Saligao... in the Seventies
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Frederick [FN] Noronha * फ्रेडरिक नोरोन्या
Mar 5, 2009, 1:14:37 PM3/5/09
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Found this article I had written some time ago. Thought of sharing it once again. Some of you might have already read it earlier... FN
STORIES FROM THE SALIGAO OF THE 'SEVENTIES: ETCHED IN OUR MEMORIES
By Frederick Noronha
It was a then village in full bloom. Our school was,
naturally, right in the heart of that garden. Talent was
returning back home. Suddenly, there was confidence enough to
stage musical-plays like *Snow White And The Seven Dwards*,
and more.
Villagers took part in mando festivals. Back in our school,
the stage suddenly came to life with 'modern art' style
canvases suddenly making things look bright and unusual.
Our cub-scout troop was active and lively. Sister Pushpa
showed us that a whole new world existed out there. Our
uniforms sat proud of our young minds; and a day-long trek to
Aguada took us to a historic region, the history of which we
didn't quite understand then.
I can still recall almost the exact spot, from where, as a
young boy, one peered at the big girls staging *Pearl The
Fisher Maiden*. One chilly evening, 'Sir' Edwin Saldanha
stunned the lot of us by setting the campfire ablaze with a
stick that ignited the gun-powder. Or was it some other fuel?
It didn't matter then, this all sparked off our youthful
imagination.
Growing up in Saligao in the 'seventies meant encountering
strange and wondrous times. Maybe we all tend to romanticise
the period of our youth; but will such times ever come back
to our children's minds?
Why not? We can indeed make it happen if they and we dare to
dream.
In Goa of the times, Portuguese rule was dead and gone; but
it was just a decade-and-half gone. Today, it seems the
significance of being around then had largely missed our
youthful minds. Idi Amin and the African independence
movements ensured the return of a large expat population back
home. It uprooted a large number of Goans settled there; but
it was a mixed blessing. That, in itself, had led to a great
deal of vibrancy in our village.
Maybe some might have another view, but the sudden entry of
'expat' Saligaokars -- whether Africanders, as they called
themselves, or those returning from other parts of the
country -- lent an unusual vibrancy to the village.
But there were others too. Many had returned home to
post-1961 Goa, expecting much from their state. Others had
finished careers in different parts of India, and were
returning back. It was Quennie D'Souza, who's husband Colonel
Edwin had retired from the Indian Army and set up his
dentistry practice in Salmona, that surely must have been
behind some of the extravagant concerts that Lourdes Convent
started to have.
Critical mass fell into place. Edwin Saldanha, the man of
many talents who later became our scout master and drawing
teacher in Britto's, would paint elaborate backdrops and
wings for the stage. Some had the modern-art style, which was
just then becoming popular to the general public, and even
invading sacred space by way of drawings in the Bible and
other religious texts.
Lourdes Convent attracted the best of the village talent as
students. But it was our teachers and the school management
who took on bigger ventures, and made things happen.
But my first memories of Lourdes Convent was of the kindly
nuns who were at its helm. Sister Veronica, pale and
grey-haired, was always kind and a grandmother-figure to many
of us. As far as I could recall, she never had to utter a
rude word or shout at anybody, but managed to make her point
in the most polite of tones.
At one of the picnics (to Dona Paula and the Miramar beach),
some of us youngsters seemed to be in a tearing hurry to grow
up. Somehow, our idea of 'growing up' turned into inhaling
noxious fumes that hardly helped our schoolboy ages. Sister
Veronica didn't make much of it, giving us time to think
about the implications of our actions, and feel the remorse
ourselves. That was the last time one ever touched a
cigarette in real-life.
Sr Livinia was also one of the senior nuns then, who while
being stricter also had a sporting side to her. Another of
the sisters was Sr Blandina -- who in those days was better
known for taking part in sports, clad in the unusual
combination of tennis-shoes and the triple-striped sari. (Sr
Blandina was later known as Sr Nora, and I've just learnt the
other day that she has recently moved to work for their
religious order in Sri Lanka, with former head-mistress
Sister Adelaide.)
Sister Isabel doesn't seem to have aged a year, for the
nearly four decades that I've known her. Since she was
in-charge of the kitchen, we who would hang around the place
got to know her the best. One suspects children also have a
way of recognising those people they can stretch more than
others!
