Yuletide Scenes

Christmas Cheer

Let the spirit of love

gently fill our hearts and homes.

In this loveliest of seasons

may you find many reasons for happiness.

Season's Greetings

and a Happy & Peaceful New Year

MERRY CHRISTMAS

The Blessings of Peace

The Beauty of Hope

The Spirit of Love

The Comfort of Faith

May these be your gifts

this Christmas Season

MERRY CHRISTMAS

EVERY SUNRISE

GIVES US

ONE MORE DAY

TO HOPE & PEACE

AN ICY STORY

WHEN MOTHER NATURE

IS IN CONTROL

&

LIFE STANDS STILL

WHEN BOUGHS TAKE A BOW TO MOTHER NATURE!.

TO THEE I BOW,

MOTHER NATURE.

Feasts of Yesteryear

Guirim, Cumbiem Morod

2nd January 1966

Preparing for the feast

of Holy Name of Jesus - 

at the Chapel dedicated to St. Anne.

BACK IN TIME

The chapel is white-washed. Decoration seems to be in progress. Atop the folding ladders is your sincerely in favourite checked blue shirt, assisted by two other young guys. One of them is Sikander (a.k.a. Shiko). The holes for the poles were dug by none other than Benit Titi, God bless him too. The white lace curtains and linen drapes were kept in a special steel trunk at Beatrice Mana's house in immaculate condition. The camera that I used was a Samoca II, made in Japan. The slide film was Kodachrome 64 ASA 36exp. The transparencies could be projected on the wall. The slide film was processed by Bombay Film Colour Labs at Dadar 47 years ago.

Kodachrome colour reversal film from Eastman Kodak was a process-paid film available in the 1960’s in Indian sub-continent and in the Middle Eastern countries. During my years in Goa and Bombay, I sent my film to the Bombay Film Laboratories at Dadar in Bombay for processing in slides; and when I worked in Dubai, I sent them to Hemel Hempsted Labs in the United Kingdom. In later years I got the slides developed at the United Film Laboratories in Ajman, U.A.E.

The trend of colour slides declined over the years, and finally disappeared from the scene.

The added joy of taking pictures using colour slide films was that one could have a slide show for family and friends to watch at home by using a 35mm film slide projector. Thus one could not only have personal projection of slides at a evening get-together with family and friends, but could also have prints made from the slides as well if required. Though the cost of making this choice was expensive, it was fun as a hobby. The reason behind this extra expense was due to the fact that the colour labs had to first make a negative from the dia-positive slide, and then make a colour print from the negative.

The advantage of using slide film was the clarity, a balanced skin tone and general fine picture quality. The benefit of using medium speed 35mm 64ASA was less grain, resulting in exceptionally sharp pictures.

Mamacita! Donde esta Santa Claus?

Mamacita! I was a 12 year old kid when 12-year-old Augie Rios had a hit with the Christmas song 'Mamacita' in 1959 which featured the Mark Jeffrey Orchestra. Years later I played it for my kids over many Christmases that went by. Now my sonl and my daughter-in-law play the same song for their little son - my lovely grandson Ari who loves it too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK77rxuXK5s

ANCESTRAL GOAN HOMES

Traditional Goan Home
Line Artwork by Tony Fernandes

Middle class homes such as the one shown above were constructed with mud bricks or manually mud-cast walls. There were then finished off with mud-slurry with trowels and painted white.

They consisted of a sitting room/prayer room (Konk. 'vosro), large hall (sala - Port.) usually with a bed at one end. Most of the houses had a bedroom behind the vosro. The bedroom had another small room (Konk. 'kudd') that served as a storage area for provisions with an attic (Konkani: 'ma-o') above it. A narrow corridor from the 'vosro' led to the kitchen with an adjacent bathing area (Konk. 'mori'). The kitchen at the rear opened into a compound wall or a fence made from bamboo poles and palm leaves. Trees such as the guava, drumstick or moringa (Konk. 'mooshing'), vegetable and other medicinal plants served as reinforcements to the fence. The roofing tiles used in these houses were semi-circular red clay tile variety. Longitudinal rafters cut out from the coconut tree served as supports, and lateral ribbing made from split bamboo poles fastened to the rafters with coir rope were used in turn to support the tiles.

These houses were built by tenants (Konkani : 'mundkari') on properties which were owned by landlords (Konkani: 'battkar'). The mundkars in return looked after the property. Some of these folks also worked for the landlords - in their houses or looked after the landlords' other properties elsewhere.

The out-house of such homes was far away - usually along the perimeter of the village wherever possible. 

Tonferns MacGyver

Handyman for all seasons

Edna's Pickles at One Of A Kind Show Christmas 2013

'TONBUILT' TRUCKS

WARMED UP & READY TO ROLL OUT

ON DELIVERIES

AT 

ONE OF A KIND

 CHRISTMAS SHOW & SALE

 28 Nov. to 8 DEC. 2008

DIRECT ENERGY CENTRE

DOWNTOWN TORONTO

CHRISTMAS AT EDNA'S PICKLES - Twelve Flavours for Twelve Days of Christmas

CHRISTMAS AT EDNA'S PICKLES

Twelve Flavours for Twelve Days of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

An Eggplant in a pear tree

-------

On the second day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

Two Green Apple Chutneys

And an Eggplant in a pear tree

-------------

On the third day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

Three Tangy Limes

Two Green Apple Chutneys

And an Eggplant in a pear tree

------------

One the fourth day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

Four Savoury Carrots

Three Tangy Limes

Two Green Apple Chutneys

And an Eggplant in a pear tree.

