almost run out of ideas. But if this was a “Pearl” anniversary then a Pearl necklace would be perfect and fitting. Pearl diving has been Kuwait’s oldest profession and Kuwaiti pearls are famous worldwide. As my mind began to log into my NBK bank account I began wondering if there was enough balance to suffice my idea and if not, how to cover it. I was deep into thoughts when I heard.

“Helloooooo …. Dad???????.” The screeching sound pierced my ear drums. I opened my eyes.

Alisha, my daughter, the only person whom I have a soft corner and the only person who can manipulate me easily was standing next to me in our bedroom.

“Hello !!!!” she said once again. “Wake up, mum is waiting for you to have breakfast.”

Saying this she turned around and walked away. As she reached the bedroom door she turned around again and in a sheepish voice said, “Next time, dad please wear a watch when you go to sleep and stop dreaming.”

About the author: Agnello A. S. Fernandes

Born in a small scenic place of Aquem-Alto, Navelim, Agnello completed most of his academic career at Guardian Angel School, Sanvordem, and later attained a distinction in English Literature, an achievement in itself during those days in Goa. Ever since coming to Kuwait, Agnello has worked for some of the top most Investment Houses. At present, he is the Assistant Vice-President (Funds Administration & IT) at Gulf Custody (Investment) Company.

A Silver medallist at the All Kuwait Photography Contest conducted by JVC in 1987, Agnello has used his lens "for personal satisfaction only." A natural humorist at heart, Agnello believes that "life s best things come in small packages..!"

On quieter days Agnello enjoys watching soccer.

The dynamic leader lives in Kuwait with his lovely wife Neeta and children Allan, Allison and Alisha in a closely knit family.

gaspersWorld adds:

Best Wishes to Agnello A.S. Fernandes and Neeta Fernandes & the family
on the Pearl Wedding Anniversary

K.I.F.F conducts a memorable finale: J.P. D'Mello League 2009-2010

2010-07-07T08:56:00.006+03:00

:::Photographs by Simon Dias:::

By Gasper Crasto / Kuwait
Kuwait 07/07/2010: In one of the best finals conducted by the Kuwait Indian Football Federation (K.I.F.F) for the J.P. D’Mello Memorial KIFF League Trophy sponsored by Gulf Cable and Electrical Co., neither hot weather nor the humidity prevented a dramatic finish to the grand finale.

United Friends Club (UFC) came from behind from a two-goal deficit to equalize (2-2) and clinch the title in the tie-breaker (4-2) against the young Curtorcares United.

Curtorcares United’s star players Zico and Roland Fernandes put their team forward early into the match but UFC equalized both the goals before the breather through Rosario and Godwin Fernandes. UFC won the tie-breaker after a grueling goalless extra-time. Cajetan Godinho, one of the iconic players of Kuwait playing since the inception of the league, was among the shooters spot on target for the winners.

The grand finale was played under floodlights on 2nd July 2010 at the Peace & Friendship Kazma Stadium, Adeliya, Kuwait. Earlier, a group of young girls called Crazy Girls performed a dance to the beats of the World Cup theme. Later, the finalists were escorted on the ground by the school teams and children with balloons and the Special Guest His Excellency Shri Ajai Malhotra was introduced to the players by KIFF President Fidelis Fernandes.

His Excellency Shri Ajai Malhotra, Ambassador of India was the Special Guest at the event. Speaking on the occasion Shri Malhotra said it was indeed commendable to have a full-fledged league running throughout the year outside India and applauded the KIFF for their marvelous efforts in promoting Indian football.

Shri Malhotra was presented with a bouquet of flowers by Mrs. Merlyn Fernandes. Later Shri. Malhotra released a colorful 44 page souvenir handed over by Ms Karen Nelsa Fernandes to mark the event.

Fidelis Fernandes, President of KIFF, in his speech was all praise for the tremendous support accorded by his KIFF colleagues while he thanked Gulf Cable and Electrical Company’s Bader Naser Al Kharafi, Chairman and Director, in a special way for fully sponsoring KIFF league finale and Asad Al Banwan Chairman of Kazma Sports club for providing the stadium which is one of the best in Kuwait.

The final was officiated by FIFA Referee Franky Fernandes especially flown in for the finals by KIFF. He was assisted by Derick Gomindes, Jerry Mello and P.A. Tony.

Earlier, Delhi Public School (DPS), Fahaheel beat Indian Central School, Abbasiya 3-1 in the finals of the Schools Invitation Football tournament.

Prizes and Awards

It was a feast of prizes, awards and mementos, and quality ones at that, presented during the half-time and at the presentation ceremony. There were trophies, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, etc. The event would surely remain memorable to many youngsters as the prestige of these awards holds value and status of the awarder - the Kuwait Indian Football Federation (K.I.F.F).

Past KIFF Presidents honored

“History is written by the victors,” is a famous quote by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. It was nice to see the past presidents of KIFF being honored with commemorative plaques at the hands of H.E. Shri Ajai Malhotra. The historical presidents were V.K. Vohra (1984~1989 & 1992~1998), Agnelo Fernandes (1989~1990), Anselmo Furtado (1998~1999), A.E. D’Souza (1999~2000), Inacio Faleiro (2000~2001), Victor Mesquita (2001~2002), Lawry M. Pinto (2002~2003), Tony Correia (2003~2004), Tony Dias (2004~2005), Manuel D’Costa (2005~2006), B.M. Viegas (2006~2009) and Fidelis Fernandes (2009~2010)

Mementos to Club Presidents affiliated with KIFF

Presidents of the 10 clubs affiliated with KIFF were also honored on the occasion. These were Raymond D’Sa (Goa Maroons), Lawry Pinto (Y.R.C Rising Stars), Salvador Dias (Kuwait Goan Association), Agnello Fernandes (Navelim YC), Rajesh Bernard (Indian Strikers), Pascoal Alphonso (United Goans Centre), Bosco Leitao (CRC Chinchinim), Cajetan Pereira (United Friends Club), Amaldo Fernandes (Curtorcares United) and Tony Dias (Santos Football Club).

Other Awards

Commemorative plaques were presented to the KIFF Managing Committee members at the hands of Mrs. Aretha Fernandes, wife of KIFF President Fidelis while KIFF Vice-President Tony Correia presented the honors to players above the age of 50 years and still playing under KIFF. The icon players awarded for their contribution towards the game were James Figueira, Mauricio Costa, Julio Cardozo, Cajetan Godinho, Inacio Pinto and Anthony Viegas.

Mementos were also presented to Jose Rod and Christovam Colaco, players who have made a mark with their game but are not able to continue playing.

Bernard Fernandes did the honors of presenting a special commemorative plaque to FIFA referee Franky Fernandes along with all the KIFF appointed referees.

Fair Play Award and Seasons Champions

The prestigious Fair Play Award and the Seasons Champions Trophy was won by CRC Chinchinim. Trophies, medals and certificates were awarded to all the participating School teams, affiliated clubs.

Jose Anthony Cardozo of Curtorcares United was awarded the top scorer of the season. He was awarded at the hands of V.K. Vohra who also gifted the player with a personal award.

Remedio Fernandes of UFC was declared KIFF League Final Man of the Match.

The glittering trophies were distributed at the hands of the KIFF President Fidelis Fernandes, KIFF Managing Committee and Edwin Tavares representing Gulf Cable and Electrical Co. Earlier Tony Correia proposed a vote of thanks.

DJ Mario provided scintillating music throughout the evening while the function was compered by Gasper Crasto. On behalf of KIFF he thanked the media especially Arab Times, www.goa-world.com, www.indiansinkuwait.com, http://mangalorean.com, etc, for exclusive coverage of the tournament.

J.P. D'Mello KIFF League

The KIFF League played under the auspices of Kuwait Indian Football Federation (K.I.F.F) and officiated by KIFF referees provides Indian players with the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills against the best competition, while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play -- in perhaps one of India's only 11-aside recognized league abroad.

The Kuwait Indian Football Federation (K.I.F.F.) established in 1984 controls the League and Tournaments organized by clubs affiliated to KIFF.

The J.P. Memorial Rolling Trophy - KIFF League is named after late Jerome Pascoal D’Mello (popularly known in India and Kuwait as J.P).

The late J.P. D'Mello, founder President of the Association was the one instrumental in forming the current Kuwait Indian Football Federation (K.I.F.F). His memory has been justly kept alive by KIFF through its affiliated Indian football teams/clubs/associations by naming the KIFF League after him.

D’Mello was an ex-FIFA referee, Member of Asian Football Confederation Referees Committee and Ex-Hon. Secretary and Member of Bombay Referees' Association. A prime architect in conceiving the idea of forming KIFF, D’Mello who lived in Andheri East, Bombay left for a heavenly abode in 1994.

KIFF Managing Committee Members for 2009-2010:

President – Fidelis Fernandes (Kuwait Goan Association)
Vice President – Tony Correia (GOA Maroons)
Treasurer – Pascoal Alphonso (United Goans Centre)
Sports Secretary – Bernard Fernandes (Navelim Youth Centre)
Registrar – Nicholas Rodrigues (United Friends Club)
PRO – Seby Dias (Curtorcares United)
Reliever – Nester Coutinho (CRC Chinchinim)

The Champions:

United Friends Club: Joaquim Pillai, Peter D’souza, Maurice Simoes (captain), Teotonio Fernandes, Darwin D’cruz, Joaquim Rodrigues, Antonio Fernandes, Remedio Fernandes, Godwin Fernandes, Rosario Fernandes, Ubed Karakhil, Cajetan Godinho, James Rebello, Alino Mendes, Filipino Vaz, Derrick, etc.
Team Manager: Mr. Nicholas Rodrigues

Runners-up

Curtorcares United: Francis Fernandes, Savio Rebello, Roland Fernandes, Rony Dias, Minguel Mouro, Sebastiao Fernandes, Zico Fernandes(Captain), Jose Cardozo, Francisco, Christovam Vaz, Felton, Olave, Clinton Coelho, John Vaz, Benjamin, RV Murthy, Mario Viegas, Camilo and Laurent Furtado.
Team Manager: Mr. Seby Dias

:::The above news was published in Kuwait's Arab Times, Kuwait Times and on different websites:::

Jumping Chicken and the Suicide Feni

2010-06-14T16:53:00.050+03:00

“The monsoons in Goa.. ..such a magical experience!” I announced to myself with excitment.

Torrential rains for over a week had brought in color and activity to life. Rivers were overflowing and the land was a sea of green; the environment an exotic bloom of flowers.

Just before dusk, dressed like an English movie assassin, with black rubber raincoat, rubber hat, gumboots, and armed with my grandfather’s 6 battery ‘torch’, I left the house carrying a plastic carry-bag.

It drizzled lightly.

There were streaks of lightning and the thunder rumbled in the distance sounding like a typical Goan drum-beat. Somewhere in the neighborhood, an odor of burning cashew nuts sent a scented message around the village.

Anthrax, my 'eveready' friend and enthusiastic as ever, was in wait. He wore just a windcheater, shorts and to my amusing surprise – a pair of white tennis shoes.

“You're gonna play football out there?” I asked.

“You never know!.. Got to brace up for slides and dives and tackles.. Well, I am equipped for the kill, you just flash the beam, okay?.. and let’s make it quick, don’t wanna chase rainbows all night!”

"...and what's that sword for?" I asked eyeing the knife that he carried, "you expect to chase a 'run'-dukor? Or what!"

"This.. for the fish.. turtles.. and the crabs.. and the friendly 'mamas'.."

