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From Yours Truly - The Editor
Bahrain Goans NewsLine
Readers Write
Taking You to Goa
Little Stars of Goa in Bahrain
Religious Corner
Just Kidding - Konkani
Azo & Bozo - Konkani
Konkani Poem
Footprints of Goans in Bahrain
Past N Future
Did You Know ?
Sports Zone
My association with several activities in the Goan community of Bahrain, pitches me, at times, in a peculiar situation with my acquaintances. It is my pleasure to contribute, support and assist in any way possible to anything that is Goan on the island. However, there are a few things that have remained very close to my heart for some time now. They are:
Xit-Koddi - The monthly e-newsletter that I have published uninterrupted for the last five years. This is my personal endeavour out of love for every Goan in Bahrain, past and present. A little informative note that I started five years ago now reaches far and wide, a readership across continents, and is being hosted on several Goan forums worldwide. Xit-Koddi, does not belong to any group or association. I welcome anyone and everyone to share news, views and reviews that are beneficial to our community.
Bahrain Goans Facebook Page: Once again, this page on Facebook, with over 1700 members, is not linked to any group or association. I have been maintaining this page since 2011, with the objective of connecting past and present Goans of Bahrain, and sharing information that is related and useful to our community.
Bahrain Goans Football: Here I am with a group of die-hard football lovers. For over 15 years, Bahrain Goans have been at the forefront in organizing football activities on the island. The dedicated Bahrain Goans core team has, over the years, provided regular football on Friday evenings to our boys, who otherwise would have nothing to do at all.
Young Goans Club: Among the registered expatriate associations, this is the second oldest club on the island. For over 60 years, YGC has promoted our culture, traditions and identity in this foreign land. I am one of the few lifetime members of this age-old institution.
YGC is a legacy of our forefathers and it’s gratifying to contribute towards and support the same aim through my personal work of Xit-Koddi, Bahrain Goans Facebook page and the joint effort of the Bahrain Goans Footballers.
May the Goans of Bahrain continue to work with the same zeal and strengthen the institution of our forefathers - The YGC.
Bahrain Goans-anchea moga khatir.
Gõya tujea moga khatir
Korchem hanvem kitem?
Gõya tujea moga khatir
Ravchem hanvem koxem?
Gõya tujea moga khatir
Ulounchem hanvem kitem?
Gõya tujea moga khatir
Borounchem hanvem kitem?
Gõya tujea moga khatir
Hanvem,
Konknni samballchi
Konknni ulounchi
Konknni borounchi
Konknni xikchi
Amchea ghorchea ani somajik dobajeamni
Konknnich vaporchi
Lozo nastanam tichi seva korchi
Ani ek dis
Amcho sorkar Konknnintlean cholunk
Amich bunead ghalchi
Gõya tujea moga khatir
(Thanks to Vincy Quadros for sending us this poem. we invite our readers to send us Konkani poems for this column. Poems should not be more than 12 lines)
= GR Crasto
Demand for Dual Citizenship: The NRI cell of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) placed a strong demand for dual citizenship for Goans holding Portuguese passports. The demand was presented to GPCC president Luizinho Faleiro during a meeting of the NRI cell of the Gulf region held in Doha, Qatar, on May 9. The former president of Young Goans Club, Francis Correia, and our editor GR Crasto are members of this NRI cell representing Bahrain. Meanwhile, according to reports in the local media in Goa, the Union Ministry for Law and Justice has advised the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) that the Citizenship Act of the country may be amended to grant one-time amnesty to those Goans who have registered their births in Portugal. The MHA is currently maintaining the "status quo" on the issue till the Centre takes a final decision. Any amendment to the law would have to be passed by Parliament and no time frame has been fixed in the matter.
Vishwa Konkani Scholarship: Here is a wonderful opportunity for Konkani-speaking students. Students of Konkani speaking communities who intend to pursue careers in Engineering or Medicine can apply for Vishwa Konkani Scholarships. Students with 70% of marks in core subjects at the higher secondary examinations, are eligible to apply for this scholarship amounting to Rs. 30,000 and Rs. 40,000 for engineering and medicine respectively. The last date to apply is July 10. For details and to apply for the scholarship online visit: www.vishwakonkani.org
Only 13 Bahrain Goans? The Navhind Times has revealed that only 13 Goans from Bahrain are registered with the NRI Commission Goa. The commission was established in the year 2006 and Dr. Wilfred Misquita is the current Commissioner of the cell. The NRI Commission is a facilitation centre to assist Goans living abroad, whenever they have problems or face a crisis in the country of their residence, or in Goa. The commission issues a ‘Goa Card’ that entitles NRI’s of speedy government-related services. NRIs are reluctant to register with the commission but expect the government to attend to their problems on a war footing when they are in crisis, said Dr. Misquita, talking to the media in Goa.
