In praise of FN

[BT Yahoo Mail]

There's been an animated exchange of views on  'culture brokers', an unusual theme. FN was the central figure and also a casualty. 

Augusto Pinto (whom I don't know) deflected from the theme and accused FN of using the internet to promote his interests. Isn't this a legitimate function of the internet? And he is by no means doing it aggressively. And how does Augusto infer that FN has an 'oversized ego'? Please tell us.

I think FN stands out as a unique Goan by providing a sterling, selfless service disseminating vast info to Goans round the world and facilitating discourse. His work tends to be taken for granted and perhaps it's time for Goans to acknowledge their debt to FN & express their gratitude .  He has surely had to walk many a tightrope in his posts as not to offend the Goan ego which can be fragile and easily wounded.

And I think he has done a great job over the years. His GoaNet, more than two decades old, has been the one place where Goans, however undistinguished, can have their say. 

Then there is the Goa Book Club forum - a wonderful, original initiative. Aspiring writers and plain onlookers would surely agree it an impressive venture. If you have something of literary interest to communicate, that's the place to go. And of course, there is his publishing business: Goa 1556. There may well be more activities about which I don't know.

So what's this fuss about 'culture brokers'?
I guess a broker is a facilitator, enabler, a go-between. And FN is all that par excellence. I'd prefer the term 'community facilitator'.

FN, there is no doubt you have enriched the Goan scene, local & diasporic, over the years. 

Here's to greater success in the future.

Eddie

[Ricardo Afonso]

.
Hello everyone,
.
Woke up to........... a nice eMail.... most deserving
.
It is nice we are all Members who enjoy at least one of the many visions of FN
.
Ricardo.
.

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[Jeanne Hromnik]

I'm a great Frederick fan too!

It's a pity he has so many faults, however. Something I'm noting as Frederick hates to be praised -- another of his faults, no doubt.

Anyway, here's two cheers for Frederick. He's the nicest, politest internet adversary I've encountered. But I think he sometimes misses the point because he's so busy engaging so widely and on so many fronts.

(Jeanne)

[Frederick Noronha]

This is very embarrassing. Not only because it was never my intention to place myself at the centre of the debate, but because much of what is being said belongs to the world of creative writing. No offence meant, anyone.... 

To my old friend Dr Eddie D'Sa (which partly explains why he wrote what he wrote... in addition to the fact that he has not met me for a long, long time, maybe two decades, so he perhaps remembers a better me!) even if I do some volunteer work, that surely doesn't place me (or my views and arguments) above criticism. 

Even more importantly, before I be accused of theft (actual, not literary :-)), let me hurriedly clarify that "his [meaning: my] GoaNet" is actually not mine. It was started by Herman Carneiro in 1994. He is the Chair of the volunteer team running it, of which I am a member. While Herman does much of the behind-the-scenes work (paying for the lists and keeping them running, bringing new initiatives like Goanet-Femnet on board, diversifying with new lists when the existing ones get clogged, etc), some of us have a larger profile because we deal with content. The list has been kept active for 23 years this month due to the work of many volunteers, and the same is true now too.....

Btw, my intention was less to debate the concept of "cultural brokers" and more to clarify where the credit for its application should go, in the context of the Goan role worldwide.

Honestly, I think a whole lot of people have played a role in having "enriched the Goan scene, local & diasporic, over the years". Depending on how one sees things, I may have played a small and limited role there. Of course, because some of us are active online in and the cyber media, which is archived and easily Google-able, we get a larger-than-life reflection over our actual contribution.

And Jeanne is creating a straw-man of my many faults, by picking the weakest on the list! She knows I cannot argue back... or more skeletons will come tumbling out!

As for my over-sized ego, the bad news is that right now I'm on a diet. So if it (the diet, that is) works, then the ego could get even more over-sized! 

More seriously, I think that, overall, I belong to that category of people who are nice from far... but far from nice :-) 

FN

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_/  फ्रेड्रिक नोरोन्या * فريدريك نورونيا‎

_/  Frederick Noronha +91-9822122436

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[Mervyn Maciel]

Wonder if VM ever dreamt that his article would 'generate' such

an interesting debate?

Mervyn

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[Dan Driscoll]

Seeing reference to Dr. Eddie De Sa prompts me to send Greeting, to 'all assembled'. I had pleasure of meeting him, and of knowing his fine parents too. Did not meet up with Mr. Herman Carneiro, so will breath special prayer for him, as another 'Benefactor'. With the Goanet sites I'm consciously as much in Goa as ever, though now domiciled (since 2012) in my home Coordinates---East Coast Canada.

Makes no difference who pulled the initial thread; big question is how the cultural skein unravels---Goa writers & Goan Diaspora, of course; but as one who was 'foreigner' living for 30 years within striking distance of Xavier's resting-place I also 'stand at the door and knock'. Goa, along with Silk Route, is 'cultural bridge between East & West'.