Since both our parents would be out at work, they arrived at
some arrangement whereby the nuns would allow us two brothers
-- better known as Ricky and Rico -- to stay at the school
for the entire day. We treated the place as if it was our
home, and would raise hell with our jeeps and cars in the
corridors after school hours. How this was tolerated is
something one can't quite comprehend today.
On joining school, I was just three, and had the dubious
distinction of failing in three subjects in the nursery! But
one can't recall teachers being unnecessarily strict, or
pushing us into taking a dislike for our studies. Of course,
there would be the unfortunate few who couldn't cope with all
the subjects that the inflexible Goa syllabus pushes down.
Maybe our school and alumni needs to think more deeply about
the less-fortunate, and those pushed needlessly into being
'drop outs' for no fault of their own.
As day-boarders, my strongest memory was the table-manners we
ran into. Those who supervised our eating then believed that
it was unhealthy for sips of water to interrupt a meal. We
kids just couldn't cope with the spicy food. Our solution, to
the horror of our parents who realised this only later, was
to wipe our burning tongues against the white-shirt sleeves
(girls wore pink blouses, which went with the maroon skirts)
of our uniforms!
One of my earliest teacher's I recall was Miss Ida, of
Tabravaddo, who taught me in IIB, the class close to what was
then the boarders kitchen. She was kind and considerate, and
would encourage us to take home a copy of the 'Saligao
Bulletin', a small print publication put out by a bold
co-villager. The price was a princely 15 naya paise!
The stately Mrs Figueiredo -- whom we knew as Sharon and
Tanya's mum, specially after the girls made such a hit in the
school concerts, and all of us youngsters looked up to them
-- was also one of our impressive teachers. I don't remember
for sure if she only stood in when others were absent, or was
our class teacher sometime along the way. Not only did she
carry herself with dignity and decorum, but she was proud of
us, her students.
Some months back, when she learnt (don't ask me how) that the
editorials of a local newspaper were then being penned by
this writer, she phoned Panjim all the way from Benaulim. She
made it a point to mention to the News Editor on duty that I
had been her student in the second standard. He narrated the
story to me with a smile. Only goes to show: if students
often forget their old teachers, the reverse is not true!
Mrs Philomena "Bobo" D'Souza of Sonarbhat taught us in Std
III. I can still picture the classroom, and the clock which
she would bring in, to teach us to read the time. It seems
children nowadays grow up much faster than we did, in times
when Saligao was just about getting electrified!
Some like Teacher Joanita, of Pilerne, went on and on with
their work. After teaching me in the primary, she retired
just two or three years before my daughter reached the same
class. I remember her as someone very friendly, who would
always show a pride in what her ex-students were doing. She
remembered that the first class she had taught was that of
Fidelis (also from Pilerne), sometimes in the 'sixties.
Our other teachers included Miss Lira, Mrs Shoba Naik, my
neighbours Joseph and Joyce Victoria's aunt the ever-smiling
Sr Genevieve, Sister Hilaria whom we sometimes brought to
tears with our mischeviousness, Miss Primila from Sangolda,
and our piano teachers both the Miss Margarets. Both the
latter duo worked hard to get us to learn music, a subject
that many of us didn't take seriously enough, it not being
part of the syllabus. It was very touching to see some
alumni, however, recall the very songs we had learnt three or
so decades ago, at the hands of the two Margarets.
The other day, when Nolasco D'Souza (Kenneth's dad, from
Arrarim) passed away, I recalled the short but memorable
spell during which he taught us Maths. To this day, I can
remember his peering down at us, his specs perched on his
nose, with patience as we worked on what seemed to then be
the strange mysteries of Mathematics.
Miss Edna taught us sometime in the primary school; by some
quirk of fate, she managed to trace my email address via the
Internet, and wrote across nearly three years back, from
Canada, where she is now settled. Strange how the little
things in life are those we never forget; I still recall how
she taught us to make an elephant's face, cut-out on
cardboard, and with a hole where the trunk should be. We were
to push our podgy little finger through, and wriggle it in
lieu of the missing jumbo's trunk. Oh, how that made an
impression on us then! You never know what impresses a child.
My elder brother Ricky's class (batch of 1977) had a teacher
whom they were much impressed by, Miss Piedade of Candolim.
Ricky's classmate Diogo Fernandes, one of those active in our
alumni, mentioned he had met Miss Piedade just a few days
back. "I wouldn't have recognised her if I wasn't told... or
maybe I would have," he said.