Amnesty For Illegal Expat Workers: Bahrain would allow an amnesty for illegal workers in the Kingdom to return to their homelands without penalties, the Labour Market Regulatory Authority has announced in a statement. Illegal expats will also have an option to legalize their stay in Bahrain by finding an employment with a legal sponsor. The amnesty period is for six months beginning July 1.
Bozo: Ajea, he akantvaddi atam Gulfant paule mure. Saudi ani Kuveit, masjidanim bomb ghalun kitloch lok moron ghelo. Hea akantvaddeank, Devachi legun bhirant nam xi dista.
Jivexim marum naie, mhunn amkam soglech dhorm xikoita, tor he aknatvaddi khuichea dhormache ?
Azo: Sarkem tujem, Bojea. Punn 'jivexim marum naie' konnak ? Munxeak vo zonvarank ?
Bozo: Ajea, atam amchea Indiek kaim zageamcher gai-ek marpacher bhondi ghatlea mhunn tum oxem uloita kitem?
Azo: Nam, Bojea ! Eka dhorm pixeak, anvem oxench sanglelem anik to maka vincharta, jivexim marum naie - konnak ? Nit mellchi khatir jiv gheum eta mhunn to sangta.
Bozo: Punn, Ajea, masjid ani mondiranim magnem kortele chalte lokancher bomb ghalun, kosli nit sodtat kai, he akantvaddi ?
Azo: Bojea, hacho zabab mhojea lagim nam. Amche konnui vachpem lagim aslear amkam dhaddun diucho. Mog asum ani Dev amcho Jiv rakum.
= Bap'pa Bahreinkar
Johnson Rodrigues (Bahrain): Thanks to Xit-Koddi for all the efforts to arrange the screening of Konkani Film ‘Nachom-ia Kumpasar’ in Bahrain. I was not lucky to see it in Goa as the shows were always sold out. Thanks to your team for organizing this in Bahrain and may God Bless you for your service towards the community.
Ghorkar: Hanv 3 disanchea retirak vetam
Ghorkarn: Vhodd khoxen punn veche adim sangatan magnnem korum-ia.
Ghorkar: Borem asa.
Ghorkarn: Dhonia Deva, provas kortanam mhojea ghorkarachi rakhonn kor.
Ghorkar: Amen.
Ghorkarn: Taka kosleach patkant ghali naka chodd korun dusrea bailanchea.
Ghorkar ogich ravta.
Ghorkarn: Zor tor to dusrea bailam koddem meter zalo zalear taka ghorach haddinaka.
Ghorkar: Ogi rav thoim. Hanv retirak vochonam. Atanch Povitr Otmo mhoje bhitor sorla ani tannem sanglem retir 'cancel' zala mhonn.
(Vincy Quadros-anchea adharan)
Perfect Couple
Since Last 25 years
Congratulations
On Your Silver Wedding
OBITUARIES
Tome Neves Noronha
Former Employee of GPZ
Died on May 20, 2015
At Corjuem - Goa
.......... that the dish sorpotel stems from 'sarapatel'. Literally meaning 'confusion', probably refers to the mish-mash of pork heart, liver and pork blood in the dish.
OBITUARY
12 May 2015
Johnny & Rita Dias
(Son Gavin)
Lester Almeida
Employee of
Bahrain Airport Services
Died On June 5, 2015
At Panjim - Goa
May Their Souls Rest In Peace
Glams Fernandes
Ex-employee of
Lufhtansa, Bahrain
Died on June 16, 2015
At Agonda - Goa
May His Soul Rest In Peace
Alvito Dias: Xit-Koddi is pleased to find in Bahrain the footprints of a Goan, who loves our culture and traditions. He is Alvito Dias, hailing from Fatorda - the suburb of the town of Margao.
Caroline Ferrao: “There are no secrets of success at school. It is the result of preparation, hard work and God’s blessings” said our little Goan Star in Bahrain - Caroline Ferrao.
Alvito arrived in Bahrain in December 2008 to work for Johnny Rockets, where he continues to work till today. He has climbed up the ladder of success and is currently holding the post of Supervisor. Alvito, who loves to cook Goan dishes, spent his free time cooking during his first two years in Bahrain. Perhaps, it was his cooking skills that earned him many friends. 'I used to get a full house of friends on my off days' he recollects and that ignited in him the zeal to organize social events.
She was responding to Xit-Koddi, as we congratulated her on her splendid success at the CBSE exams held in March 2015. Caroline scored 96 per cent marks in her 10th Class at the Indian School, Bahrain. Her favourite subject is mathematics and she has chosen commerce with maths, to continue her studies in higher secondary with the aim of becoming a Chartered accountant. Caroline, born and brought up in Bahrain, is the daughter of Jacintha and Lawrence Ferrao. Her brother Rayden is a 4th grade student at the Indian School. The family hails from the scenic coastal town of Benaulim, Goa. We wish Caroline continued success in her studies.
