Golden Sunset lost forever

Lost, last week,

somewhere between Erinsville and Tamworth,

two golden hours,

each set with sixty diamond minutes.

No reward is offered for they are gone forever.

Horace Mann was an American education reformist.

Tonferns Creations at 'Buzzfest' Caledon

Life's every climb, as in nature, has a down side

Happy Birthday MUM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM


Benedicta Barboza.

Had you been with us,

you would have been

only 79 years young today.

We miss you.

http://tonferns.blogspot.ca/2011/09/happy-birthday-mum.html

TONFERNS CREATIONS AT BUZZFEST

WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENIN'

WHAT'S THE BUZZ

COME, VISIT

AND FIND OUT 

WHAT'S THIS BUZZ ALL ABOUT!

EDNA'S PICKLES

'Double H' Farm - Erinsville, Ontario.

Fresh farm eggs

at 'Double H' Farm

Erinsville, Ontario.

SILVERY MOON REFLECTION ON BEAVER LAKE, Tamworth, Ontario.

Night watch on deck!

Turtle Point Cottage

Beaver Lake

Tamworth, Ontario

'DOUBLE H' Farm, Erinsville, Ontario

The Farm on the Hill

'Double H' Farm

Erinsville, Ontario

The Farm on the Hill - Erinsville, Ontario, Canada

The Farm on the Hill

Double H Farm

Erinsville, Ontario.

Movie Night at the India Club

Tony Fernandes

Tuesday - Movie Night at the India Club Abu Dhabi circa 1969

Young volunteer projectionist Tony Fernandes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xKkSSKmjbk

Dionne Warwick (Theme From) Valley of the Dolls 1968 Million Seller

www.youtube.com

PHILIPS PORTABLE TRANSISTOR

Philips Portable Transistor Radio

 - Guirim, Bardez, Goa - Circa 1961 -

Typical Goan evening in the balcão (balcony) of our house. Enjoying the evening's request broadcast on Radi Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) along with neighbours who came over to listen. Typical tune piercing the twilight with the plaintive cry of a young Mexican girl - Pat Boone singing 'Speedy Gonsales'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stQtgUeLgao

WHICH WAY DID HE GO?

The Little White House at Cumbiem Morod

         On the left-hand side of the picture of the house you can see stenciled lettering "Happy X'mas". Young boys went around the village stencilling the caption on the walls of houses in the village after the Midnight Mass.

         On the left side in the pic, on the 'sopo' is a circa 1960 model Philips radio, similar to the one in the picture below, tuned to the early morning English program of Radio Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). From the long shadows in the picture, it is evident the picture was taken very early in the morning. After listening to the BBC news relayed by Radio Ceylon, on Short Wave 31 meter band, I joined the other boys at the cross-path in the center of the village and walked to St. Anthony's High School, Monte de Guirim, Bardez, Goa, as a young lad. 

 Tilted on its stand is my 'Atlas' bicycle that my father bought for me during my mid-teens, fitted with a bell, horn, rear view mirror and a rear bracket, which I often used to carry wheat purchased from Mapusa market and later take it to the flour mill to grind it into flour. I also used it to run several errands, like fetching a doctor to the village in an emergency, to watch football matches in Duler, Mapusa, to attend Mass at St. Diogo's Church, Guirim, and to go to Calangute Beach in the months of April and May.

         On the top right of the picture a 'star' is seen and that surely indicates that the picture was taken during Yuletide. The 'star' seen in the picture was my own work of art like many other boys in the village, made of white translucent craft paper glued onto a hollow framework of bamboo sticks held apart as an expanded shape by sticks at 5 cross points. It was hauled up using a pulley and coir rope on a long bamboo pole. And at sunset it would be brought down to place and light up a candle or a lamp fitted to a thin flat piece of wood inside it and hauled back up above creating a beautiful aura of its own that said it all, along with some lanterns lit up under the roof edge of the balcão.

