Newsline Canada

Toronto's Viva Goa 2003  By: Eugene Correia ~ Toronto

Some of the 5000 Goans at Viva Goa ( To Enlarge the image Click here)

Viva Goa keeps on growing bigger each year. At a rough estimate, at least 5,000 people came for this year's festival. There were 16 teams in the men's section, with Parra beating Calangute in the six-a-side indoor tournament. Parra had won the tournament three or four years ago. The Guirim team, made up of some players from Washington, had a good run, losing in the semis. Aldona took the women's title beating Calangute in the tie-breaker. The entertainment part was good with a mixture of Goan songs/dances, dances to Hindi remix music, young kids doing their own little acts, hip-hop, solo English songs. Three big food stalls had a tough time catering to the people. Long line-ups for food, taking more than half an hour to get to the counter, was frustrating. Usual dishes from sorpotel, pan-fried rechado promfret, mackerel curry, pork vindaloo. The bhel-puri, dahi batata puri stall was very busy. The missing part was feni. People quenched their thirst on a hot summer day with beer. Parking lots were full and some cars were parked illegally on fire routes. Fire marshall arrived and threatened to shut down the show unless people moved the cars, about 39 of them. Show came to a brief halt for about half hour or more as people were told to check their cars. See:http://www.goatoronto.com/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=vivagoa2003&page=1

$169 visit Toronto deal includes Show - Dinner & Hotel Room
From: TORONTO.CBC.CA News August 5 2003
Tourists tempted with another discounted Toronto deal
Toronto - Hoping to cash in on the afterglow of last week's Rolling Stones concert, city officials have announced another discounted entertainment package aimed at the fall tourist season.
The $169 deal is being offered to help boost business affected by the lingering impact of SARS, which is estimated to have had a multi-million dollar impact on the local hospitality and entertainment sector.
The program, which was introduced Tuesday by the city and Mirvish Productions, features tickets to the Lion King or Mamma Mia, dinner for two at a selection of downtown restaurants, one-night hotel stay and a choice of seven entertainment opportunities. The list ranges from a Toronto Blue Jays baseball game to admission to the Royal Ontario Museum, the Toronto Zoo or CN Tower. The packages will be available for travel from September 10 to November 2. At a press conference to announce the initiative, Mayor Mel Lastman stressed the importance of advertising the package to American tourists in the wake of Wednesday's Toronto Rocks concert. "We've got to keep up the momentum," he said. "We've got to keep people coming to Toronto and showing them that [it's] clean, is safe and that Toronto is fun."
In tandem with the announcement, theatre producer David Mirvish extended the run of the "Lion King" to November 2nd. It had been slated to close September 28 due to slow sales.
The estimated 100,000 packages went on sale Wednesday. When the first discount package was introduced in April, more than 12,000 were snapped up with 24 hours.

Masala! Mehndi! Masti!: August 8 through August 10- At Harbourfront
http://www.harbourfront.on.ca/summerfestivals/masalaMain.php
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai a Bollywood Sing-Along Pier Party
Bollywood Sing-A-Long: Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Directed by Karan Johar, Starring Shah Rukh Khan (Devdas), Kajol, Rani Mukherjee, Salman Khan, Anupam Kher(Bend It Like Beckham), Farida Jalal. In Hindi with English sub-titles.
For the first time ever watch your favorite Bollywood film and sing along to the tunes! Lyrics will be handed out. Bring your vocal chords and get ready to "perform" with the stars on the big screen at this world premiere Hindi film karaoke event!

Toronto - They won the battle for new home...
Jamie and Nicole Lobo and Nicole's cousins Michelle and Alwyn Dos Remedios home buying saga.... http://www.goacom.com/news/news2003/aug/msg00004.html

Canadian Immigration dilemmas
From: Vol:20 Iss:16 URL:
http://www.flonnet.com/fl2016/stories/20030815001006200.htm
WORLD AFFAIRS
EUGENE CORREIA in Toronto writes...
Canada's liberal immigration policy comes under intense scrutiny following the passage of the new Immigration Act, and the exercise will gain momentum with general elections just round the corner.

News Clips from Goa
by Joel D'Souza & Fred Noronha

THE WILD TRAIL: When a snake bites...
http://www.goacom.com/news/news2003/aug/msg00020.html

"Uniform Civil Code" has been rekindled recently
http://www.goacom.com/news/news2003/aug/msg00019.html

India teaches Kama Sutra to curb Aids
http://www.goacom.com/news/news2003/aug/msg00025.html

MAHAJAN THREATENS TO 'HIJACK' CM
BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajn almost 'threatened' to hijack Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to the central government, considering the rate of development in the State. Mr Mahajan, however, paused before assuring the crowd at Azad Maidan that such a recourse would be adopted only after 2007.

TIATRIST ROSARIO RODRIGUES NO MORE
Rosario Rodrigues from Benaulim lost the fight with cancer and expired last night (August 5). Known as the 'Shakespeare of Konkani stage', Rosario was instrumental in taking the once lowly khell-tiatr to dizzy heights. The present day 'non-stop' tiatr came into being due to his innovation and hard work. It was in 1975 that Rosario lit the flame of the non-stop tiatr by staging "Uzvadd Paloulo" on a revolving stage.