"Mamas, Who???"

"Hey.., never the name!" said Anthrax making a sign of a snake with his hand.

"Huh!!!" I shrugged.

On reaching the rice fields, we noticed the ‘borders’ of 'bandieo' lined up with lazy looking frogs asking to be picked up. Some were as fat as pumpkins, and all around us we could hear croaks like the 'funeral' contrabass sax – Bom! Bom! Bom!

We were stunned. We soon recovered from the shock and ran back to the house to retrieve a bigger, gunny sack to fill.

It was easy work blinding the bullfrogs with the powerful torchlight. Gathering and gathering we had enough frogs for an army. So we cleverly began to boil up ideas how to party the catch.

“I hope we are not depleting the local frog population!” I said.

“Well, eating a few won’t affect the ecology!” replied Anthrax.

When we reached back home, it was past 8pm. Anthrax looked like a rain-soaked chicken and shook like a leaf. We quickly showered in turns and changed. On his insistence I dialled a couple of friends.

"Hello man! Let’s rock tonight..!" I proclaimed, “We have a truck load of jumping chicks!.. Come over, let’s..”

“But that’s poaching!!!.. it’s banned!” said the first one on the speaker.

“Tell him to go to hell..!” Anthrax yelled from behind me, “Cut him.. the $%^& will ruin our fun too!”

Most of the other guys said they couldn't make it at such a short notice but that did not stop Anthrax.

"Let's get cracking man.." he said.

“..Yaar Anthrax, I don't want to feast around here.. buddy,” I said casually, “Ma doesn’t like all that frying and messing about in her kitchen.. and the loud music and noise that you create.. it doesn’t go too well with her blood pressure, you know...”

Anthrax hauled the sack over his shoulders. “Come on, let’s go!” he said.

It was a 15 minute drive by motorbike from my house to Anthrax's. While we drove he said that we should try some cashew feni on the way.

“The stuff gel’s well with the frog chilly fry and the 'rainy' cold.” Anthrax reasoned.

“Hey.., I’ve never tasted that on a grand scale.. Whenever I have colds ma feeds that in a sugared spoon burned over a candle !”

“Well, being a Goan, you got to taste the forbidden fruit someday. Let’s get your feet wet..! If things get too weird we’ll just wait it out.”

So there we stopped at old auntie’s lonely bar and took our seats in the darkest corner of the ‘pigeon hole’. Anthrax asked for the Goan speciality without any second thoughts.

“What would the local folks think about two ducklings in a bar?” I thought. “What if somebody told ma? Shh!!!”

I prayed nobody would see us as the old lady brought in 2 ‘quarters’ and a couple of Limcas and sodas. Anthrax downed his within minutes. I downed mine.

My fate was sealed!

Little did I know what was in store! Within 3 minutes of drinking we both began to feel it.

“Fast mure tumi,” the old lady remarked in Konkani as Anthrax paid off the bill.

I began to feel tense when Anthrax informed me that the road was looking a bit strange, and the handlebar felt funny in his hands. I shouted at him to drive faster so that we could get to his house before we were actually struck by ‘lightning’. But he seemed unresponsive.

Upon parking we both jumped off the bike and went into his house, and straight upstairs.

I towed the contraband along.

This was quite an experience. I walked through his sitting room and began to see it move and waver as did most of the items in the room such as the paintings, TV, flower vases, sofas and chairs.

Anthrax kicked a cat when we got into his room. He shut the door and I collapsed onto his bed. I knew reality was about to leave me. I stared down at the tiger rug on the wall which seemed to be moving into a spiral of colors that resembled an artist’s color wheel.

“Hey, the tiger looks like a leopard to me.. Funny.. ha ha!” I chuckled.

“Hello, that’s not a tiger, it’s Shahrukh Khan, .. you know it, he's my favorite star.. ,” Anthrax stammered.

“I am talking about this wall.. here.. here..” I pointed out.

“Dude.. there’s nothing on other walls..the tiger you're talking about hangs in the sitting room!” Anthrax said without moving.

“What!”

I was stunned for a moment till he started to sing some song. It was some silly, mutt song, not that of a sane individual. It began with a cackle and progressed to long horrid screams like Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’. I began singing too, almost uncontrollably. It was awful. Neither of us stopped singing, no matter what.

“Buddy, perhaps if we watch TV we could divert our ‘spinning’ condition.” I said after we stopped singing.

Anthrax turned on the tube. Unfortunately the first thing that zapped onto the screen was the MTV channel. At this point, language began to stop making sense. I strained to understand what Anthrax tried to tell me but it only sounded like ‘crap’, when some people talk — “okay, yes no, okay, no, yes okay”.

So instead I turned my attention to the TV and switched the channel to sports. There was Harbhajan Singh licking his tongue on a cricket ball and he wasn't making any sense. Finally he shook his finger and said "Say No to drugs!..Never ever, ever, ever, ever" about 25 "evers" later.. "try alcohol or drugs."

I stared at Anthrax and asked if he had seen it before. He nodded and we both began the ‘Thriller’ song again, which seemed to last forever.

Suddenly, his bedroom door flew open. We both stopped singing instantly.

Anthrax’s dad stared right at us through the door. I began to panic; Anthrax had told me his parents wouldn't be home. Yet here was his dad interrogating us on all the noise in the room. Anthrax made up some lame excuse since neither of us could understand what his dad was saying.

His dad then approached Anthrax, who, to my surprise hid under the bedsheets like a little child!

At this point I was at my wit’s end; I really didn't know what to do. Anthrax’s dad stared directly at me. So I shut my mouth firmly -- afraid to speak for fear of leaking the feni smell. Slowly, I walked over to the computer and tried to look inconspicuous by typing. I failed miserably by stumbling the keyboard over and dropping the cordless mouse. His dad left.

“Oh, don’t worry.. dad’s not a problem,” Anthrax assured me, “Mom!!.. SShe’s an antennae, she can detect that jam on your face from the moon.”

“Jam?” I looked into the wardrobe mirror rubbing my face.

Anthrax looked at me as I tried to communicate, I thought we were in some serious shit but I didn't know what. He suggested that he turn out the light and we wait out rest of the evening before we actually try to ‘thigh fry’ the frogs. So he hit the switch, put the TV off and got into his bed. I lied on his floor staring at the ceiling in the dim light of the shaded lamp. The fan hanging out there rotated like a helicopter propeller. I blinked and looked again, the fan blades swooned like waves.

“Shall I put the fan off?” I asked.

“Who put it on?” Anthrax asked turning around to scan the ceiling, “It’s off silly!”

“No, it’s on..”

There was no answer. I sat up to see him on the bed. He appeared to be some weird looking creature in the semi darkness. Almost like a ghost from those hindi horror films.

Lying on the floor, I noticed that his room began to fade away. Suddenly it vanished completely. I was in a jungle now, not a very friendly one at that. I could see eyes everywhere staring at me in the dark abyss of the jungle. A few feet away Anthrax appeared to be dealing with his own little world, he still appeared to me a creature of that jungle though.

The following is based on speculation and shattered memories of an altered reality, most of which I had to reconstruct next day. I was lying on that floor for what seemed like an eternity. Suddenly a portal of light opened up directly in front of me. What appeared to be a Mahabharata demon, which I had seen only in TV serials, came forth from the beam of light and babbled something at me.

Thankfully I was able to capture the words, "Your mother is on the phone."

I jumped to my feet.

The demon was Anthrax's mom, and she led me down the stairs to their living room.

His dad lay on the sofa with the phone in his hand, holding it like a pistol at me. He then gave it to me. I wasn't sure at first what it was. I put it up to my ears and I heard my ma. Instantly my pulse began to race. Panic struck. She wasn't making sense. She was talking in dangling participles and sounded like Remo Fernandes setting his guitar on the mike!

"Anthrax's house you spend tonight, yes?..Tonight house Anthrax spend?"

It all confused me. I just said "Yes" and hung up on her. I must have said it pretty loud because I remember Anthrax’s parents staring at me. They stared at me, I stared back at them. I didn't know what to do. I began to walk away when Anthrax’s mom called my name with an exclamation. She then addressed me ‘son’ in Konkani and with the same affection as she would have shown to her own son. I began to sweat. Fortunately she just asked me about what I thought of the weather.

I remember telling her that I thought “it was shit.”

I then quickly climbed up the stairs to Anthrax’s room. I wondered how!

The ‘feni’ was perhaps picking up, it was about to peak and I could feel it. Upon entering Anthrax’s room I found that he was gone. This totally shocked me. I lay down on his bed and that is where I stayed for a while. My head began to race with horrid thoughts.

I had thoughts of waking up in the hospital surrounded by nurses, while officials from the Forest Department and Wild Life organizations looked on me like I had killed the most endangered tiger of the country. Volunteers from Alcoholics Anonymous stood in sympathy like I had been fished out from a barrel of feni, while a group of local ‘paparazzis’ and media hovered around, for what appeared for them, to be the hottest celebrity scoop.

“What’s all this?” I asked aloud. Immediately, cameras flashed and blinded me.

“You are planning to export frogs!!!” somebody yelled from behind the glare of lights.

“That’s not true!” I shouted back, “I’ve been discouraging others to stop hunting frogs... Eating frog meat can jeopardize human health and harm our environment.. Toxic chemicals absorbed by frogs from the pesticide residues can trigger cancer, paralytic strokes, kidney failures and other deformities.. Frogs and tadpoles consume millions of mosquitoes and larvae every year... Decline in frogs can increase malaria and other vector borne diseases. I guess there’s a mistake.., I’ve been framed..! Well, I am not a filmstar nor am I involved in pork barrel politics that you make elephants out of the few frogs that we caught!”

Impressed by my English accent and command of the language, some gaped in total admiration. There were murmurs all around. The doctor ordered everybody quiet, and out.

I didn't believe in near death experiences, but what happened after this was damn close. I got up from the bed and walked towards what seemed to be a light. About halfway there a voice filled my head. It was soothing and familiar and female.

I recognized it was Anthrax’s girlfriend. Though beautiful, she was full of rocks in her head. She liked me because I always praised her beauty. She smiled at me and for a moment my face went red.

“What’s wrong with you, dear?” she caressed my head. I blushed, blushed and blushed so much that I had to wipe off beads of sweat on my face.

“Anthrax!!!.. he’s to blamed, he’s the one who gave me the poisoned chalice!” I said with a volte-face.

“He should be given a good kicking, just who does he think he is?” She said.

“Where am I?” I asked.

I stood there and I remember she just replied, "You're gone too far, come back now."

This saddened me and I pleaded her to tell me what was happening.

Her voice was gone, I was alone. I turned towards the bed and noticed that someone was lying there. I did a double-take and woke up on the bed. My mind was exploding into a thousand colors, but worst of all I had to urinate.

I stood up and looked around. Surprisingly, Anthrax was not on the bed. Then I figured out where Anthrax was. The bathroom was locked. I cursed myself. I had to do something, Anthrax had been in the bathroom forever. I came to the conclusion that I could either piss in his flower pots, or piss in his trash bin - the little plastic bucket in the corner. I took the latter choice.

When I picked up the trash bin it wasn't a bin. It was Lizer, Anthrax’s dog, and it had teeth. I let go immediately. I glanced down again and saw the trash bin a few feet away.

When Anthrax came out of the bathroom I told him that I had pissed in his dustbin. He just laughed. I spent rest of the time trying to figure out what had happened after we had parked the motorbike in his garage under the staircase.