Quote, my 'spiritual guru (Pierre Teilhard de Chardin) ". . .human group has become 'planetized'---The Age of Nations is past; the task before us now, if we are not to perish, is to build the earth".

[Tony Martin]

Dear Mr Driscoll

The First Mover is the Prime mover -- literally or figuratively or philosophically or theologically speaking.  I have no issues with you celebrating Mr. Noronha. But to discredit or rather disregard the 'father' of Goanet with "Makes no difference who pulled the initial thread" or "Did not meet up with Mr. Herman Carneiro, so will breath special prayer for him, as ANOTHER (caps for effect) 'Benefactor'" sounds so unfair. Mr Driscoll I don't know you and I don't know Mr. Noronha that well either. All I know is that when common people -- or politicians -- get comfortably saddled in their cozy chair they may not remain the same. Mr Driscoll it must have been an eternity when you "had the pleasure of meeting him, and of knowing his fine parents". As Hiraclitus said the only constant in this transient world is change.

More years for  Mr. Noronha to play the uncrowned saint of cyberspace. 

Mr Driscoll hope the weather in Canada is good. In Goa the rains Gods are playing politicians -- they have forgotten Goa.  It's shining bright.
Tony Martin

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Tony Martin

Teacher (Angle HSS) 

Freelance journalist,  
Galgibaga, Canacona

[Dan Driscoll]

Thank you for your E-Message. The name Martin rings some bells with me. I first began coming to Goa in year 1972, so while it is not 'an eternity' it was quite 'long back'. I think that in the current epoch we must be more acutely aware of the 'time frame'. Some of my early associations with India involved persons with the surname Martin. One 'Dom Martin', an Artist (rather somber biblical themes on oil/canvas) several of whose works may now be viewed in the interior of the Bom Jesu Basilica complex in Old Goa.

In Bangalore I came to know very well a 'Martin (Alfred) from Goa' who spent his whole lifetime in South India; born in Madras of Goan parents, he was good football player for Southern Railways---which went a long way to enhancing his career as a Track Inspection Engineer with S.R. He was married to a lady Medical Doctor (gynecologist) also from Goa, but do not recall her family name. After his first wife passed away ('50s) he married a lady by name Grace Thomas (Andra Pradesh), and they resided in (Bangalore), where for weeks on end I would be paying-guest occupant of an upstairs section of their house.

I know Eddie De Sa and his parents from my long periods of sojourn in the home of Bemvinda Dias (my wife's 1st Cousin) whose home was directly opposite the Clergy Home in Alto Porvorim. Another of my good friends while there was the venerable old Jesuit Fr. Albert Mendonca, who had his 'ups & downs' with 'conventional wisdom' and who could do with some reassessment by those with a scholarly bent.

Think again about my comment as 'sounding demeaning or unfair'. May I explain, that if one wants to 'go back to the Greeks', along with Heraclitus one might check out Ariadne's Thread, whereby a simple solution was found for one lost in the 'maze'. The IT thread as it 'unravels' may be a contemporary living archetype (almost as 'sacrament'---a sign that accomplishes in Nature what it 'symbolizes') of Ariadne's Thread.

While Fred may not have been the 'the uncrowned king of cyberspace', he was that FOR ME, and while he graciously yields place to Mr. Carneiro it may not be of such great importance to pinpoint the exact point of departure as to be very consciously aware of 'where we are going'.

(Saint Thomas More went to the chopping block explaining that his Oath could not be taken casually because 'it is MY truth). We are coming to an evolutionary stage when the SELF must be encountered in terms of the 'I' (active & activating) rather than the 'ME' (being acted upon).

If I may be so bold as to suggest reading for you (and you may without hesitation make recommend for me) I would suggest you enter search-box for Wikipedia the name 'Pierre Teilhard de Chardin', and follow your 'intuitive choice' of the hyperlinks.

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[Tony Martin]

Mr. Driscoll

I am no Dom Martin but I love to wake up once in a while without ill will or malice.   Who am I to label people as angels or demons. As Socrates said the best knowledge is the knowledge of the self everything else is often outright deception or something close to that.   

With love

Tony Martin

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[Dan Driscoll]

Well, deception is surely there but is it the willful pursuit of a 'false prophet' in the context of our 'evolving universe'. The 'Teilhardian vision' would see it as part of a 'dialectic' whereby the pendulum swings between opposites---so that while we can feel 'let down' by 'seeing through the glass darkly' there is (with 'Faith') the promise that 'in fullness of time' one will see 'face to face'.

On what grade level do you teach? I spent ten years teaching senior secondary English Lit & History---in Provinces of Ontario & Alberta (Canada). In 1972 I became married to a 'Goan Girl'---Germana Diniz, whose father's home village was Cortalim.

I left teaching for Federal Government Service, with the then widely known National Film Board of Canada. The animation-film artist Norman McLaren was on Staff then, and I shook the hand a few times with Founder of Documentary Film John Grierson.

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