Miss Figueira of Guirim came in the fifth standard to teach
us Maths for awhile. I remember her as a young lady --
seemingly not much older than us! -- and very patient and
kind. What really made us empathise with her then was the
fact that she wore a small round sticker on her watch,
something which was just young people like us would have been
doing!
Mrs Shobha Naik taught us Marathi and Hindi, and we were
perennially tripping up and mixing the two languages. At that
time, we also saw it as a coercive step to get us to
unwillingly learn these languages; perhaps our elders'
attitudes at home influenced this. Today, we are no doubt
grateful that we are a little more comfortable in two more
languages which we can use to come to terms with large areas
of South Asia. Miss Monteiro from Candolim taught us sometime
during the primary or middle school.
I don't remember Miss Luisa teaching me, but she was another
young and popular teacher. Years down the line, one was
surprised to learn that she was the wife of former Goa
minister Dominick Fernandes, whom we met in totally another
context.
Miss Angela from Pilerne was our strict but efficient Hindi
teacher. She had moved down from Jabalpur, one of the
thousands of families from the Goan diaspora, together with
her family, and her younger brother Clariano was in class
with us. In hindsight, Miss Angela was perhaps too good for
us, who looked at Hindi as a necessary evil, and just aimed
to get the minimum needed for passing.
Since we boys left the (then not co-ed) school by the time we
completed our sixth or, at most, seventh standards, we didn't
meet up with teachers from the senor classes. But Miss
Shirley, who taught a generation of students, Sir Archibald,
Miss Ninette, Miss Yvette, my neighbour Mrs Clara Sequeira,
and the others were teachers who were admired and looked
up-to by hundreds of their students.
Obviously there are names which should have been mentioned
here, except for reasons of shortness of memory, rather than
ingratitude.
For some reason, our years at Lourdes Convent remains
strongly etched on one's mind. After that, we spent shorter
stints in the boys' school, higher secondary and college,
before moving into the world of work. Those latter memories
seem like a blur, with life moving in fast-forward. We must
thank our teachers for those times, and above all for shaping
us into what we are today.
"Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment." - Will Rogers
--
FN * http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com
M +91-9822122436 P +91-832-2409490 http://twitter.com/fn
On Facebook: http://www.new.facebook.com/people/Frederick-Noronha/502514643
"I like a woman with a head on her shoulders. I hate necks." - Steve Martin
STORIES FROM THE SALIGAO OF THE 'SEVENTIES: ETCHED IN OUR MEMORIES
By Frederick Noronha
It was a then village in full bloom. Our school was,
naturally, right in the heart of that garden. Talent was
returning back home. Suddenly, there was confidence enough to
stage musical-plays like *Snow White And The Seven Dwards*,
and more.
Villagers took part in mando festivals. Back in our school,
the stage suddenly came to life with 'modern art' style
canvases suddenly making things look bright and unusual.
Our cub-scout troop was active and lively. Sister Pushpa
showed us that a whole new world existed out there. Our
uniforms sat proud of our young minds; and a day-long trek to
Aguada took us to a historic region, the history of which we
didn't quite understand then.
I can still recall almost the exact spot, from where, as a
young boy, one peered at the big girls staging *Pearl The
Fisher Maiden*. One chilly evening, 'Sir' Edwin Saldanha
stunned the lot of us by setting the campfire ablaze with a
stick that ignited the gun-powder. Or was it some other fuel?
It didn't matter then, this all sparked off our youthful
imagination.
Growing up in Saligao in the 'seventies meant encountering
strange and wondrous times. Maybe we all tend to romanticise
the period of our youth; but will such times ever come back
to our children's minds?
Why not? We can indeed make it happen if they and we dare to
dream.
In Goa of the times, Portuguese rule was dead and gone; but
it was just a decade-and-half gone. Today, it seems the
significance of being around then had largely missed our
youthful minds. Idi Amin and the African independence
movements ensured the return of a large expat population back
home. It uprooted a large number of Goans settled there; but
it was a mixed blessing. That, in itself, had led to a great
deal of vibrancy in our village.
Maybe some might have another view, but the sudden entry of
'expat' Saligaokars -- whether Africanders, as they called
themselves, or those returning from other parts of the
country -- lent an unusual vibrancy to the village.
