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- Veena Patwardhan on Great Goans: Bakibab Borkar (1910 – 1984)
- Veena Patwardhan on The Goan Mando: A Malay Connection
- Sunil Karnik on Great Goans: Bakibab Borkar (1910 – 1984)
- J.R. on The Goan Mando: A Malay Connection
- Veena Patwardhan on Between husbands and wives – Part 2
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..u r the very best…proud of you..keep going..ahead is the only way possible..
Thank you so much Meenacshi.
Have read a couple of your articles… simply amazing … Keep Up the good work!!
Glad you like what you read Myrtle. Do visit often…
Wow…. Proud of u …
I like your free style of writing, surely very impressive …. nice to read about you… happy that u have done extremely well for yourself and now living the sunset years well. I know that you and your 2 sisters Vera and Cynthia were all top rankers in school. Your website makes for good reading and will visit it often.
It was nice hearing the goan music ..by the way i have settled in goa since last year ..after 34 yrs of married life in Mumbai ….and yr article on embrace the positives and the adventure begins gives me the boost to enjoy the rest of my days in a more relaxed way.
Congrats and keep up the good work …. God Bless
Lalita Rego Alphonso (yr sister Vera’s batchmate)
Thanks for the appreciation Lalita. Glad you enjoyed browsing around.
I’m sure you won’t regret moving to Goa and I wish you all the best. Cheers!
Hello Veena,
I found you through your comment on Chris Foster’s “The Happy Seeker.” I like your style!
While not yet (officially) a senior, I do aspire to recognizing the advantages (and humour) that can be found in the ageing process. It some ways I jumped-the-gun in that: my children are grown and have been leading their own lives for many years now, I am the proud grandmother of three boys, the oldest being 9 years old, the past five years, I lived on an island in the Caribbean–early retirement–long before I could afford to. And I recently returned to my home-town in Ontario, Canada to be closer to those grandsons I mentioned. I was widowed at 43, he was all of 46, that is when my desire, passion, commitment to writing was sparked.
Please keep adding to your site, and write, write, write! I can be found (most days) at my “castle in the air” I used to hang out in the Roatan Vortex, and just have to share my attempt at a profound quote on ageing.
“Now that I’m almost 50, I’m grateful for my kneecaps–they keep my thighs from pooling around my ankles.” – Genevieve Ross aka Queen Genevieve at CastleMuse.
Hi Genevieve! It’s great making contact with a fellow writer, though I’ve yet to meet someone like you who has has lived on a Caribbean island and a castle in the air!
Wishing you all the best and may your cute little grandsons help you sustain your sense of humour and your passion for writing.
Very interesting article on ABBE FARIA. Maybe you would like to write about more unknown but famous Goans like BAPISTA PEREIRA who was the first Goan to go to Zanzibar and even at one time rescued the Sultan from invaders to his Palace there for which he was honoured by having his name on a street there. For further details you can contact his Grandson IGNATIUS PEREIRA presently in Australia and now 90 yrs old. I am the greatgranddaughter and live in Goa. Ignatius can be contacted by email: dianpera@tadaust.org.au
Veena do contact me if you remember Christine Noronha from Sophia College 1972 microbiology batch.
Of course I remember you Christine. And I specially remember the homemade carrot cake you had brought to class one day! I’m so happy you found my site.
Hello ma’m,
I love travelling and photography and want to make it my career but am not getting the right guidance. Kindly guide me.
Hello Deepanshu,
To make a career as a travel photojournalist, it’s not enough to just love travelling and photography. You need to work hard to polish your writing and photography skills to a level that will impress editors. (That’s because it’s easier to sell your pics as a photojournalist than just as a photographer.) Then try to get a break by first just selling your pics, beginning with travel websites and then moving onto smaller print publications (smaller newspapers and magazines). Then approach the same online or print publications for selling your services as a travel photojournalist. After building a good portfolio you can then approach bigger publications. And here’s a link to an article that offers helpful advice to aspiring travel photojournalists like you, which I have suggested to others who had a similar query as you: http://blog.getaway.co.za/travel-ideas/travel-advice/how-to-become-a-travel-photojournalist/
Unfortunately at Let’s Travel we don’t have any openings for beginners or experienced professionals in the field.
All the best!
Hello Ma’am,
This is the first time I’ve read about you and your blog, and after reading about you and your journey towards pursuing a career as a writer, I feel you will be able to help me in some way.
I am 19 yrs old and a 2nd year Management student pursuing my degree from St.Xavier’s College, Mumbai. I am very interested in writing and want to pursue a short certificate course in creative writing. Please suggest some good institution. As a start I am trying to read good articles, and magazines, and also write on some famous local personalities in Mumbai after conversing with them about their life experiences. I really think I could write better after doing a certificate course in writing. Hoping for some help from you.
Thank you:)
Hi Rachana,
Sorry for the delay in responding. Since you’re already reading good publications and even making an attempt to write, you’ve taken the correct approach towards writing better. Actually, the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai, runs a good certificate course in creative writing. It’s a 6-session course (once a week in the evening) and the next one is starting on the 28th of this month. But no matter where you enroll for such a course, ultimately how successful you become as a writer depends on how hard you work at developing and polishing your writing skills. All the best!
PS: Later on, if you want to find opportunities for earning money through writing you could start with the ones I’ve mentioned in the 6th part of my free tutorial here.
