Jimmy Gazdar's house near the Central Jail in Aguada, below the Church of St Lawrence in Sinquerim, is a prominent entrant from Goa in the famed 'Indian Interiors' book, published by German publishers, Taschen. Priced at Rs 2,200, this 319-page book is the Indian counterpart of the series which includes 'Paris Interiors' and 'Moroccan Interiors'.

Gujder's house has the reputation of "never being photographed before" for any publication. In a review of the book, the national news-weekly OUTLOOK called the house "a Goan baron's Mediterranean wish fulfilment".

"It is an exotic synthesis of gargoyles, Manueline architecture, Tuscan facades, Spanish steps and Venetian arches," said the magazine. Outlook noted that the mansion had been created by architect Gerard da Cunha "under strict instructions that there were to be no Indian ethnic references". It termed the place as "Gazdar's astonishing 12-acre 'slice of Europe'."

Frederick Noronha fred@goa1.dot.net.in

Goan musician Emiliano Da Cruz present Maldives stint seems to have inspired him to "compose and create new sounds in music." Immediately on returning from the Taj hotels assignment in the sunny isles Emiliano plans to release two millenium albums. One will deal with the creativity of the fabulous trio--Mario, Avelino and Emiliano--and the other will dwell on pure Goan stuff coming from his magical strings and fingers. The high-spending French, Japanese, German and British guests at the Taj Lagoon and the Taj Coral Reef are fascinated by the versatile music provided by the Goan group and "keep asking us from where we come. Some of the Japanese never heard the name of Goa, says Emiliano.

My father Bernard Pinto passed away on June 4, 1999 in Mumbai. While designing his months mind mass card I thought of using the Sanskrit text.

Asatoma sat gamaya, Tamasoma jyotir gamaya Mrythyorma amrutam gamaya I did a basic translation in Konkani but realized that it did not retain the feel of the original text. So I sent out messages to friends and two of our Goan scholars who I knew would do justice to the text. What I received from three of them has as mother said deserves a thought (niall korunk favo). I thought I'd share these tranlations with all of you on the list.

Khoim sot na thoinchean amkam sotakoddem vhor Kallokantlim amkam uzvaddant hadd Mornnantlim amkam sasnnachea jivitak pavoi
Fr. Matthew Almeida, S.J., Director, Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr, Alto Porvorim, Goa per kind favor of Fr. Charles Borges, SJ

Asotak tan Sotak tum amkam pavoi Kalokak tan Uzzvadant amkam choloi Morna tan Sasnik Jivitant.
Fr. James Fernandes, CSSR (Redemptorists) Our Lady of Perpetual Succor, Chembur, Mumbai

Fottintle sotant (vhor amkam) Kallkantle uzvaddant (vhor amkam) Mornantle omor jivitant (vhor amkam)
Dr. Teotonio R. de Souza, Portugal

It is so fascinating that all the translations were so precise yet so different in the language used to express the same meaning. It was hard designing the card but the beauty of our language as it reached out helped a lot.

Venantius J Pinto mudra@inch.com

The last solar eclipse of the millennium was watched avidly by millions of people all over the world. It was a fascinating view of the radiant sun when any shadow falls on it. Here's one of the pictures picked up from the internet by Berardo P. Pereira.