Anthrax told me he had spent eternity in the bathroom and met several entities. I tried to explain what had happened to me but ended up hitting the hay and into coma.

I woke up at the crack of dawn to the sound of rains and water dripping from the terrace. I felt thirsty as a camel and hungry as ever; my skull felt like I had been drummed with a hammer.

“A hot shower should fix it!” I thought to myself as I slowly got to my feet and channeled into the bathroom.

“Jumping Judas!”

My heart missed a beat looking at the ‘scene’ inside. It was like a mini Jurassic park. There was an assortment of species to choose from. The stripy things had their frog droppings all over the place. Some were into the sink lying in a chorus, mounted over each other and staring at the overhead lamp with gusto; one chap had managed to climb up a layer and looked into the mirror with eyes popping. A horde of others enjoyed a swim in the toilet leisurely gulping water into their vocal sacs. A couple of skinny ones had perched themselves up on the washing machine posing their meaty legs and webbed footings.

An empty sack and a capsized bucket lied on the floor with black dirt making its way to the shower drain.

As I watched the camouflaged amphibians with great curiosity, Lizer came from nowhere and decided to try to catch this toad that was jumpier than usual. The little guy took to his heels making a clean getaway into the sitting room! Lizer hopped after him while I myself dashed out of the bathroom slamming the door behind.

I sat on the bed in a cross-legged yoga posture and contemplated on the night that was. Shahrukh Khan ga-ga-giggled at me from the opposite wall. From the wrong end of the bed Anthrax snored like a lion; his arms and legs spread like Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man.

I estimated the feni was stronger than we expected. It was a temporary suicide and we survived!

Postscript::::All stories are a work of fiction. The characters do not exist, except in the mind of the writer:::

Churchill lose in Kuwait, win hearts of Goans

2010-05-15T15:25:00.000+03:00

AFC CUP KNOCK-OUT ROUND
Gasper Crasto / Kuwait. May 13, 2010

"Referees decision on points of fact connected with the play shall be final!" says Law 5 of the Soccer Rules.

The rule proved a matrix of judgment at Qadsiya Stadium on 12th May 2010. Churchill Brothers played their hearts out, but could not get the equalizer, falling 2-1 to Qadsiya in the AFC Cup knockout round played at Qadsiya stadium, Kuwait.

The Kuwaitis displayed their passing demonstration with some trademark ball control and took the lead from a cross and increased it with a classic header off a set piece from the right wing.

Qadsiya led 2-0 at half time with goals scored through headers by Ahmed in 33rd minute and Hamed in the 42nd.

Churchill Brothers goalkeeper Arindam (under astute guidance of goalkeeping coach Teotonio, former Bombay Central Bank goalkeeper from Navelim) was a hero in the game saving the team from sure goals atleast on five occasions while Kalu and Felix proved why they are the most sought after players in the Indian arena. The Nigerians ran tirelessly throughout and matched the Kuwaitis from muscle to shin. Nascimento too was super while little substitute Jason created ripples in the last quarter of play.

After cutting the deficit to one off a 'splendid' goal by captain Odafa, the Goans pressed hard to equalize in the last quarter but Qadsiya defended like Inter Milan against Barcelona – with almost their entire team.

Churchill really played well. The collective effort was pretty solid. It was nice to see them push especially towards the end. Infact the whole match, they had the ability to move the ball forward, get players running off it, creating some opportunities.

But, if there is one thing that Goans love as much as football, it's talking about it afterwards. Much post-match discussion among friends is about the referee's decisions. It always makes for lively debates.

After falling behind 2-0 in the 40th minute, Churchill Brothers had scored a hard earned goal just before the breather off a header by Odafa. The assistant referee pointed for the goal, with the whole Goan army of supporters including Churchill Brothers players celebrating. But only the referee had seen 'foul' which the majority of spectators (mostly Goans, perhaps far more than the Kuwaitis) did not.

The writer (Gasper Crasto - extreme right) with Churchill Bros team just before the match

Was the referee favoring the home team?

"Herald says: the referee surprisingly ruled it as off side, and denied the goal."

First, it can never be a off-side as interpreted by media and television. It was a foul. Odafa allegedly pushed the defender before heading.

How could it happen? How can the referee give a foul.

Well, referees are aware that their decisions are scrutinized in post match video reviews and evaluations by the Referees panel and Technical committee. Any inevitable blunder or a conspiracy on their part would mean that their last match would be the 'final' match of their life at this level.

The decision however sure raised a question and the debate about the need for video replays, like in cricket, will not go away. The governing bodies wish it would, but with every incorrect call, the clamor grows stronger. Video replays can currently be used only to issue charges against players and referees but only once a match has finished. It is a debate that divides opinion, but football worldwide is against its use during games. How nice it would be if it had been used at the Churchill Brothers – Qadsiya match. Everyone would be at peace, the poor referee would not be crucified.

For years the game has been built around respect for the referee and a general understanding that his decision is final. But if the referee makes a mistake often in a match, there is a significant chance that respect among the players for the referee would decrease, leading to other problems such as dissent towards the official which is understood of Odafa receiving a yellow during the interval break.

However, the debate will continue to rage. The beauty of the sport is that even if a video replay is showed (and the screens were available in Kuwait), people will still disagree.

For lovers of football who thronged Qadsiya to support the Goan team, a victory for Churchill Brothers in Kuwait would mean bigger than Churchill going to win the AFC Cup. Not because it was Churchill Brothers. Not because it was a Indian team. Because it was a Goan team. Every Goan in the crowd wished to see Goa win. A victory for Goa is a victory for India ofcourse.

Whatever may be the post-match outbursts by Shri Churchill Alemao against the Bahraini referees, whatever Jovito Lopes had to write in Herald about 'biased refereeing', it will hold no water with the powerful A.F.C. And for sure it can't reach even the lowest rung of FIFA (The guys are too busy with the World Cup right now).

We must all agree sportingly that the best team won, and be happy for a great footballing display by Churchill Brothers. The 2-1 loss, however, will be rumbling on for seasons to come.

Three Cheers Churchill Brothers!!!
===
"It is rare that the public sentiment decides immorally or unwisely, and the individual who differs from it ought to distrust and examine well his own opinion."

GASPER CRASTO / KUWAIT
Salgaocar Sports Club 1991~1998
http://gaspersworld.blogspot.com/

Tel. No. 99502686

Links:

When Dempo played in Kuwait

Kuwaiti 'Soccer' overwhelms Churchill's Indian 'Football'

Hipolito Fernandes - A Physio for Indian players in Kuwait

2010-05-15T14:55:00.007+03:00

By Gasper Crasto
Kuwait - August 2006

Throughout life and more so in sports, we are faced with injuries of every kind -- whether it is a soft tissue wound, spurting cut and scrapes, an ankle twist, severe dislocation of the knee or a ligament or muscle tear -- every injury must be dealt with in the right way.

One person who is immediately at hand in any eventuality among expatriate Indian footballers in the injury zone is Goa born -- Hipolito Fernandes popularly known in Kuwait as "Dotor."

HIPOLITO FRANCISCO FERNANDES

Born at Mobor - Cavellosim, Salcete - Goa, Hipolito has been a healer right from his younger days with his natural, inborn ability to understand and diagnose treatment for different kind of muscle injuries and bone fractures.

He arrived in Kuwait on 16th Dec 1977 and has been working with Habchi & Chalhub Co. as Head Store-keeper since 26th Jan 1978.

Hipolito proudly talks about his memories during Iraq's Invasion of Kuwait. Unlike other expatriates, he did not flee at that time, but stayed back till Kuwait was freed.

He is associated with Indian football ever since 1978 after joining the mighty Goan Sporting club(now defunct) which won 3 tournaments in a row that year.

Member of United Friends Club since 1993, he has held positions of Team Manager, Team Doctor and Asst. Treasurer on different occasions.

Happily married to Christine, Hipolito has 3 children - Melisa, Watson and Elrida. Melisa, the eldest daughter is a renowned National basketball player and has captained Goa; recently won best player (Herald dated 17.08.2006).

Hipolito thanks the Almighty for showering his grace upon him. He has prospered over the years. Back home at Mobor, Cavellossim - Goa, he runs his own HIPPOCOOL GUEST HOUSE.

He leaves Kuwait for Abu Dhabi at end of August 2006 to work for his employers in a new assignment.

Kuwait Indian Football Federation recognized the goodwill of this humble and ever helpful volunteer by presenting him with an award for yeomen services done towards Indian football over the years.

:::AN INTERVIEW WITH A HEALER, A HELPER, AND AN ADVISOR TO THE YOUNG PLAYERS:::
"God makes me see the pain in others as my own; God has given me a talent to use it for a cause..." -Hipolito

Hipolito Fernandes projects an air of calm – a level gaze and a steady baritone voice that candidly assesses his patient’s pain.

With his formidable presence – he is a former player himself – and greying hair, glasses, military mustache, (usually in a track-suit on the grounds), he has a look of a true sports physio befitting his nickname, "Dotor."

HIGHLIGHTING WORDS OF HEALING TOUCH

Hipolito has inborn qualities for diagnosing muscle sprains, muscular aches and ligament injuries through his natural and own magical therapy. He stimulates natural healing usually by massage through manipulation of soft body tissues and muscles, using his hands... ensuring players are in shape.

What are the major injuries you have healed?

Hipolito: I feel proud to say that I have help heal even knee injuries.

How do you recognize if an injury is serious? Do you immediately recommend injured players to consult a specialist or do you diagnose injuries yourself?

Hipolito: I provide basic medical treatment and aid to the injured. Iam not a qualified doctor nor do I have any medical education. But I know from my experience that ascertaining how a player feels after an injury is far from an exact science.

In fact, it qualifies much more as an art, which requires to develop an intuitive feel for players' physical capabilities and recovery needs. I can read if the injury is minor, or if it is going to be fatal if the player continues play. I have handled all types of player injuries including knee ligament damage and ankle fractures.

Every player is distinctly unique when it comes to recovery requirements -- much depends on age too; some recover quickly from even the most intense physical demands, while others need substantial rest to be ready to go at 100% capacity back again. Most are somewhere in-between this broad continuum. I advise appropriately.

What are the main causes of players’ injuries?

Hipolito: Injuries arise from long-term player fatigue and lack of practice. Fatigue is hard to recognize by even the most discerning of eyes. One thing I have observed in Kuwait among our players is that they aggravate injuries when they don't want to be taken out of a game (this goes for practices as well).
Regardless of circumstances, be it rough tackles or match infringements, dedicated players want to be on the field and in the action at all times.

Who are prone to serious injuries -- the aggressive players or the timid ones?

Hipolito: Anyone can get injured during play. Sometimes the ground conditions too are major causes of injuries. A hard surface can cause knee injuries and ankle twists; an awkward fall can cause shoulder dislocation or arm fractures. It's no secret that some players tend to think of themselves as indestructible. While this penchant can help engender confidence on the field, it can also give players the false sense that they don't need to address minor injuries with proper treatment. Not paying attention to any type of physical discomfort is a mistake, one that can lead to some unnecessary wear and tear, and allow a full blown injury to materialize.

How can a player avoid injuries?

Hipolito: The importance of warming up and stretching should not be underestimated and should always be a part of any session -- practice or competition.

What have you liked about Indian football and players in Kuwait? What about the standard of football then and now?

