The Bishop's Man is the Giller prize winner
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By CBC Arts | November 11, 2009

CBC journalist and Giller-winning author Linden MacIntyre says he turned to fiction to tell a story of abuse inside the Catholic church because he found he could go deeper into the story.

"Let's stop treating bishops and priests as some kind of royalty. Let's see them as public servants, which is what they really are and let's ask them for accountability."

"The story has been covered as much as you can cover a controversial story of that nature in journalism," MacIntyre told CBC News, the morning after winning the $50,000 Giller Prize for his novel, The Bishop's Man.

"I really had to go to an area our business doesn't let you go to, to the area of speculation, the area of making things up. But always at the forefront of my mind is telling the truth as best I could on a very sensitive topic," MacIntyre said.  The Bishop's Man is narrated by Father Duncan, who has been his bishop's dutiful enforcer and played a role in suppressing evidence of sexual abuse within the church. He is forced into painful self-knowledge as a scandal unfolds.  MacIntyre said the story of rot inside an institution could apply as fully to a bank or a political party as to the church. "It's about priests who betray the most profound kind of trust by the most vulnerable people, and their bosses who failed to lead those institutions into a better place and decided that the default response was going to be coverup," he said.

"This is a story that gets repeated daily in every institution that we can name and it's a story that I wanted to tell, not to single out the Catholic church, or single out the clergy, but to single out leaders and people in positions of trust and say, you know what , we've got to do a better job."

MacIntyre said his greatest task was getting inside the head of the man who would be his narrator.
"I'm most proud of having found the voice of this particular priest. I owe that to some of my friends who have been and still are priests," he said.

The Giller jury ? Britain's Victoria Glendinning, Canadian writer Alistair McLeod and American writer Russell Banks ? praised the sensitivity with which he handled the subject of abuse, with the dirty secrets left in the wings while MacIntyre wrote movingly of a crisis of faith.

"If I have in my own closet a big ethical question, a big ethical and moral failure, how do I do that job and look at myself in the mirror, when I'm approaching middle age ? this is the theme of the book and it's a struggle that we all deal with no matter what line of work we're in," he said. "Once I found that space in my head, the storytelling became pretty simple."

Recent events, including a huge settlement in August with abuse victims and the arrest of Bishop Raymond Lahey on child porn charges, have made the book very topical.  But MacIntyre says those events were a complete surprise to him, as they emerged long after he had finished writing. In his acceptance speech at the Giller Awards in Toronto Tuesday evening, MacIntyre paid tribute to the people of Antigonish and to priests and nuns who continue to struggle on in the church.

MacIntyre, who grew up in Cape Breton in a Catholic family, said he is now agnostic. But he said he respects those who keep their faith.  "The last thing I wanted to do is cause people to be less faithful ? I don't want to take that gift away from them ? but I do want them to question the institution that gives them this faith, to challenge the leadership of these institutions," MacIntyre said.

"Let's stop treating bishops and priests as some kind of royalty. Let's see them as public servants, which is what they really are and let's ask them for accountability."  He also paid tribute to the other writers nominated: Anne Michaels, Colin McAdam, Annabel Lyon and Kim Echlin.

"I can't really believe this is happening to me because at this point in my career, I'm a journalist and a broadcaster. Dreams of writing the great novel are so far behind me, but here I am in a crowd of people who are great novelists around me and they hand me the prize," he said. MacIntyre is co-host of The Fifth Estate, the current affairs show, and worked previously with The Journal and with CBC Halifax.

M.G. Vassanji, now a Governor General's Literary Award-winner for non-fiction
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2009/11/17/gg-lit-09-winners.html
Excerpts from :CBC News

M.G. Vassanji, already celebrated for his fiction, is now a Governor General's Literary Award-winner for his evocative memoir, A Place Within: Rediscovering India. (Paperback $16.95)

The Toronto-based author — a two-time winner of the Giller Prize for fiction — was named English non-fiction winner of the 2009 Governor General's Literary Awards in Montreal Tuesday.

A three-member jury hailed the memoir as "an utterly brilliant, evocative memoir that ranges across the landscapes of culture, memory, identity and history."