         The camera used to take this picture was a Japanese Model called 'Samoca', similar to the one in the picture below:

The colour slide from which the house picture has been reproduced is Kodachrome 35mm 64 ASA. The film was processed by Bombay Film Labs, and at times also done by Kodak Film Labs at Hemel Hempstead, England. I still have the 1 inch x 2 inches slide, that I used to project on the wall using a projector powered by batteries.

         Electricity first came to the village of Cumbiem Morod only around 1969.

Those were the days.

Tony Fernandes (a.k.a. Felicio)

The Fields of Cumbiem Morod, Guirim, Bardez, Goa

  

The above picture was taken by fabulous and innovative Master Photographer Gabriel Monteiro - circa around the early 1960's. So, that would be about 50 years ago!

In this very poignant and memorable picture, from left to right are: My Mom, my Dad, Benit Titi - the tallest man in Guirim and beyond! - unforgettable and extraordinary character - tall, slim but strong man, (Abdon Uncle's brother) Uncle Timothy, yours truly (Tony), and Aluiza (my loving and adorable Aunt) on the extreme right.

Picture description:

         We have just finished digging a perfect square-shaped well in the fields opposite our old house. Each family had their own well dug for watering their respective allocated patches for growing vegetables etc. in the winter/spring harvests.

         It is quite evident from looking at the picture that it is Benit Titi who has dug the well. What he's got on his shoulder is a pick-axe. My Mum is holding the rope on one side while my aunt is holding another. The ropes are tied to a woven basket that is not seen (obviously it is in the well). That basket is used to haul the mud up. You can see the pile of mud on both sides of the well. My Dad is holding a small 'counso' (pot) that was used to fill the big pot and immediately hauled up in quick succession, as the water kept on collecting while digging the well. Water and mud slurry was continuously drawn out as it kept on accumulating as the well was dug deeper.

         It so happens that Uncle Timothy has come down on a holiday from Ahmedabad, and is there lending a helping hand. In the picture, it's me holding a big 'counso' (copper pot) and a spade (khorem) as well. I could have been or 11 or 12 years of age. The two poles sticking out of the well in the foreground are uprights of a ladder (entirely made of bamboo poles) used to climb out of the well when the job is done.

         How hard we worked those days in the hot mid-day sun! From the shadows on our faces, it seems the sun is almost overhead. What can be seen in the distant background in this old photo is Beatrice Mana/Abdon/Benit Titi's house, but I could be wrong about that. The white spot you see on the extreme right could be our chapel?

         Hope you like the picture. Keep it on your computer and show it to your family members. It is a testimony of our very humble beginnings, and I'm proud of them! Many kids of my age then helped with all types of work in and around the house, and also with field chores, besides going to school, doing their homework, and play football, hockey, and all sorts of board games like Ludo, Draughts, Chess and Carrom.

        Sunday was special. All work stopped. Early morning Mass, then listen to Binaca Hit Parade, Radio Ceylon, Listener's Choice Radio Goa, and Sunday School, followed by a football game.

       God bless them, but sadly the other 5 people in the picture left us a long time ago; I'm the only one left to tell the tale! At least so far.

The Boys & Girls of Cumbiem Morod

               I thought the attached picture might be interesting in the fact that's is a treasure for Cumbiem Morod, which I have treasured for many years. It was among the few pictures given to me by Aunt Flory - my loving godmother and my most favourite person in our Vaddo of Cumbiem Morod - a few years before she passed away, as she thought, for some reason, the picture would be best carried forward to the next generation if it was kept in my possession.

               Now, here's some light on the fading picture, so to say:

The photograph, I was told by Aunty Flory, that it was taken in Bombay (now Mumbai) at the famous Back Bay Reclamation, Churchgate, circa 1948. That makes the photograph nearly 66 years old.

