GOA-MERRY CHRISTMAS

Hi everyone,

its time to forget the past & get ready to welcome the caring,loving the one & only our dear Santa Uncle.its fun time.let us roll red carpet for Santa..

the entire Goa is getting ready for their important festival the Christmas.the Goan homes are full of guests,kids,grandpas & grandmas every one waiting for the Santa.

The Goan Christmas is very special & different than many states of India.All the Churches are decorated with colourful lights.And the midnight mass of 24 th dec is unique.every one will be dressed smartly & this mass will be attended by huge numbers.all the people will wish each other & express their love.its really wonderful to see the affection of these brothers & sisters.

the 25 th dec is fun day.parties,get together & just masti with your Friends & loved ones.

The festival of Christmas spreads the message of love & brotherhood.

let us join together to spread this message......

Bye

GOA-OUR SANDY BEACHES OR THEIR WAR ZONE

(photo courtesy-dainik gomantak)

Hi everyone,

look at the above picture & tell me where we are heading to.the famous white sand beaches of our Goa or the war zones of handful of terrorists.

while all the Goans are already in the mood of Christmas festivities the govt under specific threats from the intelligence agencies had no option but to set up bunkers with armed soldiers at important beaches like Miramar,Donapaula,Campla,Calangute,Colva etc to safeguards the tourists who are descending here from all over the globe.

but tell me do you want these bunkers on our beaches ?definitely not so let us do our work as responsible citizen of India.

*let us watch out for suspicious people & activities.
*inform police if you suspect anything.
*respect these soldiers in the bunkers.
*travel if its only must
*don't fall in the false promises of unknown persons.

So guys get up it is our time to protect our Goa.So let us do our bit of duties & happily enjoy the Christmas festivities.

Bye.

GOA-FALLOUT OF MUMBAI ATTACKS

Hi everyone,

we all must be trying to forget the mumbai attacks.i know it is very difficult but time is the best medicine.wounds will heal with the time & mumbaikars will again live their routine life.

the tourism business across the country was hit by these terrorists attacks.the small state like Goa where the tourism is the main source of income the fall outs are very disturbing & serious.
i have understood from the hospitality industry source that the charters are going to reduce by at least 30%.the bookings are cancelled almost every where.remember this is the peak season for Goa & in the recent history we have not heard such things.

the things are going to worsen as every other day Goa receives specific terror threats & the tourists are confused.the state govt of Goa appears to be taking some action but you know God can only help us.

the local business of hospitality/travel/restaurants etc is going to get hit as the world wide recession is also fueling the down fall.this will result into many serious issues like unemployment etc.

so let us debate what we can do i such situation.i am honestly not very sure.your inputs are most welcome.

bye

MUMBAI BLEEDING

Last 60 hrs what we saw as Indian on our TV sets was somthinh which is most shocking & unthinkable incident.10 fanatic youths from neighbouring country comes in from sea enters countries financial capital & fires on inoccent lives & kills them.

they make the elite NSG & mumbai ploice to sweat before getting defeated.we lost our top police men,young NSG commando & many innocent lives in the bargain.now its all over so all my Indian brothers & sisters wake up act proactively in our lives & contribute your little bit for better tomorrow.

In my opinion every Indian citizen should act decisively now.it will be too late if we sleep this time also.i have made my own action plan & will try implementing the same.following are few of the actions
1.forget who am i.first I am an Indian.
2.if i see somthing suspicious any where will report about the same to police immidiately.
3.i will never support communal groups with regional bias.
4.the word greed is not in my dictionery.
5.follow civic sense in public places.
6.restrain from rumours mongering.
7.respect countries defence forces,police & para military forces.you have seen they are the real
heros.
8.think & act.
............... & so on

the list is very long.but it is very difficult to forget the past 60 hrs .god bless you all

IFFI GOA 2008

Hi everyone

the 39 th International Films Festival of India was thrown open to the world in glittering opening ceremony by Bollywood actress & glamorous diva the one & only Rekha in presence of national & international films celebrities at dazzling Kala Academy Complex Panaji.

The Cannes of East will be the happening place for next 10 days for the films lovers.After the formal inauguration the opening film The Warlords directed by Mr Peter Chan was screened for the audience.The Bollywood stars seen during opening ceremony include Randhir Kapoor,Sachin & Tabu who is a Jury member this year.

The 10 day long festival will feature many films in various categories & languages.the organisers have organised many other programmes to keep the visitors engaged & have fun time in Goa.

We will closely follow the IFFI GOA 2008.