Hipolito: United Goans and G.O.A Maroons were top-most teams at the beginning when expatriate football started in Kuwait. Players at that time were eager to be on the ground -- sometimes playing two games in a day and travelling as far as Ahmadi (45kms) by bus, all by themselves. Nowadays, players are given all facilities by their clubs and the standard of the game has increased too but the commitment to win is not seen much. Just casualness. Earlier teams like Incredible (Goa), Rising Stars (Mangalore), Ahmadi Boys, Diocese, etc, were fearsome and unbeatable.

By and large, I have noted that spectators appreciate and respect disciplined teams and players. Sometimes the best of teams become notorious because of one rowdy player in the team. Team management should do their best to isolate or exile such players. One player worth mentioning for his exemplary discipline over the years is Cajetan Godinho. He has been playing top level football in Kuwait for almost last 3 decades and as far as I can remember, he has seldom hurt an opponent and never received a yellow card.

What's your advice to young sportsmen?

Hipolito: To maintain absolute discipline on and off the field, to keep practicing...and to build friendship through the game.

Another Year, Another Season, Where are we...?

2010-05-15T14:51:00.005+03:00

By Gasper Crasto
Kuwait - July 2007

Watching India beat Kuwait convincingly in straight sets at the last Asian Games Volleyball games and see the well-built Arabs look like school kids in front of our Indians began to resurge my thoughts again and with assertion - India can do this in football too.

But why can't the football administrators think like me...

In recent years, we have all seen Indian football struggling to refurbish a team that can beat Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, China and Korea, or face any Asian team with confidence. Yet nothing has really worked out. Administrators come and go; they make newspaper headlines and have a good time. But, none has really succeeded in revamping the sullying rating of team India in football. The demand for the game too seems to be fading after every season.

Efforts to improve practice grounds, stadiums, live telecast and commentary by professional commentators, etc, has not really captivated interest of spectators at the stadiums. Only the semifinal and final encounters may draw standby crowds. Moreover, the whole system seems to be slowly crashing - top teams (Mahindra United) have no home crowd; home crowd has no teams (Kerala); and top footballing states have no strong clubs (Manipur).

Much hope was pinned on the National Football League teams to boost the game. But half the NFL teams seem to be playing just to exist in the League. Many of them bring 'foreign' players only for NFL - either to help get results or defend from being relegated. But then, foreign recruits, although playing attractive and pleasing football, turn out to be dreadfully expensive - an added burden on clubs who try to minimize costs and even think of closing down clubs.

Compared to foreign recruits, our National 'hopes' of a World Cup are paid peanuts. And whenever some clubs want to pay a handsome amount, others get jealous, or fellow players feel cheated. Inadvertently, it has all affected the game and ultimately our Indian football.

Players too have become shrewd nowadays, perhaps due to continued insecurity as they grow older by another season. What will I do if the club sacks me? Would I be able to get a similar package in another club? Would I be able to prove myself in a lower club? Would I be able to live up to my 'living' standards earning a paltry sum with another (poor) club? Wouldn't it be a shame to play in lower divisions? Questions such as these continuously haunt established players.

Then there are personal problems of girlfriends and wives and traumatic disputes of family life and friends which distract players from giving their absolute commitment and concentration.

Younger players are far cleverer. They think more of how much they would save at the end of a season and how much they'd be able to sign in the next. Footballers in India usually never retire till they get injured or are forced out. Everyone wants to make some buck before they are axed - and kick football out of their sight -- forever.

Very few are actively involved or inducted in the game after the end of their career. Whereas some are lucky enough to find a job with the club they played, or initiate some business, others have rotted on their past glory, and many fly abroad to pursue a better life. Very few are reckoned as coaches or administrators, or recommended to support the game. Half of those employed in the sport either lack appropriate educational expertise or are ignorant on contemporary competence even though they may show utter enthusiasm, dedication and discipline.

Everything in Indian football functions like an ideal professional set-up except when it comes to paying a player. It is said that football is a team sport. Yet there is a concealed discrimination in players' remuneration - some are paid Rs. 2 lakhs per month while others in the first eleven are not even paid twenty thousand for the entire season. Will this system encourage lower salaried players to play better than others in the team and fight their way into the first eleven? Or will they be perpetually given a 'spares' value? The 'stars', however, get credit for all the victories and upcoming players are blamed for defeats.

The more our administrators try to boost competition and revolutionalize the game, we find more established clubs reducing annual budgets to cut down expenses, and so, few new stars capable of competing at the Asian level are seen emerging. If this continues, it won't be long before we 'eventually' see find Ranji-d spectators and Cooperage-d stadiums.

Like any federation, the AIFF has relied upon clubs to produce world class players. But we just can't keep pouring money on foreigners without having them to influence our players and our game.

Mandatory efforts to force clubs to assemble Under-19 teams and hold state-level leagues for youngsters have not really proved productive as far as the National level is concerned. The clubs give little importance to the younger teams which are seen more of an anguish forced on them by the federation. End result. We cannot rely upon National clubs to raise our standard.

National clubs are more interested in competing with each other than guide players or help encourage youngsters to better themselves. Top clubs are not interested in wasting time in teaching 'basics'; they all look for professional players.

Worst part of most State level federations is the selection criteria. Players are selected with 'Indian bikes made for Indian roads' way of thinking. Upcoming youngsters are as diminutive as dwarfs and as weak as mice. They may be very skilful but should we go for circus material?

There are very few Brahmanands, Sudip Chatterjees, Savio Medeiras, VP Sathyans, Parminder Singhs, Joe Paul Ancheris, Anthony Rebellos, etc, seen in Indian football nowadays. Why? Because the selectors fail to persuade and induct strongly built players.

Have a look at the present Indian National Volleyball team. Rewind back on the small Ivory Coast football team that played in World Cup 2006 -- one of the best, new teams to impress. Look at all the European teams - especially the German National team. The lads have a built of heavy weight boxers and they are tall and strong. Average weight, now, of world class footballers is 83 kilos and 6 feet tall. And they can cover 100 meters in less than 15 seconds.

Football has become a physical game more than ever; there is no room for wax bones, 'turtle' runners and chicken hearts.

Year in and year out we talk about strengthening our clubs, our game and the National team. Of course it is difficult to find hugely built, tall players, and who are skillful. But then, we should weigh up to groom players based on their physique rather than milking bulls.

International football has no place anymore for pocket-sized 'ball jugglers'. We should have players who can shield the ball with three opponents on their heels, who can sprint -- not just run, who can bulldoze their way not just dash, and who can kick with both feet equally and with accuracy. That should be able to give us a strong advantage over our opponents whenever we step on to the field.

This will mean that the game is already won psychologically before it has started.

Superstars... and 'crazy' boys of the game

2010-05-15T14:43:00.002+03:00

By Gasper Crasto,
Kuwait - June 2005

There has been a craze for competitive football always.

The triumphant run of players and supporters of AVC in the recently concluded KIFF League Final in Kuwait, to hug their goalkeeper after Navelim hit the penalty on the post in the sudden death, was one of the best sights seen live.

It was a privilege for having got to train under some of the best coaches in the country. Adapting myself as a Friday morning player at Kuwait's Sour Grounds, initially, was tough. I gradually came to understand that the sort of aggressive behavior I was used to playing with Salgaocars back in India would not be tolerated in an 'expat' world.

Still, it's hard to shake off in-built leadership qualities implanted over years of repeated coaching. Playing for top-most Indian football clubs, one realizes that coaches seldom waste time teaching basics. Most coaches concentrate on fitness, team formation and strategy, as I have noticed in some of the superstars I have played under.

- Late Fernando Abranches concentrated in playing standard football and capitalizing on opponents’ mistakes.

- T. Shanmugham emphasized, ‘Attack is the best form of defense’ and rarely allowed the ball to be played behind. He also demanded that the ball be clinched no sooner it was lost.

- Peter Valles - stressed on man-to-man marking and 'at any cost' defending the citadel, "goals will come automatically."

- Armando Colaco - Ball possession - trademark forte.

- Derrick D’Souza - Attack from the wings & stress on final touch.

- K.T. Chatuni - "Talking and f... (fooling) you cannot play football...don’t let the opponents have a sniff of your goal; and don't miss scoring when you get a chance."

- Shabbir Ali - Extra stress on stamina - "except for the sweeper back and goalkeeper, all others must attack and defend."

As I look back at these superstars and their coaching expertise, I realize each one of them was different in his approach and in tactical attributes... but never did I hear them advise anything about abusing a official, or instruct players to hit a opponent deliberately.

Players playing at top level are bound to use unfair ‘cheating skills’ which may even mean trying to brainwash the referee by being nice and friendly to him, or trying to scare his guts with fearful body language so that he works in their favor... I have often seen some referees succumb to this kind of deception.

Higher level of the game is not always a clean, gentleman’s game. Professional fouls, yellow cards and reds are all part of the sport... but the worst offence is when you see a player deliberately hitting / kicking an opponent with the sole intention of causing injury. In recent years of professional football, players are (leave alone red carded) fined / suspended after watching the intensity of their offence on TV replays.

Some individuals playing football, locally, forget they are noticed in life only because of football; they are ‘called’ football players although they just, just about know to kick a ball. Some of these players have played for donkey years while some are still to strengthen footing as humans on foreign soil. On the average, I have noted, not many understand footballing rules other than what they have learnt from watching European / World Cup football telecast on cable TV... But the ones to question the integrity of referees are mostly those who are highly ignorant about the game.

One can understand their brain power from the stupidity of actions and questions.

What actions... ?

Striking an officiating referee is the most cowardly, inhuman act in any sport.
I wonder what these crazy ‘hot-heads’ want to prove assaulting helpless referees. Do they think they are the only ones right, and all others, fools? Would they dare come near if a stronger man was kept in charge? This is not an era to give the other cheek; perhaps Gandhi had no other alternative when he was confronted by a six-foot South African. But if the giants knew who Gandhi really was, they would kiss his feet.

Most of the referees doing duty, I know, are learned people having vast knowledge of the game and life in general. I have played little football... I have seen few footballers who can pass a still ball with proper direction and the right momentum, few who can kick with their weaker foot... yet, they boast themselves to be Figos and Ronaldos of their teams... and when it comes to some perilous emergency they think with hands and legs...

Referees, who are mostly amateurs, somehow make themselves available to volunteer, out of love for the game and to support the sport they love. Many are well to do; they can very well enjoy their days with their families and in the comforts of their homes. Players who act crazy on the field would not dare look square in the eye if they knew who’s who behind the simple, humble Gandhian face of the official.

The form of football played amongst Indian Expatriates in the Middle-East thanks to people promoting the game, fulfills its function to divert ones mind from reality. I wonder what the state of some of the youths abroad would be, if it was not for football. I am sure most would end up drunks or card gamblers, and psychos.

Instead of appreciating the hard work of the game’s administrators, there are some sick people who want to destroy one of the easiest form of entertainment expatriates can have abroad.

Many of the games in recent years have become disjointed, fractious affairs in which every decision by the referee is disputed and almost every tackle - and especially those near the penalty area - ends with one player falling down, clutching what can only be, from the expression of the face, a shinbone broken in three places. And if they are sane enough to peer through the pain and the agony, they're demanding the referee give the other player a card.

In fast-paced games it is impossible for referees to get the decisions right every time, but then, when players cannot be relied upon to be honest, the administrators of the game are the best judges to handle the reins and punish players / clubs who bring the game into disrepute.

As the new ‘season’ starts, governing bodies should identify crazy players and fickle minded club members as dangers to the game. Psycho players on the field should be BANNED and outcast from all soccer-related activities.