Novelist Kate Pullinger, originally from Cranbrook, B.C., but now living in the U.K., is the English-language fiction winner for The Mistress of Nothing. The historical novel follows a Victorian-era servant as she ventures on a trip down the Nile with her employer.

Each winner receives $25,000, while the other finalists receive $1,000 each.

Click here to read Excerpt in Google

Goan Overseas Association – First Goan Sweet Making and Tasting Event
By: Marcelina Dias, Cultural Secretary, G.O.A., Toronto
Photos by: Chantelle Barreto

The G.O.A. (Toronto) held its first Goan Sweet Making and Tasting event on Sunday, November 15th, 2009 at Vic Johnson Community Centre in Mississauga. It was encouraging to receive a huge response to this event, this proves that Goans are keen to learn and continue Goan traditions.

1. Display on Goan Utensils and Sweets;

2. Martha Patel teaching young ladies the art of making Bolinas;

3. Joana Nunes demonstrating the dough for Kulkuls.

4. Marcelina Dias demonstrating Bolinhas

5. Flevi Rodriques (chef), Martha Patel (chef), Joana Nunes (chef) and Rosie Barreto (sub-committee member)

6. Members trying their hand at Carambolas.

In preparation for Christmas, 130 adults and children learned how to make five Goan sweets: Doce de Grao, Bathk (Batica), Bolinhas, Kulkuls and Corambolas. The event was opened to children because they prepare the sweets with their mothers and/or grandmothers. It was nice to see three generations together. Flevi Rodrigues demonstrated Bathk in simple steps. The highlight of the event was Martha Patel presenting Doce de Grao, the microwave method, reducing the effort and time while not compromising the taste. We live in an environment where time is of the essence, any short cuts and tips are appreciated. Participants were also introduced to frozen shredded coconut from India. This eliminates the need to break a fresh coconut, grate and mince it. Samples of Deep Shredded Coconut were distributed, courtesy of Deep Canada. After a step by step demonstration on how to make Kulkuls and Carambolas dough by Joana Nunes, guests were invited to a hands-on session on how to fold and make these sweets.

Did you know there are more than 22 Goan sweets? Each attendee also received a recipe book which included some popular Goan sweets, a couple of Canadian Christmas favourites and cooking tips. Participants shared their Christmas traditions like preparing Kuswar (a tray of assorted sweets, fruit and nuts) and exchanging it with their family, friends and neighbours. Later everybody enjoyed a cup of hot masala tea/coffee with a sampling of all the sweets that were made that afternoon.

An array of Goan utensils was showcased; this brought back memories of Goa. Hema Pereira did an excellent job of the display and labeling the items in Konkani. The emcee, Michelle Dias kept the crowd entertained and on their toes by asking Goan trivia questions as there were lots of giveaways to be won.

Attached is a sample of recipes that were shared with the participants. (See Below)

Thank you to all the helpers that made this event a tremendous success. Here is to many more Goan cooking classes!

Marcelina Dias
Cultural Secretary
G.O.A., Toronto

Kulkuls

what you need:
2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup sugar
5 – 6 tablespoons margarine/butter
1 egg
½ cup coconut milk
Oil for deep frying

Mix the flour and sugar. Rub in the margarine/butter until the mixture is coarsely crumble.

In separate bowl beat the egg into the ½ cup coconut milk. Add the egg mixture into the flour mixture and form wet dough. Add enough white flour to reduce the wetness (stickiness) of the dough so it does not stick to your hands.

At this point, either make small marble size balls (in advance) or leave the dough whole and pick each small piece as you form your kulkul as follows:

Press a small marble size piece of dough onto the back of the fork (or onto a kulkul maker), and flatten until very thin. Starting at the bottom, roll the dough off the fork into a tight curl. The end result will be a tube-like curl with the design of the fork on it. Press the ends slightly so that they do not open out while frying (easily done by using the ends of the fork prongs and gently pressing into the end of the curl). Do the same with the remaining dough until finished. Alternatively, roll out the dough and cut into strips and then into small squares. Press square on the back of a folk and roll off it to form kulkul.