Bye

GOA EXPLORED-YUMMY RESTAURANTS

Hi again,

Till such time we get more details about IFFI Goa 2008 let continue our tour to my favourite restaurants of Goa.If your in the capital city of Panajim don't forget to take time out for this place.Yes it is

The Quarterdeck Mandovi-Panajim

On the banks or practically floating in the River Mandovi this is outdoor joint of Goa's very old & famous Hotel Mandovi.At one point of time Hotel Mandovi was one of the few good hotels.and after long time it is still maintaining its fame & glamour.

The Quarterdeck is famous for its authentic Goan & Portuguese cuisine.Again the sea food is speciality.

The Goan Xacuti,fish curry rice,crabs,lobsters,pomprets you name it & you will enjoy it here.And you will be accompanied by the fishing trawlers ,barges or small boats from the river.I can bet you will never realise how much time has passed when you are sitting here.

the food quality is always good here & service too is not bad.i personally like to visit this place anytime after monsoon.The Quarterdeck has also has very good lawn next to the restaurant & it is very famous venue for parties in Goa.

So next time when you are worried how to pass the time ,then come have Glass of bubbling beer at The Quarterdeck & forget the time....

Bye

IIFI GOA -2008

Hi again,

The Old GMC Complex at Panjim will become the most happening place once again as Goas most glamoruos festival the 39 th International Films Festival Of India IFFI Goa 2008 is knocking the doors.

The IFFI GOA 2008 is scheduled to start on 22 nd Nov & close on 2 nd Dec 2008.The expected number of delegates to attend this festival is going to be around 6000.the organisers are very upbeat on this years festival preparations & are hoping to make a grand show.

Like all the past years this time also you will witness glamour,fanfare ,colour & everyone is invited .......

Bye

GOA EXPLORED-YUMMY RESTAURANTS

Hi again,

if you dream light breeze,soothing sound of sea waves & a candle light on the dining table & glass of wine in the hand then you are welcome to this oldest shacks of Goa .now very famous & in the itinerary of every tourist visiting this tiny state of India.Yes you are right ,we are visiting

THE SOUZA LOBO-CALANGUTE

the calangute beach is very famous for all the tourists & this place Souza Lobo is right on the beach where your dream is coming true.breeze,sound of waves & candle light makes setting for you dinner here with low music on the back ground.this romantic setting of Souza Lobo makes it unique.most of the tourists visit here for the ambiance & they get good food in bonus.

like all the Goan restaurants here too the Goan food delicacies are the specialities here & that too sea food.you can order crabs,lobsters,king prawns or even regular fish curry your taste buds will be always happy.The Goan Xacuti both veg & non veg is worth trying here.but the glass of wine in the hand is must.

this place is not very costly but also not very cheap.it is value for the money.weekend in season are full & sometimes the waiting period can be very long as no one wants to leave this beautiful place.the service during off season is good but goes down during the season due to rush.

till two years back this place used to be closed during 4 moths of Goan monsoon.but the owners made it open now during the monsoon.you cant imagine the experience of dining at Soua Lobo during the peak monsoon.better you be there..

Bye.

GOA EXPLORED-YUMMY RESTAURANTS

Hi once again,

we all witnessed how our ISRO Scientists successfully launched India's first unmanned mission to moon.till such time the Chandryan touches the lunar surface let us continue our visits to popular food joints of Goa,the tiny Indian state famous for its sea ,sun & sand.this time we are set to visit very popular place in North Goa

Martins Corner -Betalbetim

this place situated in green surroundings of small village Betalbetim is all time favourite of tourists.further it is also favourite eating place of Indian cricket god Sachin Tendulkar.its structure is like hut & the interiors is woody.this makes it very different though its not open air restaurant.

the sea food & specially the goan food fish curry rice is worth eating again.crabs is one more speciality here.it is worth watching to see how the people uses tools like cutters,hammers etc to eat crab.first timers struggle to eat with these tools.from the menu you can always order what Sachin likes.anywhere in Goa a glass of wine or beer is must when you eat so don't forget it.my favourite here is veg fried rice & veg Manchurian with gravy along with fruit punch.

the quality of food & service is always excellent here all thru the year.evenings on the weekends are crowded.the live band plays on weekend nights to make it more special.

the food is not very costly but also not very cheap.you have to pay extra premium for such a grand place believe me its worth it.

Bye

GOA EXPLORED-YUMMY RESTAURANTS

Hi again,

we will once again start exploring Goa.we diverted to other issues in between but with tourist season knocking the the door i thought to go back on Goa the tiny state of sun,sand & sea.in this exploration series i will take you to some of my favourite restaurants of Goa.you may knowing some of them but i am sure you will re explore it with me.So let us begin our journey.