It was through Bonnie Souza and Joaquim Mascarenhas that Alvito came in contact with several other Goans on the island. He joined Joseph Noronha and a few others to host Sao Joao festivities in Bahrain in the year 2011. The success of this event and the patronage by Goans in large numbers, prompted him to put up more shows. Later, along with close associates, he was instrumental in forming the CRAB (Claude, Rocky, and Alvito & Bonny) Entertainment group. Crab has successfully organized Carnival, San Joao and Goenchi Sanz in the recent past. During Goenchi Sanz 2014, CRAB felicitated several Goans, who have excelled in different fields on the island in association with our e-newsletter Xit-Koddi.
Alvito, who has an artistic mind, has always created a Goan atmosphere for the events he has organized. Besides the social get-togethers, he enjoys portraying Goan folk dances and has choreographed, participated and presented several Goan cultural dances at different events on the island.
SACRED HEART CHURCH
"STARS MEET" - Summer Camp 2015 will be conducted by Sacred Heart Church Parish from July 6 to July 31 for children of age groups 7 to 16 years. Registration Forms are available in the parish office and in the Religious Gift Corner.
Pope Francis
And
His Inspirational Quotes
We Have No Bread, Lets Eat Cake
The Work on the on the third Mandovi Bridge in Goa is underway at a fast pace, but questions are already being asked on the need to have a third bridge across the Mandovi, especially when there is only one bridge over the Zuari River (Agacaim/Cortalim) and that too, on the verge of collapse. Thanks to our politicians, if you dont have bread - eat cake, they say. We bring you an attractive You-tube of the Mandovi Bridge under construction. Cake, Indeed !!
Alvito met Trudy in Bahrain and they were married in January 2014 in Goa. He is planning to leave Bahrain shortly with better prospects in sight elsewhere. 'I have enjoyed my stay in Bahrain surrounded by warm and friendly people including the local Bahrainis. I am going to miss Bahrain - which has been a second home to me,' he told Xit-Koddi.
We wish Alvito and his wife Trudy a successful and pleasant future.
Saudi Goans Attend Sao Joao In Bahrain: The Crab Entertainment Group celebrated the traditional Goan Sao Joao festival captivating the joyful spirit at the Papillion Restaurant in Bahrain. The colorful event last night featured several Goan traditions including distribution of fruits and sweets in the hall. The attendees were seen in colorful head-gear, dancing throughout the night to several Konkani songs of yesteryear, played by DJ Lucio. Pio Fernandes, who
compered the program, gave away spot prizes to the audience on for an interesting quiz based on Sao Joao. Several singers including Pio, sang Konkani songs to entertain the crowd. Francis Correia, the former president of Young Goans Club (YGC) was the chief guest, while the present president Noel Fernandes, Vice-president Steven Dias and a few committee members also attended the function. The Crab Entertainment Group felicitated Francis Correia for his community service and specially for keeping the YGC flag flying for 9 long years. The Crab members are seen here presenting a memento to him. Among the large number of attendees, was a group of Goans from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. These Goans, who regularly attend Goan socials in Bahrain, are seen in the picture above. Meanwhile, the San Joao festivities by the Young Goans Club scheduled for June 12 are now postponed to July 31. The event with games, music and food will be held at the Zezenya Poolside in Ghufool from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For details contact the YGC Committee members on 36744788, 39901147, 39123820 or 33204141.
‘Nachom-ia Kumpasar’ Mesmerises Bahrain: The screening Of "Nachom-ia Kumpasar' at Al Hamra Cinema in Bahrain last night, was a much awaited one, coming through a long while after the movie was declared a stunning hit. "Xit-Koddi" - E-newsletter - thanks all those who made it possible for bringing the film to Bahrain, especially Cineco (Bahrain Cinema Company) and our sponsors 'Expat’. As expected, the film - a nostalgic recreation of the 1960s era, an age that showcased Goa's musical heritage - left the audience mesmerized. Thanks to Silvester B. Mascarenhas for his review ‘Aum Azun Pasun Nachtam..’ reproduced here:
“Watching ‘Nachom-ia-Kumpasar’ on June 5, 2015, was the best birthday gift I could give myself. Having grown up watching Konkani tiatrs (stage shows) as a youngster, watching Konkani films on-screen did not really hold any appeal to me. There is magic in tiatrs, and it is shared by both the audience and the actors. But while I have no love for Konkani films, I went for ‘Nachom-ia-Kumpasar’ because my mother was in Bahrain.