In conclusion I would wish to quote golden words of T. Shanmugham, of one of my most respected gurus in football who often stressed, "A verbal abuse in the heat of emotions maybe pardonable to some extent but striking a referee is one of the cardinal sins and the potential punishment price should be a life ban from the sport as a player or official or... a self exile in shame."

Churchill Bros lose in Kuwait, win hearts of Goans

2010-05-13T12:32:00.003+03:00

The writer (Gasper Crasto - extreme right) with Churchill Bros team just before the match

However, the debate will continue to rage. The beauty of the sport is that even if a video replay is showed (and the screens were available in Kuwait), people will still disagree.

We must all agree sportingly that the best team won, and be happy for a great footballing display by Churchill Brothers. The 2-1 loss, however, will be rumbling on for seasons to come.

GASPER CRASTO / KUWAIT
Salgaocar Sports Club 1991~1998
http://gaspersworld.blogspot.com/

Tel. No. 99502686

Links:

When Dempo played in Kuwait

Kuwaiti 'Soccer' overwhelms Churchill's Indian 'Football'

Mi-great writing on the wall - I

2010-05-01T16:48:00.013+03:00

:::Tongue and cheek on migration & working abroad:::

A Goan house at Fontainhas, Panjim

Chapter I : From Goa to the Stars

“Hi buddy, tell us something about Canada,” I snapped at Jose Alipio who had opted for a ‘greener pasture’ in Toronto after spending much of his life in Kuwait.

On another day, Alipio would crow with pride about his adopted country. But the ambience at Salcette’s ‘Susegad’ restaurant did not permit that. The owner, Mr. Medeira, ensured his great grandfather’s wisdomic saying, ‘A Goan will speak total truth when he is ‘shit-scared' or ‘drunk-dead’ was spot on to the ‘kick’ of ‘feni’.

Most in the group were already ‘rocking’, there was no denying it; in that 'state' nobody would speak deception. The occasion was the regular ‘razzmatazz’ of alumni friends, but it looked more of an annual convention of NRI Goans. The topic of debate was on ‘the best place on earth to migrate’.

“Canada is the second largest country in the world...although it has a population as big as Bombay. It's a great country, stylish lifestyle.. Happy-go-lucky!” Alipio jingled.

“Falar-a verdadé.. don’t sell us the Frans-Mingel tabs.” Mr. Medeira, the amusing barman trumpeted from behind his bar with a friendly tenor. Some of the neighborhood drunkards cackled at the jibe knowing well that Frans Mingel was one of South Goa's top bluff masters.

“Our Lady of the snows,” continued Alipio disregarding the barman, “is how Rudyard Kipling refers to Canada in one of his great poems... It sums up the harsh winters of that country... Do you know how cold it is there?.. Just at the beginning of winter some 'provinces' are already at minus 30 degree Celsius... so much for a few more loonie-toonies..”

“Habibi, in Oman,” said Ramsey Antao, based in Muscat for over two decades, “when it is November, it’s winter... but it is still warm and everything stays the same much of Christmas and New Year. A few sweaters come out, but the winter passes by without notice into summer...”

“Oh, in Canada it’s different. All of your senses experience winter,” confirmed Alipio with a shrug of shoulders and shudder of cheeks. “Visually, the snow is beautiful.. but..”

“But.. what..!!” we almost asked in a chorus.

“...you wake up and see this white sheet reflecting the sun's light and making everything appear 'deceptively' warm from the comfort of the room. But the skin protests and revolts when walking out into the cold...”

“Is it so bad?.. Why do so many people struggle to migrate there, then...!” Mr. Medeira was inquisitive.

“Even when you protect yourself,” continued Alipio, “with multiple layers of clothing, boots and gloves, the nose remains exposed and registers its dissent sending a continuous stream of fluid down it. To increase your embarrassment, the skin looses all feeling and you realize there is 'snot' only when it reaches your mouth...”

“Talking about snow and ice, ‘ammi’..., we once had a hail-storm in Saudi, you know?” said Roque Martins sporting a thick 22 carat gold ‘bracelet’ and an even thicker gold chain and gold rings worth a king’s ransom. I'd already concluded the total weight of gold on his body to be atleast a kilo and a half.

“It rained ice-cubes there, would you believe it?..” Roque continued, “Yeah, I remember, it was in January last. I was right down the building when I felt the pelting of ice...”

“Perhaps it was someone disposing frosted ice from their refrigerator out the window which fell on you..” I commented lightly, “We had the hail in Kuwait, never heard anything about other GCC countries ..in recent times..”

“Well, that is not something strange,” said Seby Coelho working in the Cayman Islands. “I was once hauled up in the sky as high as the kite by a hurricane in George Town, last October, and spun down, luckily in a nearby swimming pool..”

Nobody laughed, nobody even blinked an eyelid. Everyone probably wanted to know more about Canada, the place most people wanted to be..!

>>> II - Something Understood

Kuwaiti ‘Soccer’ overwhelms Churchill’s Indian ‘Football’

2010-04-29T01:47:00.002+03:00

Churchill Brothers let in 7 goals to 1
Kuwaiti 'soccer' overwhelms Churchill's Indian 'football'

By Gasper Crasto / Kuwait

Defending Champions Kuwait SC proved too good with their 'soccer' tactics for Churchill Brother's 'football' as the hosts overwhelmed the Goan outfit by a huge margin of 7-1 goals .

N. Silveira was the lone goal scorer for Churchill while the Kuwaitis scored at will scoring 3 in the first half and 4 in the second. Needless to say, once again an Indian club failed to break the jinx of continued losses in Kuwait.

The first leg between Kuwait SC and Churchill Bros played in Goa was a 2-2 draw. Both teams, however, have already qualified for the round of 16. Kuwait SC topped the group with 10 points.

The match played at Kuwait SC stadium, Kaifan, Kuwait City was attended by a large number of Indian spectators, mostly Goans working here. However, the Kuwaitis gave the crowd little to cheer throughout the match.

Churchill Brothers patron and PWD Minister with the Goa Government Mr. Churchill Alemao was among the crowd. Churchill's striker captain Odafe was absent suspended following two yellow cards while Kuwait SC's Brazilian coach Arthur Berinandes was nowhere to be seen with the team, apparently resigned just a day before the match.

Its hard to believe.!!! Such a huge loss. What happened?

Well, look around and the result can be said as – "it was coming".

Gahwas (coffee/hookah) shops in Kuwait are generally filled with males of all ages staring at a glaring TV screen, which is most likely broadcasting a 'soccer' match.

Most of the teams regularly followed here will not be local or national, but a major game between two internationally popular teams. If they happen to watch a local game, it might be the Gulf Cup or the Kuwaiti Amiri Cup final between Al Arabi or Qadsiya – two major 'soccer' rivals in Kuwait.

But why is it that local youths are more likely to be Manchester, Barcelona or Chelsea fans than say, Salmiya SC – a local Kuwaiti 'soccer' club, supporters?

The answer was all there to be seen at the Kuwait SC stadium for the Churchill-Kuwait match. The Goan supporters outnumbered the Kuwaitis. That Churchill Brothers failed to live up to people's expectations is another ball game altogether.

There are several reasons why Kuwaitis are looking toward foreign 'soccer' as a means of entertainment rather than their own. Some fans argue that there is a lack of quality in the local product despite such huge victories as 7-1 against Churchill, and Qadsiya winning 4-1 against East Bengal.

The late 1970s and 1980s was considered the golden age of 'Kuwaiti football' for the national team – they played in their first and last, their only appearance in the FIFA World Cup in 1982, and had the most talented players in Kuwait's footballing history.

On the other hand, the current clubs and national squad lack the standards that allowed the older team to qualify for the world cup just a few decades ago. Teams today, are perhaps badly managed, and they say the local sports federation has become an inheritance for the rich and connected types. This lack of proper management reflects on the professionalism of the clubs and the 'soccer' leagues, and subsequently its games.

The players are kept at an amateur level because of the absence of proper guidance and leadership. This could be one reason why Kuwait SC failed to fulfill the criteria and qualify for the more lucrative Asian Champions League despite being Champions last year.

In addition, the performance of local teams is always overshadowed by European and South American 'soccer'. These western teams are 100 years old – or older – and their collective histories arguably add to their grandeur and professionalism.

It can also be argued that what has spurred the rising popularity of Western 'soccer' and killing of local games is the growth of satellite TV, specially the 10 plus Al-Jazeera Sports channels available in the region. Today one can watch all of the English, Spanish, Italian, German and Champions league 'soccer' games with Arabic and English commentary – and at the finest prime time in Kuwait.

Unfortunately, it is only when a major international 'soccer' team like AC Milan (2000), Brazil (2006), Barcelona (2009) comes to play a match with a local team, do you hear any local buzz. There was hardly any news in the local media on the Kuwait SC - Churchill Bros match and perhaps there won't be any despite such a huge tennis score victories.

Hopefully, with time, Kuwaiti clubs will gain the same professionalism and credence as their Western counterparts, to be really appreciated. As for Churchill Brothers, well, what can we say? Indian bikes are fit for Indian roads only..?

Check Gasper Crasto's blog:
http://gaspersworld.blogspot.com/

Goa's top team to play in Kuwait on 28/04/2010
Can Churchill Bros break the jinx...???

By Gasper Crasto for www.goa-world.com/

Kuwait: Kuwait has their pride and prestige at stake to prove their superiority in football over Indians when defending champions Kuwait Sports Club trained by Brazilian coach Arthur Berinandes take on India's Churchill Brothers in their return leg home game of the AFC Cup 2010 on 28th April 7.30pm.

The first leg between Kuwait SC and Churchill Bros played in Goa, a former Portuguese colony in India, was a 2-2 draw. Both teams have already qualified for the next round of 16.

The match to be played at Kuwait SC stadium, Kaifan, Kuwait City, will be very interesting for the Indian spectators, particularly the large number of football crazy Goans working here.

Churchill Brothers is one of India's top teams and the only family sports club in India having a large number of supporters. The patron of the club Shri Churchill Alemao, a politician with Congress government, is expected to attend the game. A number of top Indian clubs such as East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, Dempo, etc, have played in Kuwait but haven't won a single match against the physically strong Kuwaiti clubs.

Throughout the season, Churchill have almost always played the same players when they have been available. Coach Carlos Pereira seems to be bent on having his best men finish the job for him. Churchill have arguably the best defensive lineup in India currently with Arindam at goal, Naoba, Gouramangi, Rowilson and Robert playing in defence.

India's highest paid player Odafa to play

India's highest paid player Odafa Okolie (No. 10) will most likely pair up with Felix upfront, the two have a great chemistry. The Nigerian Odafa has given sleepless nights to opponents over the last couple of seasons and is currently the highest scorer in the ongoing I-League in India. When he strikes, Churchill Brothers have a higher chance to win. Currently though, Churchill trail behind in the Indian League in fourth place. Ironically, the Goan side has only one Goan player featuring in the playing elevens – Nascimento Silveira.

Kuwait SC's major game on their home ground has been their 0-4 loss in a friendly to Brazil in 2006. They won the last AFC Cup 2009 final played on this ground last November was won beating Syria's Al Karamah 2-1 playing in front of a capacity crowd.

AFC Cup & AFC Champions League

The AFC Cup is played between clubs from nations who are members of the Asian Football Confederation. A total of 32 clubs qualified to participate in the 2010 AFC Cup. Different teams from elite Asian countries have been given a chance to take part in the competition.