But there were others too. Many had returned home to
post-1961 Goa, expecting much from their state. Others had
finished careers in different parts of India, and were
returning back. It was Quennie D'Souza, who's husband Colonel
Edwin had retired from the Indian Army and set up his
dentistry practice in Salmona, that surely must have been
behind some of the extravagant concerts that Lourdes Convent
started to have.
Critical mass fell into place. Edwin Saldanha, the man of
many talents who later became our scout master and drawing
teacher in Britto's, would paint elaborate backdrops and
wings for the stage. Some had the modern-art style, which was
just then becoming popular to the general public, and even
invading sacred space by way of drawings in the Bible and
other religious texts.
Lourdes Convent attracted the best of the village talent as
students. But it was our teachers and the school management
who took on bigger ventures, and made things happen.
But my first memories of Lourdes Convent was of the kindly
nuns who were at its helm. Sister Veronica, pale and
grey-haired, was always kind and a grandmother-figure to many
of us. As far as I could recall, she never had to utter a
rude word or shout at anybody, but managed to make her point
in the most polite of tones.
At one of the picnics (to Dona Paula and the Miramar beach),
some of us youngsters seemed to be in a tearing hurry to grow
up. Somehow, our idea of 'growing up' turned into inhaling
noxious fumes that hardly helped our schoolboy ages. Sister
Veronica didn't make much of it, giving us time to think
about the implications of our actions, and feel the remorse
ourselves. That was the last time one ever touched a
cigarette in real-life.
Sr Livinia was also one of the senior nuns then, who while
being stricter also had a sporting side to her. Another of
the sisters was Sr Blandina -- who in those days was better
known for taking part in sports, clad in the unusual
combination of tennis-shoes and the triple-striped sari. (Sr
Blandina was later known as Sr Nora, and I've just learnt the
other day that she has recently moved to work for their
religious order in Sri Lanka, with former head-mistress
Sister Adelaide.)
Sister Isabel doesn't seem to have aged a year, for the
nearly four decades that I've known her. Since she was
in-charge of the kitchen, we who would hang around the place
got to know her the best. One suspects children also have a
way of recognising those people they can stretch more than
others!
Since both our parents would be out at work, they arrived at
some arrangement whereby the nuns would allow us two brothers
-- better known as Ricky and Rico -- to stay at the school
for the entire day. We treated the place as if it was our
home, and would raise hell with our jeeps and cars in the
corridors after school hours. How this was tolerated is
something one can't quite comprehend today.
On joining school, I was just three, and had the dubious
distinction of failing in three subjects in the nursery! But
one can't recall teachers being unnecessarily strict, or
pushing us into taking a dislike for our studies. Of course,
there would be the unfortunate few who couldn't cope with all
the subjects that the inflexible Goa syllabus pushes down.
Maybe our school and alumni needs to think more deeply about
the less-fortunate, and those pushed needlessly into being
'drop outs' for no fault of their own.
As day-boarders, my strongest memory was the table-manners we
ran into. Those who supervised our eating then believed that
it was unhealthy for sips of water to interrupt a meal. We
kids just couldn't cope with the spicy food. Our solution, to
the horror of our parents who realised this only later, was
to wipe our burning tongues against the white-shirt sleeves
(girls wore pink blouses, which went with the maroon skirts)
of our uniforms!
One of my earliest teacher's I recall was Miss Ida, of
Tabravaddo, who taught me in IIB, the class close to what was
then the boarders kitchen. She was kind and considerate, and
would encourage us to take home a copy of the 'Saligao
Bulletin', a small print publication put out by a bold
co-villager. The price was a princely 15 naya paise!
The stately Mrs Figueiredo -- whom we knew as Sharon and
Tanya's mum, specially after the girls made such a hit in the
school concerts, and all of us youngsters looked up to them
-- was also one of our impressive teachers. I don't remember
for sure if she only stood in when others were absent, or was
our class teacher sometime along the way. Not only did she
carry herself with dignity and decorum, but she was proud of
us, her students.
Some months back, when she learnt (don't ask me how) that the
editorials of a local newspaper were then being penned by
this writer, she phoned Panjim all the way from Benaulim. She
made it a point to mention to the News Editor on duty that I
had been her student in the second standard. He narrated the
story to me with a smile. Only goes to show: if students
often forget their old teachers, the reverse is not true!