“Well, as I said at the start of this rant, it was the best decision. So good that I watched it twice!
“Every song of the film from the first song ‘Cu Cu Ru Cu Cu’ to the last ‘Aikat Mhozo Tavo’ gave me goose bumps, flooding my head with memories of songs that would be played in my childhood on a mono-speaker radio cassette player. The melodies and lyrics at the time were hummed and sung by my mum, sisters, dad and others as it played on the airwaves. The melodious voices of the many greats of the Konkani entertainment industry filled my head, including Alfred Rose, Rita Rose, M. Boyer, our very own Bab Peter and more.
“The storyline of the movie itself was something that I had grown up listening to in my house, since my dad too was a tiatrist. ‘Nachom-ia-Kumpasar’, is the Konkani equivalent of the Sound of Music. It is a journey through the life of some of our most prolific Goan musicians, whose compositions, melodies and voices have given us immortal and timeless music. Great acting from the whole cast, their portrayal of emotions is mind-blowing and projected right onto the audience. The quality of the filmmaking too is something that should receive an accolade. Bardroy Barretto deserves to be honored for making the film, and I hope our Goan community does do that. I am still a fan of tiatrs but if films of this quality are made regularly then yes, I will certainly go to watch it with the family.
GR Crasto and his team should also get their due thanks and appreciation for their efforts and making it possible to have the film screened in the Kingdom of Bahrain.”
YGC To Celebrate World Goa Day: The Young Goans Club (YGC) in yesteryears was like a ‘Mini Goa’ in Bahrain. Almost anything and everything that was celebrated in Goa was replicated here at the YGC. Several Goan social groups like Islanders, ADS, New Stars etc., and village groups such as Sons Of St. Thomas Cansaulim, Calangute Benfica, St. Anthony’s Siolim and others, had their events under the patronage of YGC. And the Club organised the main events like New Year Ball, Carnival, Easter, May Queen, Bandra Fair, Christmas Tree for children etc. Among all these activities, YGC celebrated Goa Day on a very big scale. Above is a picture from our archives of the YGC Goa Day Organising Committee 1991.
It is heartening to note that the YGC Managing Committee has scheduled the celebration of Goa Day 2015 for September 11. It is significant to mention that this is the first time that this event will be celebrated as part of World Goa Day (WGD).
WGD was introduced to commemorate the anniversary of the inclusion of Konkani in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution by the Indian Parliament on the 20th of August, 1992, when Konkani was recognised as one of the official languages of India. The objective of the WGD is to promote WGD within the wider Goan community, by designating a day specifically for Goans to reflect on our Goan identity, to consider what being a Goan means to us, to take pride in being Goan and to unite with Goans all over the world, in solidarity, to celebrate Goa’s history, language, music, cultural heritage and traditions. The event, to build a Global Goan Alliance was introduced by Rene Baretto based in United Kingdom in 1999. Manuel Fernandes, a Konkani writer and poet, has been nominated as the Coordinator of this event in event in Bahrain. The WGD by YGC under the international theme ‘Goa - A land united by beautiful villages’ will be held at the Baan Saeng Thai Restaurant Auditorium in Adliya from10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will feature food and games stalls with a variety of stage programs. A live band and a DJ will also be in attendance. More details of the event, that will include festivities of Bandra Fair, too will be released shortly by the YGC.
Salcette Lift Champions Cup: Salcette United continued their winning streak emerging champions in the 7-a-side football tournament organized by Showstoppers, and played at the Winners Football Centre at Isa-Town. In the finals played on June 12 they stopped the march of Showstoppers beating them 3 - 1 to lift the Champions Cup 2015 and a cash prize of BD 200. Earlier in the quarterfinals FC Goa (Bahrain) had to bow out via a penalty shootout losing 4 - 5 to Salcette United. Salcette United got the better of title contenders Al Keralawi in the semi-finals also via the tie-breaker. JMJ Bardez Boys, the other Goan team among the 12 participating teams lost in the semi-finals to Showstoppers 1 - 2. This is the third title in a row for Salcette United having earlier won the Goan inter-village 9-a-side and their own 7-a-side football tournament. Xit-Koddi congratulates Salcette United for emerging on top among the Indian expatriate teams on the island.
FC Goa (Bahrain) Launched: FC Goa successfully captured the imagination of Goans towards the beautiful game of football in the Indian Super League Season 2014. FC Goa was instrumental in rejuvenating and drawing crowds back to the stadiums. To complement this success ‘FC Goa (Bahrain)’ has been launched to spread the love of football among Goans. The players and supporters of FC Goa (Bahrain) are seen in the above picture. The team is powered by our e-newsletter Xit-Koddi.
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Produced and Presented by G.R Crasto
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