Sea Pebble-Donapaula

Sea Pebble is located at Donapaula jetty & being close to Panajim this is my preferred joint for business as well as personal outings.the unique appeal of Sea Pebble is in its location.it is so close to the sea & the music of sea waves takes you to different world.also the flickering lights of Container Ships in the sea in contrast of bright lights of Murmgao Port makes the exotic setting for any type of mood.i always felt that here we have two types of settings one when the winds are calm & when we have nice breeze there.i always liked the second setting.

like all Goan restaurants the sea food is speciality here.prawns , crabs , pompfret,lobster you will enjoy everything here with a glass of beer or wine.since i am pure veg my favourite dish is crispy veg along with some paneer delicacy & veg fried rice.the service here is generally good & during season you can enjoy the good live band on week days.

this place is not very costly & you will get true value for the money you spent so next time when you are in Goa ,keep one night for this beautiful place.rest assured .....you will have unforgettable experience.

bye

TRIUMPHANT INDIA

Hi

today is a historic day for all of us in India.in the Austrian capital of Vienna we got much required NSG waiver specific to India.we are the only country in the world who got this waiver.you all must be following diverse views of various political parties of India in the news paper & on the tv on this subject.most of them are confused & some are under pressure of China creating chaos in the general public.

though I am not a expert in this subject but i still feel as an Indian it is win for us.my logical reasons for this are simple.

1 trust in our Prime Minister Mr Manmohan Singh's intentions & foresightedness.
2. to be energy reliant in future we need to be master in nuclear energy production.
3. we should have nuclear weapon capability knowing our neighbours.
4. we are forcing USA to come closer to us.
5. above all we are guarding all our self interests as a nation. India..

i feel we are on our way to become tomorrows super power.
what do you feel........?

bye

I LOVE MY INDIA

Hi everyone,

today we in India are celebrating our 61 st independence day with pride.today we are not super power but we are on our way to reach there.when the world & India too is struggling to find out solutions for growing terrorism,poverty,inflation,and thousand of similar problems.

we can play a major role in changing the face tomorrows India where our children or grand children are going to live.like every thing starts from you.following are my independence day resolutions & i urge you all to follow these simple goden rules.

1.Save electricity.
2.Save Trees.Clean your surrounding environment.
3.Try to use public transport when possible.
4.Teach your child to use water & electricty with care.
5.Discourage currption.
6.Be kind to elders.
7.Keep some money for charity.
8.Keep walking.

i am sure by following the above 8 odd golden rules i can contribute to tomorrows great India in small way.

WHAT ABOUT YOU............?

Bye.

REACHING TO THE SKY-ISRO

Photo courtesy-ISRO Gallery.


Five,Four,Three,Two,One.........lift off.............
9:24 am,28 th april 2008 proudest moment for all the Indians.the Indian Space & Research Organisation (ISRO)successfully launched PSLV 9C from Satish Dhawan Space Centre with huge payload of 10 satellites.

the entire nation salutes the team of scientists under the leadership of Dr Nair for this feat.the jubilant ISRO Chief declared that we will be on moon next year.and we are sure that we will be there.

the Indian space story has come long way & we know still long long way to go in the search of our universe.we were proud when our first satellite Aryabhatta was launched from French Guyana in 1980,we developed our own satellite launch vehicles,we are also aiming to reach the our moon & today our launch vehicle blasted off with 2 satellites & 8 nanosatellites into the orbit.this is 2 nd biggest payload only after Russia who launched 16 satellites.

once again three cheers to ISRO & team of our Scientists.

Bye

GOA TO VENICE

Hi again,

don't get surprised to see the above photographs.since Goa is getting more infamous these days i thought of change.

and yes i was in Italy that too in Venice the most romantic place on the planet earth for almost one week.and this was my business trip.

Venice is really out of the world.i read lot about Venice from my childhood but what i saw was like a dream.

The famous waterways ,the big & small arch shaped bridges ,the Gondolas mesmerises you literally.all the business moves on in these waterways like symphony of Mozart & it is worth to watch it.the speed boats of police & ambulance also moves elegantly.

Venice is very neat,clean & tidy despite of very famous tourist destination across the globe.the above photos are one of the Gondola the most romantic ride of Venice & the other is of the main waterway or the canal.i have taken plenty of photos .if you are really interested i can upload many which are worth too see.

i walked lot on the streets of Venice & this was like discovering the Venice and that too without any map or direction.

i am refraining from comparing our Goa with Venice since both have very independent identities on the map of world.

bye till next time.

GOA-GOAN HOLI

Hi again,

Here in India we are ready to celebrate one of the very important festivals, the festival of color HOLI welcoming spring after the winter season.