Heat oil in a deep, heavy pan on low to medium heat. Fry the Kulkuls until light golden brown, making sure to turn often. (approx. 3 – 5 minutes).

NOTE: due to the egg content of the kulkuls, the oil will froth up. This will lessen as you stir the kulkuls. If very foamy, simply stir the foam and it should reduce.

Drain using a slotted spoon and cool on paper towels.

Variation
To sugarcoat the Kulkuls, you may either reduce, or remove the sugar altogether when making the dough. Make syrup using 2 cups of sugar and 4-5 tablespoons of water. Place Kulkuls in the syrup and coat well.

Bolinhas

what you need:
1 cup semolina (sooji)
3 egg yokes
1 cup sugar
12 oz shredded coconut (Deep brand)
2 ½ tablespoons soft butter
2 teaspoons ground cardamom (elchi)
½ teaspoon salt
Yellow food colour (optional)

Roast semolina in a heavy dry saucepan until light brown, stir constantly to prevent burning. Set aside to cool. Put the egg yokes in a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and beat with a wooden spoon until well mixed. Add the coconut a little at a time and continue mixing. Add the semolina and continue to mix. Add the butter, salt, cardamom and colour and mix well. Cover and keep for at least 8 hours. Take small portions and make one inch balls.  On a wooden board, sparingly sprinkle some semolina and white flour. Roll the bolinha on the board to make neat and even ball. Tap the top lightly with a knife to flatten the bolinha

Make a design.

Arrange about 1/2 inch apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 300 degrees F until light golden brown (approx. 20 minutes)

Tips
For longer shelf time, always roast and cool semolina before storing in a air tight container.
 
Doce de Grao

What you need:
9 oz split gram dal (yellow)
2 cups water
18 oz sugar
¾ cup water
12 oz shredded coconut
2-3 tablespoons margarine/butter
1 teaspoon powered cardamoms

Soak dal overnight. Wash and boil the dal in water until it softens. Make a thick syrup of sugar and ¾ cup of water. Let it cool. Blend coconut and the dal in blender until fine. In a big microwaveable bowl, mix the sugar, coconut and the dal well.

Microwave for 10 minutes, remove, stir well and return for another 10 minutes, continue to do this until the mixture leaves the sides of the bowl (approx 4 x 10 minutes). Mix in the margarine/butter and the cardamom and put in the microwave for another 5 minutes. Remove and roll out on a buttered board and cut into diamonds when hardened.

Goan Archives Project Launched in Toronto
By: Ben Antao & Photos by Uvy Lopes

A group of senior Canadian Goans of Toronto have launched a Goan Archives project to preserve for posterity books and other printed material covering Goan literature, culture and heritage. The project took official shape on Remembrance Day (Nov. 11, 2009) at an open house at the Holy Rosary Church Hall in Scarborough, Toronto

Further details of the project can be viewed on the website:
http://sites.google.com/site/goanarchivescanada/
See also: http://www.goanvoice.ca/2009/issue23/announcements.htm#ann_2

The Goan Archives Project is managed under a Steering Committee, with Cecil D’Cruz as chairperson. The open house was organized by Claude Gomes, assisted by Bridgit D’Souza & Dora Noronha, with Andrew Telles at the receiving table. The collection now includes more than 200 items. Attendees found back issues of the G.O.A. PULSE of the past century most interesting to peruse, especially the high level of community activities, which took place then, and the graphic design, not seen today. Ben Antao, veteran Goan author, donated his books and other writings to the Archives.

These Include:

1. Images of Goa (1990), a memoir of his growing up in Goa covering the years 1942-1964.

2. Goa, a Rediscovery (2004), a travelogue with photos of the author's visit to Goa in 2004.

3. BLOOD & Nemesis (2005), a novel about Goa's freedom struggle from the Portuguese rule, covering the years 1946-1962.

4. Penance (2006), a novel about a love triangle set in Toronto.

5. The Tailor's Daughter (2007), a novel about a young Goan woman from Nairobi and her dream of breaking out of the caste system through love and marriage.

6. Living on the Market (2008), a novel set in Toronto about a supply teacher who tries to support his family by playing the stock market.