Mrs Philomena "Bobo" D'Souza of Sonarbhat taught us in Std
III. I can still picture the classroom, and the clock which
she would bring in, to teach us to read the time. It seems
children nowadays grow up much faster than we did, in times
when Saligao was just about getting electrified!
Some like Teacher Joanita, of Pilerne, went on and on with
their work. After teaching me in the primary, she retired
just two or three years before my daughter reached the same
class. I remember her as someone very friendly, who would
always show a pride in what her ex-students were doing. She
remembered that the first class she had taught was that of
Fidelis (also from Pilerne), sometimes in the 'sixties.
Our other teachers included Miss Lira, Mrs Shoba Naik, my
neighbours Joseph and Joyce Victoria's aunt the ever-smiling
Sr Genevieve, Sister Hilaria whom we sometimes brought to
tears with our mischeviousness, Miss Primila from Sangolda,
and our piano teachers both the Miss Margarets. Both the
latter duo worked hard to get us to learn music, a subject
that many of us didn't take seriously enough, it not being
part of the syllabus. It was very touching to see some
alumni, however, recall the very songs we had learnt three or
so decades ago, at the hands of the two Margarets.
The other day, when Nolasco D'Souza (Kenneth's dad, from
Arrarim) passed away, I recalled the short but memorable
spell during which he taught us Maths. To this day, I can
remember his peering down at us, his specs perched on his
nose, with patience as we worked on what seemed to then be
the strange mysteries of Mathematics.
Miss Edna taught us sometime in the primary school; by some
quirk of fate, she managed to trace my email address via the
Internet, and wrote across nearly three years back, from
Canada, where she is now settled. Strange how the little
things in life are those we never forget; I still recall how
she taught us to make an elephant's face, cut-out on
cardboard, and with a hole where the trunk should be. We were
to push our podgy little finger through, and wriggle it in
lieu of the missing jumbo's trunk. Oh, how that made an
impression on us then! You never know what impresses a child.
My elder brother Ricky's class (batch of 1977) had a teacher
whom they were much impressed by, Miss Piedade of Candolim.
Ricky's classmate Diogo Fernandes, one of those active in our
alumni, mentioned he had met Miss Piedade just a few days
back. "I wouldn't have recognised her if I wasn't told... or
maybe I would have," he said.
Miss Figueira of Guirim came in the fifth standard to teach
us Maths for awhile. I remember her as a young lady --
seemingly not much older than us! -- and very patient and
kind. What really made us empathise with her then was the
fact that she wore a small round sticker on her watch,
something which was just young people like us would have been
doing!
Mrs Shobha Naik taught us Marathi and Hindi, and we were
perennially tripping up and mixing the two languages. At that
time, we also saw it as a coercive step to get us to
unwillingly learn these languages; perhaps our elders'
attitudes at home influenced this. Today, we are no doubt
grateful that we are a little more comfortable in two more
languages which we can use to come to terms with large areas
of South Asia. Miss Monteiro from Candolim taught us sometime
during the primary or middle school.
I don't remember Miss Luisa teaching me, but she was another
young and popular teacher. Years down the line, one was
surprised to learn that she was the wife of former Goa
minister Dominick Fernandes, whom we met in totally another
context.
Miss Angela from Pilerne was our strict but efficient Hindi
teacher. She had moved down from Jabalpur, one of the
thousands of families from the Goan diaspora, together with
her family, and her younger brother Clariano was in class
with us. In hindsight, Miss Angela was perhaps too good for
us, who looked at Hindi as a necessary evil, and just aimed
to get the minimum needed for passing.
Since we boys left the (then not co-ed) school by the time we
completed our sixth or, at most, seventh standards, we didn't
meet up with teachers from the senor classes. But Miss
Shirley, who taught a generation of students, Sir Archibald,
Miss Ninette, Miss Yvette, my neighbour Mrs Clara Sequeira,
and the others were teachers who were admired and looked
up-to by hundreds of their students.
Obviously there are names which should have been mentioned
here, except for reasons of shortness of memory, rather than
ingratitude.
For some reason, our years at Lourdes Convent remains
strongly etched on one's mind. After that, we spent shorter
stints in the boys' school, higher secondary and college,
before moving into the world of work. Those latter memories
seem like a blur, with life moving in fast-forward. We must
thank our teachers for those times, and above all for shaping
us into what we are today.
"Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment." - Will Rogers
--
FN * http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com
M +91-9822122436 P +91-832-2409490 http://twitter.com/fn
On Facebook: http://www.new.facebook.com/people/Frederick-Noronha/502514643
"I like a woman with a head on her shoulders. I hate necks." - Steve Martin
Christopher Desouza
Mar 5, 2009, 8:11:59 PM3/5/09
to salig...@googlegroups.com
About the gunpowder in the campfire. Sorry a few years to own up. We were a group of guys, I will not mention names, Juveniles basically in early to late teens, who resented the fountain being taken over during that camp for a whole week as we couldn't use it. About 7 or 8 boys. It was a dada bomb tossed into the campfire and dada bombs with incense sticks fuses set up around the various camps. we thought it was funny at that time. Mr. Saldhana suspected us but was not able to get to the bottom of it. Thanks for taking us down memory lane.
Chris in California
--- On Thu, 3/5/09, Frederick [FN] Noronha * फ्रेडरिक न <frederic...@gmail.com> wrote:
Chris in California
--- On Thu, 3/5/09, Frederick [FN] Noronha * फ्रेडरिक न <frederic...@gmail.com> wrote:
Patricia Nazareth
Mar 5, 2009, 9:04:55 PM3/5/09
to salig...@googlegroups.com
What a fantastic job of taking us down memory lane, Rico! I, too, will never forget those great days......We were undoubtedly (sometimes, and with good reason, too!!) filled with fear and apprehension at the dire consequences we might be faced with as a result of unfinished or poorly done homework, but without a doubt those were some of the best years of my life. Many years later, as teacher myself, I couldn't help but stifle a smile as I was transported back into that fun-filled life as a student. Kids have a way of finding their way into the heart of any adult who truly cares. (I guess my desire to teach professionally was largely influenced by both my parents who were outstanding teachers, and deeply caring
people, themselves.)
Thanks again,
Patsy
Another teacher I remember with a lot of affection at Lourdes is Miss Silveira.
It would be so good to be able to meet all these wonderful people, again - people who made a much bigger impact on our lives than they could ever imagine, and far beyond just providing us with 'textbook information'.
Subject: [SALIGAONET] Saligao... in the Seventies
allwyn de Souza
Mar 6, 2009, 1:29:37 AM3/6/09
to salig...@googlegroups.com, karen coutinho, Merwyn Sequeira
Dearest Rico,
yes I read your excellent account of Lourdes Convent in the seventies and remember those good old days - I am sure on reading your text lots of people will wish they could live those happy days again, the days of Phantom, Tarzan and Mandrake comics..
My first memories of you are those when you were sitting on the corridor parapet and engrossed in " SOLDIERS OF GOD " a magazine popular at that time costing 10 n.paisa My first memories of Ms.Angela ( Rani of Jhansi as she was known by the older students at that time ) are when she kept few of us after class and made us write 100 lines as punishment. You have mentioned Ms. Yvette - I last spotted her once in Panjim some years back and I was surprised that she recognised me and still knew my name despite her medical condition at that time - any idea where she is ?
Thanks
Allwyn |
|
|
Kevin Saldanha
Mar 6, 2009, 10:58:48 AM3/6/09
to salig...@googlegroups.com
Hi Chris,
has your guilty conscience been pricking you all these years ;-? Rest easy... I think Rico was referring to the campfires at Lourdes Convent where my Dad would 'magically' start the fire by invoking the winds from the north and from the south, from the east and from the west...
Come on guys... don't you believe in magic any more?
Kevin--
“Man in his arrogance thinks himself a great work, worthy the interposition of a deity...it is more humble and I believe truer to consider him created from animals” (Charles Darwin)
has your guilty conscience been pricking you all these years ;-? Rest easy... I think Rico was referring to the campfires at Lourdes Convent where my Dad would 'magically' start the fire by invoking the winds from the north and from the south, from the east and from the west...
Come on guys... don't you believe in magic any more?