The festival of HOLI is better known as Shigmo in Goa & is celebrated with same enthusiasm with traditional dances on the beats of drums. In Goa the Shigmostav is celebrated for 5 days that starts with the NAMAN a prayer of village god by masses. The Jatras held for these 5 days in the temples & devotes from local areas visit in large number. The climax is reached with the palkhis of god & the festivities end with Rang Panchmi during which the devotees throw red color on each other which is known as Gulal.

So guys have fun & enjoy the colors of Holi.

Bye

GOA-AN EYE OPNER

Hi again,

i am writing this post with lot of pains but yes we need top open our eyes now or forget everything a prosperous state needs.

the recent death of British teenager shows us the stark ground realities in this tiny state of Goa.

the entire north Goa coastline is in the strong grip of drugs,pedophiles,aids & mafia.the local politicians are making this grip stronger & stronger for the obvious benefits.

AND THE RESULT ....WE ARE LEAVING OUR GENERATION NEXT EXPOSED TO DRUGS,AIDS & PEDOPHILES.these youngsters are tomorrows citizens & before they become young we see them as lost human beings.Now it is high time for all of us the Goans to decide future course of action or let it happen as it is happening now.some one needs to revolt for these youngsters to get rid of these ill elements of drugs,aids,mafia & prosper towards bright future.

don't forget the first revolt against Portuguese which started at Candolim a prominent place in north Goa famous for all these bad things.we need one more social movement like Save Goa Manch & aggressively push the locals,politicians & make their eyes open.

so guys learn from this recent eye opener before it becomes tooooooooo late.

bye.

GOA EXPLORED-FORT AGUADA

Hi everyone,

the fun time of carnival is now almost over so let us continue the exploration of Goa.this time we will explore the Fort Aguada.

The rulers of Portuguese built this mighty fort in 1612 ad to safeguard the attacks of enemies from the sea.The enemies were mainly the dutch or the warriors of marathas.

It takes almost 35 minutes to reach here from capital city of Panajim.The once you reach there you will see the ruins of may be watch tower of fort & the magnificent view of Arabian sea.and when you reach on the top you will find still working 4 storey lighthouse build by Portuguese rulers in 1864.this lighthouse is oldest of this kind in Asia.from the top on one side you can see the view of river mandovi meeting the Arabian sea & on the other side the famous stretch of scenic beaches of north Goa namely sinquerin ,calangute & bagha.

the fort has lots of fresh water springs & aguada in Portuguese means water ,hence the name Fort Aguada was derived.

today the fort is famous for Taj hotel a exotic 5 star beach resort.

so next time don't forget to visit the mighty fort in Goa & enjoy the Arabian sea from the top.

Bye.

GOA-GOA CARNIVAL

(photo courtsey Navhind Times-Mr Rajtilak Naik)

Hi again

yes the rule of King Momo is here & you all can eat,drink & have fun for atleast next 3 days.the traditional carnival parade was flagged of by Goa Chief Mininster yesterday evening & this tiny state of Goa overcorwded with local & foreign tourists started the fun & masti time.

the dazzling float parade along with the float from Brazil passed DB Marg & the crowd enjoyed every single moment.the float parade displayed floats making people to remember the present & the near past local issues of the state of Goa along with some floats of individuals.Hope the people of Goa doesnt forget the message given by these floats after 3 days of carnival.

this tradition of carnival is very old & i really doubt the value addtion of this parade beyond getting some revenue from tourism.we all should strive to make good use of such traditons to highlight the common people the ground reality so that he can think properly for growth of Goa and make it once again the best state of India.

Since presntly I am not in Goa,the photograph of King Momo & his float is uploaded from Navhind Times,Goa.

Bye

GOA-GOA CARNIVAL

Hi again

only 3 days left for King Momo to rule Goa.the party will start on 2 nd feb with float parade in capital city of Panajim.this float parade will be flagged off at Patto Bridge & will terminate at Campal ground.this entire route will be full of fun & masti on that day.so be prepared for the magical rule of King Momo.

this year for the first time the authorities have arranged a special event at Campal ground after the float parade .On the ground all these participating floats will be displayed for you to have closure look & more fun.you will have gala time at Campal Ground with entertainment in the Goan style .Food & refreshment to taste your buds.so be in Panajim that night.

so please come & have fun with King Momo at panajim on 2 nd feb 2008.

Viva carnival viva Goa.

INDIA SHINING

Hi again,

Yesterday we in India celebrated our 59 th Republic Day.

We displayed our military might & cultural diversity to the world at an impressive Republic Day Parade on Rajpath at New Delhi saluting our President H E Mrs. Pratibhatai Patil.