Fizzy drinks banned after pesticide find
From: Cape Times
August 07 2003 at 05:47AM
New Delhi - Coca-Cola and Pepsi were on Wednesday taken off the menu in the Indian parliament after an independent study found the American beverage giants' soft drinks in India carried dangerous levels of pesticides.
While some lawmakers called for a nationwide ban on Coke and Pepsi, Edappagath Ahmed, the MP responsible for the cafeteria, said: "The sale of all soft drinks will discontinue with immediate effect."
Health Minister Sushma Swaraj told parliament the report on the danger of the fizzy drinks was "shocking".
The beverage giants denied the charges with PepsiCo India's chairperson Rajeev Bakshi calling them "wild allegations calculated to spread consumer panic". - Sapa-AFP

NEW INDUSTRIAL POLICY AIMS
Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar, who released the State’s industrial policy on August 4, said Goa would henceforth quantify industrialisation by the jobs generated rather than fiscal investment. Incentives proposed in the policy, particularly subsidies will not be available to units employing “contract” labour, he added. Mr Parrikar claimed that at least 6,000 jobs were provided by industries set up in the State since he took over three years ago. Replying to a query, Mr Parrikar said he felt that 20,000 was the “realistic” figure of educated, unemployed youth in the State. CM Parrikar said that his government was in the process of drafting legislation for “streamlining” private investments in infrastructure projects. Besides entertainment industry, the policy has identified “medical tourism” as a thrust area. The policy also envisages deregulation of the business environment for an efficient, proactive and transparent administrative framework, he said. Other thrust areas are pharmaceuticals, food processing and agro-based industries, IT and IT-enabled services, eco-tourism, heritage tourism and adventure tourism. The government would encourage opening of many industrial parks covering pharmaceuticals, food and wine, software technology, apparels besides agro and special economic zones, and film city.

PICKLE BAN LIFTED
Goans in many parts of the globe can now savour the famed Goan pickle with their meals. Air passengers taking Goan pickles to their near and dear ones to distant places should no longer have any problem at the airports across the country in view of the partial modification of the circular issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, which has struck off ‘pickles’ from its list of banned items in hand baggage.

People Places and Things

Announcements

Tiatr - Toronto
The Legendary Director of the ‘Canadian Konkani Stage’ and the recipient of “GOAN KONKANI TROUPE’S’’ Award for his excellence in Directing, Acting, Singing, Comedy & Composing Jr. Menezes To Direct “PANGDO” (HANDICAP). For more text click here

Toronto ~ 4th Annual Filmi South Asian Film Festival
Filmi Entertainment Movement will hold the fourth annual Film Festival to be held at The Toronto Harbourfront Centre.
This 4 day event will continue the tradition of showcasing the variety of film talent from around the world. See schedule at: http://www.filmi.org/events/FestSchedIndex.shtml

SOME TRAVEL AGENTS OFFERING CHARTERED FLIGHTS LONDON TO GOA.
Click to see Eddie Fernandes' List on Goanet
(http://www.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet/2003-August/003808.html)

CyberMatrimonials, Aug 2003: Toronto, Dubai, Washington, Goa...
http://www.goacom.com/news/news2003/aug/msg00022.html

Goa Sudharop newsletter
The first edition of the newsletter is now on the website in pdf format. At the home page
www.goasudharop.org, click on the menu bar option "newsletter" to view http://216.23.254.65/gfx/newsletter8_21_03.pdf

Goanet Membership Rules
We at Goanet Administration would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our members for their continued respectful discourse on issues that are of common interest.Click for full text.

Events

Saturday, 16 August, 2003
Events:	Amchi Picnic!
Venue:	Hempstead Harbor Park, New York.
Goan Association of New York Violet & Peter DeSouza Amchi Khobor to make a special appearance @ Amchi Picnic! For more details click here.

Saturday, 16 August, 2003
Events:	WORLD GOA DAY 2003 - MONTREAL
Time:	10.00 am
Venue:	Parc Agrignon, Lasalle, Montreal,
There will be a picnic for all GOANS (and friends) to join in celebrating WORLD GOA DAY 2003 - MONTREAL. We will be joining Goans, all over the world, that are also celebrating WORLD GOA DAY 2003. Please bring a dish to share in the "pot-luck" lunch. Also bring your own drinks, snacks, chairs, umbrellas and what-ever-else you would like at the picnic. And don't forget to inform all your friends. We will have a day of fun and games. Hope to meet a lot of old and new friends. FOR MORE DETAILS:
Noel Rodriguez	rodriguez_n184@hotmail.com	Phone: 514-697-4733
Felix D'Sa	fatsdsa@hotmail.com	Phone: 450-676-8560
Photographs http://community.webshots.com/user/felix_d14u

Sunday, August 17th, 2003
Events:	G.O.A. - Los Angeles Join GOANS WORLD WIDE in celebrating GOA DAY
Venue:	Veterans Park, 309 Esplande, Redondo Beach, CA 90277.
The G.O.A. Los Angeles Committee invites you to celebrate Goa Day on Sunday, August 17th from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with a Potluck Picnic at the Veterans Park in Redondo Beach. Come spend a day at the beach and share your memories/experiences/cultures of Goa. Bring your favorite Goan dish, snacks/desserts to share; and bring your own drinks. We'll provide tea and supply plates, forks, spoons, napkins & punch. Being at the beach, there may not be tables and benches, so please carry your lawn & beach chairs or mats. For those of you who enjoy volleyball, and other board games, come prepared to have some fun. Directions: From Sepulveda, go west on Torrance Blvd. You will see the park on your left hand side at the corner of Torrance Blvd. and Esplanade Avenue, before you drive down to the pier parking lot entrance. There is a parking lot to the left of the park (meter parking) or if you're lucky, you may find parking on the street. Look for the GOA signs.

SUNDAY, 31 August, 2003
Events:	Family Picnic
Venue:	Fologers Country Club and Park in Oakville.
For more details click here.

75TH ANNIVERSARY
DR. RIBEIRO GOAN SCHOOL - NAIROBI calling all ex-students and staff to reserve your table of 10 for the Dinner Dance at At the Crown Banquet Hall, Mississauga