7. The lands of Sicily/Le terre di Sicilia (2008), a bilingual travelogue of the author's visit to Sicily, Italy in 2007.

8. Images of the USA (2009), a memoir of the author's journalistic experiences in the U.S. in 1966-67.

9. The Priest and His Karma (2009), a novel set in Goa and Canada about a former priest who is hounded by both God and the Devil.

Other writings:

1.  Traditional values upheld, a clipping of the report in The Catholic Register (Aug. 20, 1988) about Joseph Cardinal Cordeiro's call to Goans in St. Michael's Cathedral at the opening ceremonies of the International Goan Convention (Aug.7-21, 1988) in Toronto.

2. Goans well settled in Canada, a clipping of the report in the Navhind Times, Panjim, Goa (Aug.21, 1988) of the CBC radio interview conducted by Joe Cote, host of the 740 Metro Morning, with the author in Toronto.

3. Cultural values, a commentary by the author on the 1988 convention that appeared in the Navhind Times (Oct. 25, 1988).

4. Youth convention in Goa in '90, a report in India Abroad (Oct.21, 1988).

5. EKVOTT!, a souvenir of the International Goan Convention held in Toronto, July 2008.

Ben Antao, 74, has been a journalist, teacher, writer and a certified financial planner now living in Toronto, Canada. After graduating from the University of Bombay (M.A. in English), he worked as a reporter for the Navhind Times, Panjim, Goa (1963-64) and later joined The Indian Express (1965-66) in Bombay as a reporter. In 1966, he was awarded a journalism fellowship by the World Press Institute based at the Macalester College, St. Paul. MN for a year's study and travel in the United States.

Upon immigrating to Canada in 1967, he worked for The Catholic Register weekly and the Globe and Mail, both of Toronto. In 1976 he graduated from the University of Toronto (B.Ed) and switched to a teaching career, retiring from teaching English in high school in 1998. He's currently writing both fiction and non-fiction. He is the past president of the Canadian Authors Association, Toronto Branch.

He's married to Marinella Antao of Sicilian origin (Pachino, Siracusa) and they have a son Martin. His address: 18 Geraldton Crescent, Toronto, ON M2J 2R6. Phone: 416-225-9047; Fax: 416-250-6721. Email: ben.antao@rogers.com 

Eight-Wheeled Electric Car from Japan
Nov. 13, 2009

Japan's Eliica may look like science fiction, but with the engine power in its wheels -- all eight of them -- a top speed of 230 mph and a range of 200 miles on a single charge, this electric car has potential in the real world.
Click for Video
Sent by Tony Braganza

TEGSA VISIT TO FORT ERIE CASINO , WINERY & FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS
Written by Sal Rocha
November 14th

Our trip coordinator, Flavia de Souza is to be congratulated on organising another successful event. Unfortuately the untimely death of Flavia’s uncle, John Gomes , two days before prevented her from attending the occasion. Carmelita, Peter, Cleo, Leo, Wilma, Conrad and Sal stepped in to help with the arrangements.

The bus left at 11 A.M with 54 people and after a prayer for a safe journey, which was said by Cleo D’Souza, we were fed with a very large delicious sandwich . This was quickly followed by Bingo. Joe Alphonso seemed to be the lucky man of the day.. He won the prize for the 1st horizontal line, the 3rd horizontal line and and the first full house , winning a total of $39.00.  The other horizontal lines were won by Petal Almeida,Sybil Gonsalves and Priscilla D’souza with each pocketing $7.00

We arrived at the Kittling Ridge winery at 12.15 , where we were given a short history of the place followed by wine tasting. Most people left with smiles on their faces and bags under their arms. The Casino provided us with an extra $5.00 coupon so we had $15 to gamble with .There were no big winners as far as I know, or if there was , it was kept really quiet. The highlight was probably the all-you-can-eat Prime rib dinner which was covered by the Casino coupon.

Our return trip started with a card draw and two bottles of wine as prizes. The Red wine was won by Paul Madeira and the white wine by Romaldo Sequeira. The Festival of lights was spectacular and the photographers had a field day. The trip concluded with a video of “I love Lucy".