Yes India has come long way in past 59 years after we became Republic with our own constitution written by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.Today Our constitution is role model for many countries of the world.

We all Indians are proud of our history, culture, diversity & achievements. And why should we not? We are the people who invented Zero, Pi, algebra, trigonometry, calculas & the game of Chess. We had worlds first university was at Nalanda.The most modern civilization of ancient world was from here the great Indus valley Civilization.

The magnificent TAJ is ours. The nonviolence guru Mahatma Gandhi is our father of nation. We had great scientists like Aryabhatta, Bhaskarcharya, Ramanujam, CV Raman,
Jagdishchandra Bose,Vikram Sarabhai,Jayant Narlikar,Dr APJ Abdul Kalam to name a few.

The world acknowledges our growth potential. And yes we want to grow exceeding every bodies expectations & become most developed country one day.

This is Herculean task. We don’t have visionary like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru; we are watching the handicapped coalition Government. Communal forces are still playing major role in many parts of country. The politicians are busy in making money for themselves & their kins & the people are left at large. I feel the one identity that can make drastic change in the whole process. And that identity is YOU. Yes YOU can change it. look at yourself, do some introspection & start change from you. don’t expect others to do it. you will see the change around you slowly.

Be disciplined, don’t break rules, have high morale values, follow ethics, respect elders & women, and try to inculcate these into others whenever & wherever possible. And the day is not far off when India will be the Golden India once again.

Bye.

GOA-GOA CARNIVAL

Hi again

once again the tiny Indian state of Goa is ready for the rule of King Momo at least for 3 days from 2 nd feb 2008 to 5 th feb 2008.

yes it is carnival time in Goa.and everyone is invited to have the fun at these carnival parades.

as per the programme declared by GTDC the main carnival parade will start at 4 pm in the capital city of panajim followed by Margao,Vasco & Mapusa on 3 rd ,4 th & 5 th respectively.
so make your travel plans accordingly.

float from Brazil is participating in this years carnival parade & this could be the star attraction
of carnival 2008.this float will participate in Panajim & Vasco.

so guys forget the past few weeks & get ready to welcome the King Momo & have party.

Viva Goa Viva Carnival.

Bye.

GOA-DONT TAKE US FOR A RIDE

Hi again

indeed it is very unfortunate to see this event happening so often in Goa &
the time is not far off that world will witness GOA REVOLT once again.

political instability of this tiny paradise state of GOA is ruining the future of the lacs of GOANS by handful of individuals who wants to satisfy their whims & fancies at any cost.

without giving much attention to so many political,cultural & development issues these people are making mockery of the democracy & poor masses are watching helplessly.

the India is growing at the pace of 20-30% & we in GOA are nowhere.nobody wants to come to set up industry looking at this political uncertainty.due to this there is lack of good employment opportunities & our generation next is getting attracted to drugs & other similar avenues to earn money.sad we are leading our generation next to darkness.

now it is hightime for GOANS to get up & decide what they want.don't let this paradise gets perished.wake up & show you can do it.its now or never.let our children get their share of cake & we all proper.

SAY NO TO POLITICAL INSTABILITY.

a ray of hope inbetween & very heartening to see Dr Oscar Rebello is nominated for CNN-IBN Award.And as he himself said this nomination is for entire GOA & all GOANS.Best wishes to him .Sir we expect a lot from you & GBA in future.

Bye.

GOA-NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS OF GOA.

Hi again

the year 2007 is a history now & we are now looking at the new year 2008 for happiness,prosperity & good health.every one makes some kind of resolution in the beginning of the year & try to achieve the same during the year.

following are some of the resolutions of Goa.And this is what every Goan wants to make Goa by the end of the year 2008.

1.keep Goa green & clean.
2.say no to drugs & pedophiles.
3.effective ways of garbage disposal to be thought off.
4.have state of the art cultural centers at Panajim,Ponda,Margao.
5.have ultra modern & biggest in Asia ocean park at Panajim.
6.have light & sound show at fort aguada.
7.have new bridge on zuari.
8.say yes to mopa airport.
9.lay red carpet to IT & ITES companies & invite them to Goa.
10.complete the proposed convention centre at Panajim before 39 th IFFI-Goa.
11.encourage the poor working communities like fishermen etc for setting up small saving
groups.
12.control aids before it explodes.
13.encourage Goan youth to go outside the state & see what is happening in the world.
14.say no selling land to all the foreign nationals.
15.finally support every development plan of the government.

all these resolutions are our dreams.and we all want Goa to be the most wanted tourist destination of the world.and one day ths will definitely happen.

Bye & wish you all a very happy new year 2008.