In recent years, the UEFA Champions League and European 'soccer' is more famous than Asian 'football'. Apart from the AFC Cup, there is also the AFC Champions League in Asian football.

The AFC Champions League is the premier Asian club football competition hosted by Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The tournament is contested among the top 30 clubs from top 10 Asian leagues joined with 2 more clubs who qualify through the playoffs. The champions receive about US$2.25 million in prize money and most importantly a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup at the end of the year.

This competition started as the Asian Champion Club Tournament back in 1967.

Each country receives up to 4 slots, though no more than one third of the number of teams in that country's top division, rounded downwards, depending on the strength of their league, league structure (professionalism), marketability, financial status, and other criteria set out by the AFC Pro-League committee.

The assessment criteria and ranking for participating associations is revised by AFC every two years. This year, Kuwait SC failed to fulfill the criteria to qualify and were left to play in the AFC Cup. West Asian countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Iran and Uzbekistan and East Asian Countries such as Japan, Korea, China, Australia whose leagues are the most lucrative among Asian countries automatically have their top teams playing in the Asian Champions League.

Dempo SC lost the qualifying play-off final to Sharjah FC in 2009 and thus missed out to become the first Indian team to participate in the Asian Champions League. Japan's Pohang Steelers were the eventual winners beating Al-Itihad of Saudi Arabia 2-1 in the final played at Tokyo last November.

The winners of the Asian Champions League qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup. Barcelona won the last World Cup championship beating Argentina's Estudiantes 2-1 in the final played at Qatar in December 2009.

With love for Caju Feni - By Cecil Pinto

2010-04-06T10:36:00.004+03:00

By Cecil Pinto

"What about you?" I asked Naresh Fernandes after ordering myself a peg of Caju Feni.

"Oh! Caju Feni of course. Nothing else will do", he replied.

Truly it warmed the cockles of my heart to hear those words. Here I was sitting with a young Goan journalist I respected very much and who I had just met for the very first time, although we had corresponded by e-mail before. Naresh first came to my attention when I read a superb piece by him in Man's World magazine about our very own musical duo Chris and Lorna.

While dissecting the magic that happened between these two Naresh went on to write an encyclopedic piece on Goan Catholic musicians and their influence on the jazz and Bollywood scene in Mumbai. Apparently Naresh had returned to the world of Indian journalism in Mumbai after a stint with the Wall Street Journal in New York. And here we were, seated at Venite's on a rainy night with the owner Luis himself playing host. And Naresh insisted on drinking Caju Feni. Here was a true Goan. Unlike those prudes who had cheap whiskey and vodka and what have you.

"And can I have a Limca with that?"

"No!" I burst out, "You most definitely cannot have a Limca with that. That is a sacrilege. One doesn't insult the Nectar of the Gods with such mixers!" In mere seconds Naresh had plummeted in my estimation to great depths. Here was a man with more knowledge of Goan music than anyone I had ever known or read, and he wanted to have his Caju Feni with Limca? What sort of a Goan was this?

I carried on with my outraged indignation, "You can add a dash of fresh lime at most but if you put in Limca you are diluting the taste totally. Water, soda, ice, a dash of lime cordial, a few drops of fresh lime juice these are all acceptable but sweetened aerated beverages are not. Next you might want to try Caju with a Cola. Bah!"

"Ok pal," Naresh protested, "when I came down last time in April I had the lighter version with Limca and everyone seemed to think it was ok."

"Lighter version? You talking about Urrack?"

"Of course!"

"How dare you call Urrack a lighter version of Caju? What do you think, they water down Caju Feni and get Urrack?"

"No yaar! I know it's the first distillation."

"Yes it is, but a totally different drink my friend. Apples and oranges. In fact you Mumbai guys are so used to consuming that rotgut Aunty's stuff, in which they use apple and orange skins while distilling, that your dulled palettes and fried brains no longer can tell the difference between Urrack and Caju!"

Luis, who was listening in dumbfounded on all this, had by now surreptitiously brought a bottle of Caju Feni and a bottle of Urrack to the table. I poured a dash of Urrack into a shot glass and proffered it to Naresh, "Sniff this and take a small sip, but don't swallow", I commanded.

Naresh did as bided.

"Now close your eyes my friend. What do you smell? The harsh scatching odour of the cashew apples? The earthy smell of the stone basin where they were crushed to make neera or juice? The smell of burnt wood and of heated clay as it was distilled? Swirl the Urrack on your tongue? Can you feel it as sweet and acrid at the same time? Now swallow. Does your throat scratch slightly? It does? See that is Urrack. That you can drink with Limca. It worms its way into your system, getting you intoxicated slowly. You drink it preferably fresh in March, April and May. Be careful how much you drink though. It will creep up on you and when you walk into the hot sun you will suddenly find yourself reeling. Urrack is like a velvet coated fist my friend. It can caress and it can hit. Treat it respectfully and it will
return the favour."

"So if it is so good how come you treat Caju Feni with such adoration?"

"Aha! If Urrack is the Princess then Caju Feni is the Queen Mother of all drinks. But first Naresh can you tell me how Caju Feni is made"

"The Urrack is distilled a couple more times and you get Caju Feni. Isn't that so?"

"Partly right, partly wrong. Urrack is remixed with fresh neera in the proportion one is to eight and distilled to get an alcohol known as Cazulo. This Cazulo is mixed with fresh neera and redistilled to get Caju Feni. But realistically speaking very few distillers go for the third distillation and so what we consume as Caju Feni is actually Cazulo"

"So we're being cheated?"

"Not really. It's quite accepted terminology. Besides thrice-distilled Caju Feni is so strong and concentrated that it is not really palatable. Here, let me pour you a little Caju Feni. Smell this."

"Not really the best of odours is it"

"True Naresh, many people get turned off by the smell. But do you know that one major Caju Feni distiller had actually sent a sample to the best laboratory in Europe asking them to remove the odour. They did manage that but sent back a recommendation that this path be not pursued further. Removing the bouquet of an alcohol robs it of its unique character. So try and acquire a liking for the smell. It's like fine caviar, after some time you will learn to appreciate its nuances. Now twirl it in your mouth and swallow it. "

"Ooooof! That sure was hot!"

"As well it should. It has cleansed your mouth of all possible germs and has burnt your gullet before warming your stomach with its glow. Soon the effects will follow. After one peg of Caju Feni you will be at peace with yourself and the world, and even with those South Goans who prefer drinking Palm Feni. After two pegs you will be the all-knowing, all-seeing one who is happy in the ecstasy of self-enlightenment. Following the third peg you will have solved the mysteries of the outer and inner universe and will feel the need to break into song with Konkani mandos. And after the fourth pegs you will wax nostalgic about the olden days when
."

"Say Cecil, since you love this topic so much why don't you write the definitive article on Caju Feni? I'm sure Man's World magazine would be interested in such a piece."

"You mean like Cecil Pinto's Ultimate Guide to the History, Distilling, Procurement, Transportation, Storage, Consumption and Total Enjoyment of Caju Feni?"

"That's quite a mouthful, but yes something like that. Would make a great article"

"Actually Naresh I was thinking of a book. Something permanent which will be quoted from for posterity. I've already designed the jacket in my head. It will have ..."

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The article above appeared in SEE Goa magazine dated December 2006
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Fashionable Monsoon Heaven - By Wendell Rodricks

2010-04-06T09:52:00.003+03:00

Fashionable Monsoon Heaven
By Wendell Rodricks

Goans love the rains. It is a quiet respite from the tourists who cannot quite deal with the downpour. Mercifully for us, the absence of crowds means one can get into a vehicle and see Goa at it’s best. For a joy ride take the Mapuca-Panjim, Panjim-Margao express bus. From Margao I enjoyed a trip to Varca with a friend and sat down to a most enjoyable lunch at a quaint place called River Breeze. It was pouring.

Transparent sheets of glass; through which one could enjoy a clear view of a dappled river, lush green fields and a gaggle of geese and guinea fowl foraging through the farm. Lunch comprised a superb chonak, the head in the curry, the rest deliciously crumbfried in slices. On the side, a bowl of steaming rice and a plate of masala
prawns. Pure bliss!

There are many reasons to love the Goan monsoon. The best way to enjoy the rains is to set out on foot, with an umbrella for company. Walking permits one to enjoy what a car ride can never offer. Walk anywhere.

On the hills, in squishy cities, on damp river banks and deluged streets. I enjoy going up and down the Panjim hill, the glorious view behind the Colvale church (a short walk away), the island of Divar and heritage walks to remote sites. On walks one can marvel at rice growers knee deep in brilliant green clouds, children joyfully embracing the rains, people of all ages fishing, rivers swollen with café-au-lait hued fast flowing water, ancient monuments dripping with moss and moisture, warm tavernas robustly perfumed with feni, and the constant chatter of bird song. A walk in Panjim's Fontainhas area or Campal is delightful. At Campal, the charming Vishal Singh, General Manager of the new Taj Vivanta gave me a tour of the new hotel. Its cream, caramel and cappucino coloured interiors blend well with the glass and chrome. The view from the rooftop pool is breathtaking. One does not realise what an amazing green cover Campal has. From that height I saw that none of the houses are visible. The best part of Vivanta is that they have cleant the canal. I hope the CCP entrusts them with that job so that this rivulet/canal does not turn into a gutter like the sadly polluted Mithi river in Mumbai.

Soon-to-expire-if-not-used frequent flyer miles took me to Dubai for three nights at the swish Park Hyatt. Cool humid Goa gave way to hot humid Dubai. The golden desert city looks empty. Less cars. Half completed phantom buildings. Eerie malls with no bustling crowds. But Atlantis is fabulous. Rekha and Mahesh Tourani took us for Japanese to Nobu. After the gigantic fish tank in the lobby, we chomped on sushi, sashimi and crab legs casseroled in cream and caviar. Delish!

The next night I was back in Mumbai. At the Taj Palace and Towers. My first after the terror of 26/11. The French National Day party was in top spin at the Crystal Room. I danced with Preity Zinta and enjoyed meeting all my Mumbaikar buddies... till the early morning; when we zoomed from Colaba to Santacruz in 40 minutes flat. The Worli – Bandra sea link is a wonder.

For cultural discourse during the rains go to Sunapranta in Altinho, Panjim. I caught two brilliant presentations in one fortnight. Prajal Sakhardande’s historical talk was illuminating. This man must have a computer in his head for history dates and tongue twisting names. How I wish more people attended talks such as this.

Isabel Santa Rita Vaz’ theatre thesis went beyond expectations. If it wasn’t enough that the Mustard Seed put up a fascinating dance theatre performance based on Goa, Ms Vaz then went on to a splendid presentation on the history of theatre in Bengal, China and Sri Lanka.

One of my favourite monsoon indulgences is to enjoy hot bhojem from the village nakko, prawn patties from Perfect Pastry in Panjim or a snack at any roadside tea stall. Que up at Café Central in Panjim.

Ever since Aurora Couto introduced me to their mushroom samosas, I have become a fan. A Café Central mid morning or evening snack supported by a hot chai and a good book( from the stash of the astounding 25 kilos of books I purchased in London and Paris) make the best monsoon past time.

Monsoon is a season to catch up with friends over a meal. It is somehow more casual, more enjoyable, less formal than other times. A Thai meal at the Goa Marriott resort, a Morroccon meal expertly cooked by my partner and a simple fish curry rice or veg thali anywhere takes on a new flavour during the rains. Throw in a game of cards, carrom, board games or party games and the entire lunch or dinner turns into an extraordinary experience, cherished forever in memory.