Kevin
“Man in his arrogance thinks himself a great work, worthy the interposition of a deity...it is more humble and I believe truer to consider him created from animals” (Charles Darwin)
Albert Desouza
Mar 6, 2009, 5:03:14 AM3/6/09
to salig...@googlegroups.com
Dear Saligaonetters
It is still fun to be in Lourdes Convent School in fiftees and sixtees. The present Lourdes Convent was built in 1957. Sister Christine was the headmistress then. That was the year I started schooling in that convent. Sister Christine was like a tigress and many of the boys called her vodavelem christulem. ( no offence) It was during that time there was Sr.Veronica. I remember some of the teachers then. Sr.Livinia, Sr. olga, Teacher Lynette from Nigvaddo, Tr. Alice (Alwwyn's aunty) Sr.Slyvia, Sr.Irene etc. There were some boys to be remembered during the time which included Nicolas Sequeira, Teotonio de souza, Fanchu my brother, Leo and Sebestian (orlando Vaz's brothers) We studied only up to the sixth or seventh and the moment mustache started its appearences the sisters would get mortally scared of us and push us out. Sr.Livinia taught us maths and also portuguese and prepared us for premeira grav which was compulsory at that time. She was good teacher and taught us well but had a dirty habbit of knocking our skulls when we did not know the tables. It was because of Sr.Irene I learnt cursive handwriting which is appreciated all over. My eldest daughter Arlette was lucky to have her in the primary and she too has develped the same cursive hand writing. Those were the days in Lourdes Convent.
> Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 17:11:59 -0800
> From: goan...@sbcglobal.net
> Subject: [SALIGAONET] Re: Saligao... in the Seventies
It is still fun to be in Lourdes Convent School in fiftees and sixtees. The present Lourdes Convent was built in 1957. Sister Christine was the headmistress then. That was the year I started schooling in that convent. Sister Christine was like a tigress and many of the boys called her vodavelem christulem. ( no offence) It was during that time there was Sr.Veronica. I remember some of the teachers then. Sr.Livinia, Sr. olga, Teacher Lynette from Nigvaddo, Tr. Alice (Alwwyn's aunty) Sr.Slyvia, Sr.Irene etc. There were some boys to be remembered during the time which included Nicolas Sequeira, Teotonio de souza, Fanchu my brother, Leo and Sebestian (orlando Vaz's brothers) We studied only up to the sixth or seventh and the moment mustache started its appearences the sisters would get mortally scared of us and push us out. Sr.Livinia taught us maths and also portuguese and prepared us for premeira grav which was compulsory at that time. She was good teacher and taught us well but had a dirty habbit of knocking our skulls when we did not know the tables. It was because of Sr.Irene I learnt cursive handwriting which is appreciated all over. My eldest daughter Arlette was lucky to have her in the primary and she too has develped the same cursive hand writing. Those were the days in Lourdes Convent.
> Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 17:11:59 -0800
> From: goan...@sbcglobal.net
> Subject: [SALIGAONET] Re: Saligao... in the Seventies
Frederick [FN] Noronha * फ्रेडरिक नोरोन्या
Mar 6, 2009, 2:28:34 PM3/6/09
to salig...@googlegroups.com
Kevin is right. I was referring to the camp-fire (don't recall more
than one, where I saw this gunpowder stuff) at Lourdes Convent!
than one, where I saw this gunpowder stuff) at Lourdes Convent!
Someone (Mervyn, I think) called me Ricky. Ricky is my brother who's
based at Verna/Nuvem, where he's part of a software company
[http://www.opspl.com/]
People used to often get mixed up between the two of us!
FN
2009/3/6 Kevin Saldanha <veg...@gmail.com>:
> Hi Chris,
>
> has your guilty conscience been pricking you all these years ;-? Rest
> easy... I think Rico was referring to the campfires at Lourdes Convent where
> my Dad would 'magically' start the fire by invoking the winds from the north
> and from the south, from the east and from the west...
>
> Come on guys... don't you believe in magic any more?
--
FN * http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com
M +91-9822122436 P +91-832-2409490 http://twitter.com/fn
On Facebook: http://www.new.facebook.com/people/Frederick-Noronha/502514643
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from
magic." - Arthur C. Clarke
Patricia Nazareth
Mar 6, 2009, 4:20:44 PM3/6/09
to salig...@googlegroups.com
Yeah, my dad was great with that campfire stunt of his!! Real magic, I assure you ;)
Patsy
BTW, I think I made a mistake with the name of one of my favourite teachers at LCHS. Her name was Miss Silvette, not Silveira
Subject: [SALIGAONET] Re: Saligao... in the Seventies
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ANNETTE D'SOUZA
Mar 8, 2009, 4:04:33 AM3/8/09
to Saligaon Foxy news
Hmm!
Pity I missed out on those campfires - was old by then. you all were the kids!
