Come September

SEPTEMBER somehow seems to cheer up people rather unusually and the overall mood transforms substantially. Of course, the Goan gets easily psyched even by the most subtle variation in the weather. In summer, we complain about the sweltering heat and sweat. "Kitli mhunnon thonddi poddlea re hea vorsa!" a Goan will exclaim in December, as if it is the coldest year in history. The monsoons, of course, is the season of ceaseless sighs. "Hea pavsan vaz haddlo, vot'ta, asrona...thambon thambona," is the common refrain.

Hence our September experience may be emerging from the fact that September puts paid to the long indoors period, when the incessant rains puncture people's mood. You can't always sit pensively drinking in the sweet sounds of the pit-pat on the wet roof. The bouts of thunder and lightening infuses some excitement, though of the unnerving sort, but only at the beginning and when the monsoons end.

The rains certainly restrain young people from indulging in the more physical and exciting outdoor games. Sudden downpours put off elders who would prefer to proceed to the market place...wishing 'boslai', 'jevleat', 'aiz nistem kitem aslem' along the route. The rains keep the fishermen indoors and fish would be from the catch of small nets...mainly of tiny prawns, unfit for frying but only fit for curry, and with bhendde (lady-fingers), you can't beat sungttanchi koddi (prawns curry).

To carry the umbrella or the raincoat along and to ensure that one does not leave it in the bus while alighting in a hurry, or to carry back the protective wear (particularly, when the downpour halts), ain't less of a bother.

Even the list of feasts celebrated in the monsoons fall in a different slot. Of course, we have people jumping in the wells at Sao Joao time, but the fancy fairs around the church, the bursting of khozne, reng-te-teng band, ostentatious and long processions after the high Mass...would be absent. Both the communities begin to celebrate their respective festivals, and most of these generally relate to the harvest.

The lush green paddy fields turn golden and bear precious corn and one finds the cultivator virtually blush, envisaging prosperity ahead. To celebrate the new corn, Goans cook sweet "kheer", before using the harvested rice for xit-koddi. With new rice, September brings plenty of fish - bangdde, korleo, sungttam, tarle, visvonn and the Goan curry returns to its traditional deliciousness. The days of 'sourak' (curry without fish) becomes a thing of the past.

Vegetables, cucumbers, mash-mellons...provide a satisfying treat at the dining table during this period. Yeah...September does bring in a lot of good things in its wondrous wake, not the least of it are the white fluffy clouds drifting across the azure skies to complement the green carpet spreading all around.

BUT this September brought the SADDEST NEWS of all to us in Goa, when three famed, young, musicians, who used to play for Remo's band, died in an accident at Kanpur, while proceeding to Lucknow, to catch a flight after a show at IIT, Kanpur. Look up our lead story for details and pictures.