Thanks to Inox in Panjim and DVDs at home, movies have become another monsoon favorite.

This year my monsoon schedule was rudely interrupted by the huge media circus around the judgement on Section 377. Many turbulent flights to Delhi and Bombay studios ensued. The day the news of the Delhi High Court judgement broke, my shop became a revolving set of TV crews.

While one set up in one room, another was packing up in another. In the whirlwind, the Indian Express newspaper twisted my arm to write an article with a treachours half hour deadline. It appeared as lead story on the front page the next morning. I am amazed how swiftly technology has taken over our lives. At both NDTV and CNBC I barely got off the studio floor and learnt that the shows were already put up
on Youtube.

Now that the dust has settled, I have gone back to the designing board. While there is a downpour outside, we are surrounded by brilliant Brazilian colour indoors at our studio in Colvale. Based on Bossa Nova music, the collection that unveils in September will be seen by the public in stores only in Spring/Summer 2010. That’s why I love fashion. It’s pouring buckets in reality. But in the studio Bossa Nova music is on full blast. Everyone is on an imaginary flight to Brazil. In my mind we are on Copacabana beach in Rio..... dancing the Samba ; with Giselle Bundchen no less. Its all very intoxicating, this fashion business. When I walk home each day, Colvalkars must wonder what I am whistling a tune for and being so happy in the rains. How can I explain that we are having a rocking time with this collection ?

They would not understand how a music style like Bossa Nova can send me to creative heaven.

At night I sit in my candle-lit balcao in Colvale surrounded by four monsoon-perfumed dogs, five monsoon-hating cats and a glass of crystal clear feni twinkling in the light. As each rain shower approaches like the rustling of leaves, the perfume of the fresh damp earth permeates the rooms every few hours. At the tolling of village bells and the Hungarian folk music cd I got from Budapest, hot monsoon sorak curry flavours the air and blends with the aroma of my neighbours wood fire.

I realise why a monsoon in Goa is truly a God given gift. May this season never end.

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The StyleSpeak column above appeared in the August 2009 issue of Goa Today magazine
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COLONISATION OF GOA by RAJAN NARAYAN

2010-04-06T09:44:00.004+03:00

Goa has been re-colonised not only by the Brits, Russians and the Israelis but also by the bold and the beautiful and the rich and powerful from other parts of the country.
By RAJAN NARYAN

A FEW days ago the sarpanch of Morjim investigated complaints that a Russian national, who had bought property on the border of Morjim and Arambol, had blocked the traditional access to the beach. The security guards of the Russian national who had fenced the traditional access to the beach assaulted the sarpanch. The sarpanch has lodged a police complaint against the security guards who assaulted him. This is not an isolated case. There are large areas of Morjim, particularly in Vithaldas-wadi, which have been totally colonized by the Russians.

Locals are not allowed to enter any of the properties which are fenced off and guarded by armed security guards. Russians, who have bought huge amounts of property in Morjim and other villages in the North Goa coastal belt, have built massive structures within 500 metres of the High Tide Line in flagrant and blatant violation of the CRZ Rules. The Chief Secretary told me on Monday that the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority that is presided over by him intends to crack down on foreigners who have violated the CRZ Rules.

RUSSIAN INVASION
I recall visiting the Olive Ridley shack on the Morjim beach over five years ago. The shack then was owned by a Polish woman. There was already talk that Russians hadbegun buying large amounts of property in Morjim. On a subsequent visit to Morjim, I saw a shack in the middle of the beach less than ten metres from the High Tide Line which was festooned with Russian flags. I heard stories of all-night rave parties by Russians and saw the debris of the previous night's party on the beach.

But it is not only in Morjim that foreigners have bought large amounts of beachfront property. If Morjim is dominated by Russians, Chapora is dominated by the Israelis. Several parts of the Palolem beach in Canacona have also been colonised by the Israelis. But the largest numbers of foreign citizens who have bought property in Goa are not the Russians or Israelis, but the British. Indeed on the road leading to Calangute from the St. Alex Church there is even a real estate agency which proudly advertises the fact that it is British-owned and only sells property to Brits and other foreign nationals.

BI-LINGUAL MENUS
OVER the Holi week, which coincided with the Holy Week, I happened to spend the weekend at a small rural resort in Carmona close to the Fatrade beach. I had occasion or provocation to have a look at all the shacks between Fatrade and Mobor. The overwhelming majority of the shacks were full of phirangs. In the shacks on the Cavelossim beach, I saw a wild Holi celebration on with gallons of bhang (opium). The revellers were all Russians.

On the tables of many of the shacks, menus were not in English, but Russian. I have seen menus in Hebrew in several beach shacks in Chapora and in Palolem. I have never come across a menu in any Indian language let alone the official language of the state, Konkani in any beach shack anywhere in Goa . Even though a large number of domestic tourists visit Goa.

I very often have occasion to visit many of the starred hotels in Goa located both on the North Goa beach belt and the South Goa beach belt for some function or the other. In the last two or three years, whenever I have visited beach resorts, particularly in the Southern coastal belt, stretching from Majorda to Mobor, I have noticed that the details of the various activities planned for the benefit of foreign tourists - including charter tourists - displayed on the activity boards are increasingly in Russian. Depending on the nationality that the hotel is catering to, the activity boards can be even in German or Hebrew for the benefit of the large number of German and Israeli tourists who visit Goa .

NIGHT BAZAAR
GOA has been colonized by phirangs and the signs of their colonial domination of Goa are everywhere, particularly on the beach belt. The largest and the most successful night bazaar in Goa is not run by a Goan or even by an Indian, but by a German called Ingo. During the Bazaar you can see Ingo with two armed bodyguards going around collecting the rentals from those who have taken stalls. I do not know if the bodyguards who accompany Ingo have licenses for the weapons that they openly brandish. The majority of the stalls, particularly the food stalls at Ingo's Saturday Nite Bazaar are run by phirangs of various nationalities. A lot of the material sold at the Saturday night bazaar is imported. I do not know whether they have been imported into the country legally and whether any of the foreigners doing roaring business at the Saturday night market have business visas. Tourists - whether white, brown or black -who come on tourist visas are not allowed to work in Goa.

Thanks to my better three-quarters' fascination with exotic food I often get dragged, reluctantly, to little known restaurants. Restaurants which are run by phirangs for phirangs. Just recently I visited an Italian restaurant tucked away in the lanes of the village of Anjuna in the garden of an old Goan house which is run by an Italian lady and is patronized entirely by phirangs. I am told it is a favourite of the Italians. Tara and I were the only locals at the restaurant at the time we went there. The oldest and the best known among the restaurants which are owned by phirangs for the benefit of phirangs are the Lila Café and Bean Me Up. The few times I have gone there I have only seen phirangs.

ANTI-LOCAL
THERE are pubs in the North Goa beach belt which are run by Brits for Brits. Even some of the shacks on both the North and South Goa coastal belt are openly hostile not only tolocals but even domestic tourists. On the odd occasion whenI have approached a beach shack for renting a beach bed and an umbrella, I have been rudely told that they are only forphirangs or that they have been reserved. Many beach shacks treat locals and domestic tourists like untouchables.

But it is not only the phirangs including the Russians and the Israelis and the British and the Germans who have colonized Goa . As phirang friends of mine point out, Goa has been invaded in a much bigger fashion by the bold and the beautiful and the rich and the powerful from Delhi and Mumbai and other parts of the country who are steadily pushing up the prices of real estate out of the reach of locals. All the fancy apartments and the villas advertised on the internet and at exclusive Goa property exhibitions held by the Times of India and other organizations have prices often quoted in dollars and pounds. Presumably because the real estate sharks who have taken over Goa know that Goans cannot afford to buy property any longer.

HERITAGE PROPERTY
MANY of the old ancestral homes in Goa have been sold to foreigners and non Goans because their owners cannot afford to maintain them any longer. In many cases of course there are so many claimants to the ancestral house that everybody's property becomes nobody's property and no one is willing to bear the cost of maintaining old houses. So most owners of ancestral property take the easy way out and sell it to outsiders including foreign nationals.

But the largest owner of property, particularly old sprawling restored ancestral homes in Goa are not phirangs or the bold and beautiful and the rich and powerful from Mumbai and New Delhi . There are of course theVijay Mallayas and the Jimmy Gazdars and the Jaipuryas who have bought or built huge mansions on the beach belt. But the property king in terms of the largest amount of realestate owned by a single individual is a Kashmiri who owns Sangolda House. His most recent acquisition is Souto Maior House in Ribandar. Also, half the shops in the five star and seven star hotels have been leased by this Kashmiri who claims to be a major carpe exporter and goes by the name of Mir. In the last few years, a lot of new real estate has come up in Goa - premium properties which offer goodies like 2 4-hour power generation backup, a swimming pool, a fitness centre and video telephone for security. Many of the new projects like the one being constructed by the Geras in Caranzalem also promise rooftop gardens. While attempting to do some futile flat hunting - since it is absurd to even look for a flat in Panjim with less than a crore of rupees, I discovered that less than 30% of the flats in all the fancy new buildings are occupied. The flats have either been bought by outsiders or bought purely for speculative offices in the hope or the cofidence that real estate prices will go up even further.

PARADISE PIE
EVERYONE wants a piece of the paradise that Goa is perceived to be. The phirangs do not mind the fancy prices in the shacks or the fancy prices of real estate because, in foreign exchange terms and compared tices of property back home or in any other beach resort in the world, the prices of real estate or of food or drink in Goa is much cheaper. The Mumbaikar does not mind the high prices of property in Goa because even in the distant suburb of Virar in Mumbai or in Thane, the prices of property range between Rs. 60,000 and Rs. One lakh per square foot against Rs. 60,000to Rs. 1.5 lakhs per sq m in Goa . So much so, it makes sense for those who have property in up market or even in down market areas in the metros to sell their property and relocate to Goa and live on the difference between the money they got for selling their property in Goa and the money they paid for their property purchased in Goa.

For those who are faced with the prospect of paying thousands of rupees for square feet and square centimetres, Goa is a very attractive proposition whether for a second holiday home or just as an investment. And the fact that Goan hotels have kept hiking their prices to ridiculous levels makes it even more attractive to own a holiday home in Goa.

Goa has been totally colonized. The beaches have been colonized. The premium real estate has been colonized by land sharks from Russia and the UK and Germany and Dubai and of course our own home grown land sharks like the Rahejas. Goan jobs, particularly jobs in the hospitality industry have been colonized by young people from Nagaland courtesy the Governor and his OSD and for people from Jharkand courtesy the Pilar society and people from Orissa courtesy all those who run security agencies and people from Gorakhpur who dominate the carpentry business in Goa.

A time will come when there will be no Goans in Goa.

Russians in search of paradise in Goa; while Goans search for a paradise abroad..

2010-04-03T10:01:00.008+03:00

Perfect peace:

Yulia and Timofei Solovyev, with their two children Uma and Om, have swapped the Moscow rush hour for Goan sunshine on a beach in Arambol, Goa

Photo: Kristina Sazonova - Epsilon

An Article in The Telegraph (March 2010):

Tired of city life, Russians are increasingly taking time out in Goa – and some aren't going home.

Five years ago, Yulia Solovyeva's life was like that of any other young professional coming from the provinces to Moscow in search of a career. Mornings began with a quick cup of coffee in a tiny rented room, a walk through slushy streets to the metro, carriages packed with tired faces, and on to the office where she worked as an interpreter.