Dear Veena’ji
Yes I’m adding ‘ji’ after your name after considering, summing up, and weighing the wisdom you have shared on the web. I read a few blog posts and found them interesting, and thought-provoking, making readers ponder over the issue. Your blog is indeed impressive, a kind of lamp post shining its light for passers by.
Ulka and I were just talking about travelling freely on our own (like backpackers!) in Australia or the US. That’s when she recalled your tête–à–tête last month and told me about your website and blog.
I liked your advise “Don’t leave things too late like I did!”. Since almost 2 yrs I’ve been trying my hand at writing and inking my thoughts ‘digitally’. The purpose of my writing is to share an experience with readers and make them feel what I am feeling, at that very moment. It is the process of enriching readers, so that without ‘actually’ going thru the experience, they can feel the experience through my writing. I choose to write for my own reasons but if the emotions of readers are evoked, then it is a by-product. Spontaneous writing happens when you are reflecting on an incident, instantly.
Feel free to browse thru my blogs on http://anahat-mankar.tumblr.com/. The name of my facebook world is MANKAR Pravin.
Hope to see you sometime , somewhere on this planet.
Dear Pravin’ji,
I’ve chosen to add ‘ji’ while addressing you because of the feelings of respect and admiration your writings in Marathi and English evoked in me. Even at the risk of this exchange sounding like a mutual admiration club, I have to acknowledge that you’re a gifted writer. What strikes a reader instantly is that you have the mind of a poet and you express your thoughts so beautifully. Your writing is spontaneous, honest, and insightful, and your observations and experiences in different countries so interesting. Perhaps you should consider compiling your experiences in Saudi Arabia, China, Turkey, and other parts of the world into a Marathi travel book?
And thanks for the beautiful comparison of my blog to a lamp post shedding light. I appreciate the compliment. (Writers need them to keep on flexing our writing muscles, to carry on wielding our pens, or keyboards… right?
Hi Veena, Lovely voice. Enjoyed the Goan mando and hope to hear more songs in the future. Wishing you all the very best. Love & God Bless.
Thanks for the compliments, Brenda.
Veena,
I salute you.
I read your post “A Tale of two Referendums” (The 1967 Goa Opinion Poll and Scotland’s Referendum) on FB, and went to your website.
I did my schooling in Aldona, Goa; then College at St. Xavier’s Bombay, passed out of T.S. Dufferin in 1959, went out to sea …sailed the high seas……. And retired in 1998, living in Mumbai with my wife, and a daughter. This note comes to you from Austin, Texas, where we are spending time with our son and family.
I am crazy about Goan Music, Folk songs and dances, mandos etc.
I would love to receive your writings and stay in touch with you.
Blessings of grace and peace. Joe.
Thanks for the appreciation Joe. And enjoy your holiday in Texas.
Do check my links on Facebook to keep abreast of all my posts. Alternatively, on my home page you could scroll down to the three icons on the right, below the archives list, and click on the RSS Feed icon, the fan-like one on the right. On the RSS Feed page click on ‘Subscribe now” and you’ll get alerts whenever I upload a fresh post. As a mando lover, if you haven’t checked it out already, perhaps you would be interested in listening to my first music video (just 2 minutes) featuring a much loved mando Istimosanv Rozachem here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr6ATfYLoEM
I am haunted by the memory of Bakibab’s poem Nile Nile Savne Ek Sakalchya go para.
Do you know the words or about a recording of it, anywhere?
Really appreciate it if you can find it.
Uma
Here are the lyrics of this beautiful poem Uma:
निळें निळें सवणें एक
सकाळच्या गो पारा
भांगराचीं घुंगरां बांदून
आयलें म्हज्या दारा!
सवणें गायत आयलें तशें
झाडां पेडां लागलें पिशें
कोमऱ्यो आंकऱ्यो फ़ुटुन म्हजें
पोरसूं आयलें चंवरा
निळें निळें सवणें एक
आयलें म्हज्या दारा!
म्होवान भल्ले फ़ुलां-कळे
हरयाळेक फ़ुटले दोळे
अकस्मात अमृताचे
गित सुचले भंवरा
निळें निळें सवणें एक
आयलें म्हज्या दारा!
सवणें जिवा भिडून गेलें
हांवय जालें गाड निळें
दिश्टाव्यान भेटलें हांव
म्हज्या राज कुंवरा
निळें निळें सवणें एक
आयलें म्हज्या दारा!
And here’s what I found out about the poem: It features in the book Painzonna, was set to music by Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki, and was most probably sung by Krishna Kalle.
Hi Veena,
Have you heard of a writer called Caridade Damacian, from Aldona? He used to write Konkani Romanxi just like Reginaldo. Alfred Rose has sung a song in his honour.
I would highly appreciate it if through your research more light could be shed on his works.
Thanks.
Sorry for the delayed response, Antonio. Yes, Caridade Damaciano Fernandes from Aldona was one of our pioneering writers in Romi Konkani, and unfortunately, also one of the many unsung heroes of Goa. He had around 100 works of fiction to his name. Starting out as a seaman, his love of writing made him turn to fiction writing and journalism. He lived in Bombay and was the editor of the English-Konkani weekly newspaper The Emigrant. When he died in 1948, he was only 44 years old.