In the now fading priceless photograph from left to right, standing on the ledge are:

Uncle Miki, Uncle Assis and Uncle Cosme. Look at how proudly they are standing. The seem to be the caring leaders of the the group of other youngsters of their generation.

From left to right, standing on the footpath are:

Peter, Mary's son  & Abdon Titi's nephew who is carrying Joseph  (Martha's husband), Johnnie (standing, and perhaps shielding himself from the bright sun), and Jack (my brother) carrying me.

Foreground: Aunty Irene (God bless her). 

Further, details as described by Aunty Flory: We are all taken on a day's outing to the scenic and popular Bay, one year after India's Independence. Irene has just recovered from a bout of crying because the big boys did not let her stand on the ledge! And as for myself, I just simply seem to have refused to look at the camera because I wanted a side pose and simply refused to look at the camera.  Funny though, ironically, the camera eventually turned out to be my life's best possession.

My guess is that the picture was taken by Michael (Grand-aunt Sabina's husband from Candolim) or by Custodio Piedade (and Virginia) who were my older brother's godparents. My Mum and Dad were Uncle Assis's godparents.

Incidentally, Uncle Joseph and myself were born in the same year in Bombay - 1947 - myself on 7 January, Joseph on 7th March. Uncle Assis was very fond of photography - it was probably his camera that was used for this picture that has stood the test of time. He had the largest collection of photographs of almost everyone from the village in a thick album that we enjoyed browsing through from time to time on sunny afternoons or on rainy days when time on many occasions seemed to have simply stood still. I believe the album is now with Uncle Miki. A real pictorial treasure of our simple past.

LABOUR DAY WEEKEND

C.N.E. (Canadian National Exhibition) DRAWS TO A CLOSE

A CNE THAT WAS!

THE IMBAYAKUNAS

performing live at the CNE.

The Imbayakunas' music allows the listener to escape on an exotic voyage to a South American traditional Native community with rich sounds of the Andean regions. In Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia traditional music is the privileged expression of 20 million Quechua and 4 million Aymaras.

Their music ranges from the traditional sounds of Yarabi, San Juan, Albasos, Tinkus, Huaynos, Tobas, Taquiraris and Sayas to the more contemporary sounds of Cumbias, Bombas, Rumbas and Ballads. They play traditional Andean Native music with an infusion of Latin and European sounds, their traditional instruments being the pan flutes, rondador, charango, drum, ronrroco and cajas. We also use newer instruments like the guitar, violin, bandolin and bass. The mixing of these sounds allows us to expand their art.

Some of their rhythms are pensive and incorporate sounds of the natural world. The songs are sung in Spanish and also Quechua (pronounced "kee - chew - ahh"). Themes of the songs are of respect for "Pacha Mama" (mother earth in Quechua), annual Andean festivals, working overseas, love and new romance.

Their musical expression creates an environment of unity. The songs are interpretations of their past and the evolution of their culture into the future.

'CASCADE' - STUNTMEN TROUPE FROM FRANCE AT THE C.N.E.

'CASCADE' TROUPE PAR EXCELLANCE!

TROUPE EXTRAORDINAIRE!

The Stuntmen Troupe from France

at the CNE, Toronto.

SCADDING CABIN - THE EXHIBITION PLACE, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

 

SCADDING CABIN

THE EXHIBITION PLACE

AT THE C.N.E.

(Canadian National Exhibition)

 TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

In August 2003, the CNE celebrated its 125th exhibition; and so did a little log cabin which was moved to the exhibition site in August, 1879. When you’re ready for a break from the hurly-burly of the midway, wend your way to just west of the bandshell and step back in time more than 200 years as you enter the dim interior of Toronto’s oldest building. The square-timbered Scadding Cabin, built in 1794, is a little oasis surrounded by a split rail fence and a re-creation of a nineteenth-century garden featuring herbs and flowers.

To know more about this piece of history please click on the following link:

http://www.yorkpioneers.org/cabin.html