"I felt like I lived in a cage," says Solovyeva, relaxing in her Goa home, legs folded into the lotus position. "We smoked cigarette after cigarette in constant stress; I could never imagine raising children in that aggressive Moscow environment."

And so, like thousands of other restless young Russians unhappy with city life, she headed to the Indian state of Goa in search of shanti – inner peace. The Russian exodus to Goa has become a trend, and many are moving there for good. Cheap daily charter flights are now carrying thousands of Russians to the former Portuguese colony famous for its beaches and laid-back mood that have been popular with British ravers and drop-outs for decades.

The allure of India has even spawned a best-seller in Russia, The Goa Syndrome, a book about living and working in Goa by Alexander Sukhochev – also known as DJ Sa Shanti, a resident of the Indian state since 2003.

Solovyeva's husband Timofei prefers to describe the drift of Russians to Goa as a movement of "up-lifters" rather then "down-shifters", the term used in the West. The Solovyevas' two children were born in Goa. Their son's name is Om and their daughter's name is Uma after the Hindu god Shiva's wife. There are already two Umas in the growing Russian community and more could be on the way: the community has celebrated a baby boom in the last few years.

Like many other Russians, the couple set up their own business in Goa. "Our yoga resort was the first business on this street five years ago, and now we have dozens of businesses along this shore," says Timofei during a tour of his neighbourhood in Arambol in northern Goa.

Flyers in Russian are pinned to palm trees advertising yoga, massage, traditional Indian music and dance classes for visitors.

Ilya Demenkov, 27, grew tired of his work as a computer programmer at a Moscow IT company. He flew to Goa last year to realise his dream of opening a kitesurfing school. "I came here to begin my own business and find a girlfriend," he says.

Foreigners at a carnival in Goa

Alla Duhl, a St Petersburg painter, found that she could live on just over £300 a month in Goa, including rent for a studio and a room in a house with a tropical garden. "Maybe a British lady would find this environment lacking comfort, but we are used to crowded buses and dirty streets," she says, "so Goa feels like home to us."

Duhl, who paints portraits of local people on pieces of antique dark wood, says she planned to exhibit and sell her art pieces this summer, during one of her short visits to Russia.

Last year, 80,000 Russians flew into Goa, and, according to the Indian embassy in Moscow, 1,400 did not return home before their visas expired.

"Some tourists decide to stay and live in India permanently," says the embassy's secretary.

"Some, we hear, even burn their Russian passports to break off all the connections with home."

On their return to the cold of Russia, some fans of Goa try to preserve their state of shanti. Increasingly, Russian cities have yoga clubs, and practice of the physical and mental discipline has taken off after being barely visible just a few years ago. A new chain of Indian stores, The Way to Yourself, offers everything from Indian tea to little tin kettles – good for washing nasal energy channels or watering flowers.

Recently, fans of Goa gathered at Gazgolder, a hip Moscow night club, for a "Goa Memories" party. Clubbers in Ali Baba baggy pants and Shiva shirts, sun glasses and flip flops, with third eyes painted on their foreheads, danced to tam-tam music under a big video screen featuring Goan scenes: Indian women in bright saris on motor bikes, enormous palm trees, and golden sunshine.

Prodigal Love

2010-03-24T08:13:00.004+03:00

[The characters of this story bear no resemblance to any persons, living or dead]

There’s a saying among Goans that a boy and a girl cannot be ‘just’ friends. But Adelaide and me proved everyone wrong!

Both of us scraped through school and college, virtually living into each other. We shared anything and everything that happened in our life. Not a day passed without our tête-à-têtes. Our topics of conversation ranged from political issues to terrorist activities, Portuguese colonialism to present day tourism, global oil resources to Goan mango prices; but never anything personal. That was one boundary line we never crossed.

Later I made up my mind, I wanted to go abroad.

“Go abroad? You must be kidding... Take a spanner and tighten your screws, your brain is loose,” Adelaide said, “I would never leave my Goa... or marry someone working abroad.. shh...can’t digest that piece of stupidity...”

“What is wrong with that..? And.. you with all your brains.., you want to stagnate here?.. What a waste!” I groaned.

She was unmoved.

Must have been pride or ire, which made me leave without even wishing her goodbye.

Some years passed.

I had a standard job in the Middle-East where I worked hard and earned enough but spent like a Sheikh – living a life of luxuries and entertainment. I had almost forgotten about Adelaide. There was Nazima, a girl from Bombay. But when I found out she was juggling a Britisher, an Arab pilot and an Indian architect in a most misdemeanor, cosmopolitan manner, I decided to check myself.

Occasionally, Adelaide’s father emailed me. Adelaide was working and involved in a number of charity works. She did not have time to think of marriage. And then, as it happens to most complacent people, I thought I fell in love.

Having burned my fingers with Nazima, I should have been immune to Maisel, a Mangalorean working as a ground-hostess at the airport. Her slow, sweet smile, her way of looking at me as if I was her man probably foxed me. I was on top of the world when she told me she was not one of those liberated types. She wanted a home and children. My children.

‘That’s one in the eye for you, Adelaide. Here’s an angel who likes me for what I am,’ I gloated to myself.

The whole affair was going strong when the unexpected happened. It was at one of those Goan dance nites that we attended. Just an hour into the night, a well-built man with hair as long as Sanjay Dutt in ‘Khalnayak’ intruded from nowhere as we danced romantically. Maisel excused herself and stepped across to talk. She waved a casual “I’ll be right back” riposte.

I found myself standing alone on the floor to prying embarrassment of disparaging faces from the society. The man led Maisel out to an adjacent hall, away from the deafening noise. Fearing for her safety, I tagged along and surreptitiously spied on them from close, standing behind a giant vase of flowers.

“You know you cannot go along with this farce, love. I will not let you. How can you marry that dud, when it is I whom you love?” I overheard the man’s tormented voice. He had Maisel covered in his ‘door-like’ stature which completely prevented her from visibility.

“Don’t be so dramatic, Jack,” Maisel replied, “You know my parents. They are old fashioned, I cannot marry you. Besides, this smug, self-important bore will always believe I am the perfect wife for him. These Goan boys are too stupidly unconscious of the fact that we hold them in contempt.”

“Yes, they have this virtuous wife syndrome,” said Jack.

“Dad says he is a very bright boy. Indeed, with all that money rolling in! I love your body darling, but there’s a hole in your pocket. Always!”

I wiped away sweat beads from my forehead. I was heart broken. This mercenary gold digger – was she the one I had supposed would be a good wife? One who proposed to use me as a front for her affair with another man?

But I was not a coward. I ambushed them from the shadows as they got closer for a brush of breath.

“Darling, this is....!” Maisel was about to introduce, then probably caught the message in my eyes and shut her mouth.

I looked around at the monster. And back at Maisel again.

“Do you want to hear me alone or you want Jack to hear too?” I asked.

“What do you mean?” she queried.

“Just that I refuse to play dumb and dance to your tunes...I want a wife who knows the meaning of loyalty, faithfulness and sincerity. You, angel faced, have none of these qualities. So I leave this high-principled man to you. You and your gigolo can rock on from now, you two deserve each other.”

“How dare you say that! I suppose you have some Goan female tucked away in a smelly house, back home there... Go, marry her!” She yelled without guilt or shame.

The MC of the ongoing dance was screaming his lungs out. I paused and stared at the two culprits till he finished his squeals.

“You are not fit to tie even her shoelaces, let alone utter her name. What use are these beautiful hands of yours if they serve no useful purpose except to grab money to be spent on luxuries?” I spat out.

“Stop moralizing, you pious bishop! Go back to her, if you miss her so much.”

“I will...” I said quietly before I stormed away from the scene.

Everything tasted bitter. Like a hurt animal, I wanted to go back to the comfort of those who respected and cared about me. I knew others would think me selfish, but I needed my friend.... my Adelaide, my best buddy in life. She would open her arms wide to welcome me.

I booked the next flight home and immediately sent an sms to Adelaide.

Sure to expectations, she was there at the airport on my arrival. But there was something eerie about the homecoming. A handsome man in blue jeans, with a photoshop face of a filmstar prodigy stood by her side sporting a WWF T-Shirt.

Adelaide tugged on to his arm adoringly as she waved me from the distance.

Goan child prodigy to release Audio CD in Kuwait

2010-03-23T16:36:00.009+03:00

Goan child prodigy Franky Oliveiro to release Audio CD

Kuwait, March 25, 2010: Goa’s famed child prodigy FRANKY OLIVEIRO of Jr. Trio Kings’ fame is set to release his maiden audio CD ‘Gupit Mog’ in Kuwait at Easter.

The lyrics of this specially made album are penned by renowned singer Juju and Caetano Goes, and the music score is provided by Maestro Felipe Barretto.

The album also features well known Goan singers Lawry Travasso, Bushka, Anthony San, Clarissa, Sylvester Vaz, Juju, Larissa Lopes, Clint Furtado and Simon Dias.

Franky started his singing career at the age of 9 and his very first performance for his song ‘Goenchi Mati’ bagged him first prize at the All Goa Singing Competition organized at the village church on 26th December 2001. He won the 1st prize again in 2002 for his song ‘Bhavarth at the all Goa contest.

In 2003, he acted in Albert-Roma’s show ‘Vadoll’. Later, Mario Menezes cast him in his show ‘Sangat Ami Bhurgim Konnachim’ alongside child artiste Shruti, where they both captured hearts of tiatr lovers with heart-wrenching acts. In 2004, Lions Club of Majorda felicitated Franky with a medal and a certificate for his excellent performances on stage.

The young star has also acted in Tony Dias’ ‘Kor Mhojem Kalliz Tujea Kallza Sarkem’, Inacio de Canacona’s ‘Hi Porza’, Menino Mario’s ‘Jivitacho Sangati’, Tony Dias’ ‘Argam Tuka Dhonia’, Star of Curtorim’s ‘Xezapai’, Menino Mario’s ‘Sacrament Sambau’, Pascoal Rodrigues’ ‘Tum Tukach Fottoita’, Comedian Ambe’s ‘Hi Kudd Matiek Laitam’, etc.

On 20th August 2006, Franky performed in Kuwait at Laurent Pereira’s show, ‘Hea Gharachim Dharam Bondh’ alongwith child artistes Aliston and Royston. He has also performed in Jr. Reagan’s ‘Hea Gharachi Sun’ and Francis Cardozo’s ‘Padr Agnel’.

Franky’s presence in video films is also much commendable. His performances can be seen in Agnelo D’Costa’s VCD ‘Mainchem Kalliz’, Tony Dias’ ‘Kor Mhojem Kalliz Tujea Kallza Sarkem’ and ‘Bal Bhavan’; Comedian Ambe’s ‘Doganch Puro’ and Comedian Agostinho’s ‘Aslelim Dukhi, Naslelim Sukhi.’

Franky has also rendered his voice for Walt Simon Productions’ second audio CD ‘KUMSAR’, where he sang the title song.

The momentous release ‘GUPIT MOG’ will be held in Kuwait at Easter.
To book your copies, call Simon (97827670), Avelino (99671107) or Olinda (66164816) or email thelensmen@yahoo.com.

Franky Oliveiro

Born: 28th January 1992
Place of Birth: St. Minguel Vaddo (B), Dramapur, Salcette-Goa
Parents: Joaquim & Filomena Oliveiro
Schooling: Mount Mary’s High School, Chinchinim.
Higher Education: Cuncolim United Higher Secondary.

Photo Courtesy: Simon Dias thelensmen@yahoo.com