PEOPLE

Email has proved to be the easiest and most convenient way to reach out to people, whom you don't know but who are likely to be of any help, particularly during international travel. Per Anderson, a travel-writter of the popular Swedish "Vagabond", too got acquainted with us through email. At the beginning of November, he was in Anjuna observing at what point tourism in Goa has arrived. Anjuna appears to be the yardstick for gauging the extent of development in the sphere of tourism.

The last time Per was in Goa was somewhere in the late Eighties. But he still seems to treasure sweet memories of his first visit, and not even the haphazard development in tourism in Goa seems to have changed his mind on this score. Along with Per, was ample-bodied, every-smiling  free-lance photographer Michael. The adroit lensmen has been accompanying Per during their frequent visits to India. But they hardly ever touch Goa.

The art galleries coming up in the Calangute belt appears to have emerged into ideal places to bump into the Goan brand of gliterrati. Daniel Ferrao's newly established Antiques Gallery at Khobra Vaddo in Calangute was inaugurated on November 16 by Dr Elsa Barros, the Vice-Consul of Portugal in Panjim. Present on the occasion were renowned lovers of antiques and conservation. The picture show Dr Elsa Barros (sitting) with Alexyz visualising the joke is likely to crack within moments to the amusement of F Mascarenhas, Delegate of Fundacao Oriente in Goa, and his wife.

So was present at the Antiques Gallery that evening the wellknown surrealist painter of Calangute, Xavier Lobo, along with his petite wife (also a painter) Jacinta. Nowadays one hardly sees much of the aesthetic works of the artist couple because they generally have the continental art collectors purchasing their works. Moreover, they have shifted resident to riverine Siolim.

While I have been talking about people from here and there, right into the humble GoaNOW studio, at Assagao, walked in friendly Goanetters Stephen and Yeademin Fernandes from the US, along with their youngest child Daniel. They were holidaying in Siolim and probably wanted to check up whether the English-Konkani webzine really comes out from the Assagao valley hedged from Siolim by a green hillock. Wonder whether they found our pad a respectable place for an internet magazine. We, of course, were overjoyed at being visited by a goanetter couple.

Dr Carmo D'Souza from Calangute has already written a series of books on diverse topics, though his field of specialisation is law. Just recently his latest books "The Indian and Portuguese Constitutions: A Comparative Study (Vol I)" was released at the hands of Justice Santana da Silva, in the august presence of Dr Vera Fernandes, the Consul General of Portugal in Panjim. Dr Carmo's book highlights certain constitutional concepts found in India and Portugal. It also has a historical account of the Constitutions of both the countries.

With so many pots surrounding him one would naturally think that Galdino D'Souza of Maina in Socorro is either a potter or a ceramic artists. The Khar'rem area is even popular for potters, though originally they hail from Pilerne. The genial elderly Galdino is a painter, who loves to paints traditional Goan pots...nothing but pots. And his paintings are so well liked that several have crossed the seas being bought by Europeans. Galdino has not studied painting formally but has picked up the technique to keep himself engaged in his retirement. His magical works will be on view during the international convention of the World Wide Goans at the Menezes Braganza Institute in Panjim in December.

Joel D'Souza