>BTW, I think I made a mistake with the name of one of my favourite teachers at LCHS. Her name was Miss Silvette, not >Silveira
Yeh Patsy, I remember your teacher Silvette from Sangolda & knew her - I think she taught French too... she used to pass by my house every morning & afternoon, I think I was out of LCHS by then.
> Come on guys... don't you believe in magic any more?
Oh Kevin! You do? Believe in magic, I mean! Wonder of wonders! since you are always talking about scientific theories etc. etc. I thought otherwise!.....Guess you did once upon a time unlike myself...I never did & now I am too far gone to believe anything.. huh!
Ashley, I am going to reply to that important mail before my day is out. The above are just meanderings & dont need much thought!
Ta ra
I wish all SaligaoNetters - A good, peaceful weekend
Annette
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ANNETTE D'SOUZA
Mar 8, 2009, 4:17:54 AM3/8/09
to Saligaon Foxy news
Those were the days! Good old days in Saligao & LCHS!
Since you are writing about the nuns of Lourdes Convent (the ones who taught me were Sr. Veronica, Sr. Lavinia, St. Hilary & Sr. Celine) I want to know if anyone heard about Sr. Pauline - not sure if news is true but perhaps one of you in Saligao can find out & confirm over the SaligaoNet.
Hmm! Albert - I liked your quip on the "mustache" versus "nuns getting mortally scared" - ha ha! They feared for their girls! They were not afraid of you guys at all as they proved time & again when they disciplined all well & had full control of their classes.
ciao
Annette
From: alizad...@hotmail.com
To: salig...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [SALIGAONET] Re: Saligao... in the Seventies
Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 10:03:14 +0000
Dear Saligaonetters
It is still fun to be in Lourdes Convent School in fiftees and sixtees. The present Lourdes Convent was built in 1957. Sister Christine was the headmistress then. That was the year I started schooling in that convent. Sister Christine was like a tigress and many of the boys called her vodavelem christulem. ( no offence) It was during that time there was Sr.Veronica. I remember some of the teachers then. Sr.Livinia, Sr. olga, Teacher Lynette from Nigvaddo, Tr. Alice (Alwwyn's aunty) Sr.Slyvia, Sr.Irene etc. There were some boys to be remembered during the time which included Nicolas Sequeira, Teotonio de souza, Fanchu my brother, Leo and Sebestian (orlando Vaz's brothers) We studied only up to the sixth or seventh and the moment mustache started its appearences the sisters would get mortally scared of us and push us out. Sr.Livinia taught us maths and also portuguese and prepared us for premeira grav which was compulsory at that time. She was good teacher and taught us well but had a dirty habbit of knocking our skulls when we did not know the tables. It was because of Sr.Irene I learnt cursive handwriting which is appreciated all over. My eldest daughter Arlette was lucky to have her in the primary and she too has develped the same cursive hand writing. Those were the days in Lourdes Convent.
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ANNETTE D'SOUZA
Mar 8, 2009, 5:59:40 AM3/8/09
to Saligaon Foxy news
Ms. Yvette? the short one with dark black spectacle frames? - I too met her some years ago... and she remembered me too, grey hair & all..& she didnt teach me at all so this proves she had a good memory.
Didnt know she was not well. I think she was in Guirim so she is probably still living there.
Ms. Angela? - she didnt teach me either - Rani of Jhansi? Well I dont remember much history, but why was she named that?
ciao
Annette
Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 11:59:37 +0530
From: allwineshi...@yahoo.com
Subject: [SALIGAONET] Re: Saligao... in the Seventies
To: salig...@googlegroups.com
CC: kayc...@emirates.net.ae; mer...@yahoo.com
|
Christopher Desouza
Mar 7, 2009, 9:30:30 AM3/7/09
to salig...@googlegroups.com
Hi Kevin,
Good to hear from you. I do remember the magic of the campfires.It was fun, even though a few of us tried to disrupt it on that one occasion at the fountain. It was just being pranksters and I do shake my head at this memory. Wonder what our kids are up to?
Regards
Chris in Cal
--- On Fri, 3/6/09, Kevin Saldanha <veg...@gmail.com> wrote:
Patricia Nazareth
Mar 7, 2009, 11:02:43 AM3/7/09
to salig...@googlegroups.com
Some memories just live on............
Patsy
From: Albert Desouza <alizad...@hotmail.com>
To: salig...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Friday, March 6, 2009 5:03:14 AM
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