-----------

On the fifth day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

Five Super Spicy

Four Savoury Carrots

Three Tangy Limes

Two Green Apple Chutneys

And an Eggplant in a pear tree.

...............

On the Sixth day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

Six Triple Mixes

Five Super Spicy

Four Savoury Carrots

Three Tangy Limes

Two Green Apple Chutneys

And an Eggplant in a pear tree.

......................

On the Seventh day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

Seven Sweet Lime

Six Triple Mixes

Five Super Spicy

Four Savoury Carrots

Three Tangy Limes

Two Green Apple Chutneys

And an Eggplant in a pear tree.

---------------------

On the Eight Day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

Eight Veggie Medleys

Seven Sweet Limes

Six Triple Mixes

Five Super Spicy

Four Pear Chutneys

Three Tangy Limes

Two Green Apple Chutneys

And an Eggplant in a pear tree.

-----------------------------

On the Ninth Day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

Nine Cabbage Delights

Eight Veggie Medleys

Seven Sweet Limes

Six Triple Mixes

Five Super Spicy

Four Pear Chutneys

Three Tangy Limes

Two Green Apple Chutneys

And an Eggplant in a pear tree.

-----------------------------

On the Tenth Day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

Ten Mango-Gherkins

Nine Cabbage Delights

Eight Veggie Medleys

Seven Sweet Limes

Six Triple Mixes

Five Super Spicy

Four Pear Chutneys

Three Tangy Limes

Two Green Apple Chutneys

And an Eggplant in a pear tree.

------------------

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

Eleven Cranberry Delights

Ten Mango-Gherkins

Nine Cabbage Delights

Eight Veggie Medleys

Seven Sweet Limes

Six Triple Mixes

Five Super Spicy

Four Pear Chutneys

Three Tangy Limes

Two Green Apple Chutneys

And an Eggplant in a pear tree.

------------------------

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

Twelve Sweet Mango Mashes

Eleven Cranberry Delights

Ten Mango-Gherkins

Nine Cabbage Delights

Eight Veggie Medleys

Seven Sweet Limes

Six Triple Mixes

Five Super Spicy

Four Pear Chutneys

Three Tangy Limes

Two Green Apple Chutneys

And an Eggplant in a pear tree.

Ottawa, Canada

Ottawa Convention Centre on the Rideau Canal near the Parliament Buildings

Rideau Canal, Ottawa

Rideau Canal, Ottawa, Canada

View of the Rideau Canal

from Elgin Street.

On the left is the Government of Canada Conference Centre.

OTTAWA, Canada

Fairmont Chateau Laurier

Ottawa, Canada
View from the Government of Canada Conference Centre.

LEST WE FORGET - They shall not grow old...

They shall grow not old,

 as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them,

nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun

and in the morning,

We will remember them.

WAR MEMORIAL IN STEEL, Victoria Park, London, Ontario

THE BRAVE ONES

Edna's Pickles at the OOAK Show, Toronto

Benito the Handyman

      BENITO

The Strongman of Yesteryear

         Benito, the handyman, (Abdonio’s brother) was the tallest man in the village, standing at more than six feet (I think he must have been a least 6’4”). This amazing and admirable man had quite a remarkable stamina for his lean body frame that could very well have been made of steel! He could lift a ‘vanso’ or a ‘patti’ (a 15 ft long 4 in. x 4 in ceiling rafter) single-handed.

        Having a wry and subdued sense of humour, it seemed he never got tired of doing any work. He was an expert for precisely divining water patches in the fields for irrigation purposes, and helped to dig perfectly square wells and prepare the fields for cultivation very diligently, and estimate the exact quantity of tiles and other material one would need just by looking at an unfinished roof.

        He was a man for all night emergencies, including bringing the doctor to the homes of the villagers during sickness, come rain or shine, day or night – a walking ambulance of a bygone blissful era. Whenever he accompanied us on errands or to night ladainhas (famous sung litanies of Goa), to Tiatros (late night Konkani dramas) or to Christmas or Easter midnight masses, we were never afraid of the dark.

         Benit Titi, as the young lads of the village called him, was famous for his strong thick coir rope knots that he tied and held roof rafters, beams, huts and canopies that were bound together. Simply put, the knots were very difficult to untie. A master in the construction and decoration of a ‘matou’ (a very large canopy) for weddings in the village, at most times he did not require a ladder, obviously as he was very tall, perhaps the tallest man in the village of Guirim. He would accompany us to the nearby streams for a swim during the summer months and we felt happy and safe in his company as he would easily wade across the shallow streams helping us while we were learning to swim.

         He made quick and short work of most things. We could never have constructed the ‘matou’ without him (especially for the chapel village feast of Holy Name of Jesus) that was held annually on the 2nd of January. I remember that he was the only one who could retrieve the ‘petromax’ from the hook of any ceiling at the end of a litany, wedding or any other function, and call it a night.

Guirim, Cumbiem Morod. Preparing for the feast of Holy Name of Jesus - 2nd January 1966.

Decoration seems to be in progress. Perched atop the folding ladders is your sincerely in favourite checked blue shirt, helped by two other young guys. One of them is Sikander (a.k.a. Shiko). The picture was taken by my best buddy Gabriel Monteiro. The holes for the poles were dug by none other than Benit Titi. The white drapes were kept in a special steel trunk at Beatrice Mana's house in immaculate condition. The camera that I used was a Samoca M35, made in Japan. The slide film was 64 ASA 36exp. The transparencies could be projected on the wall. The slide film was processed by Bombay Film Colour Labs at Dadar 47 years ago.

WHEELS OF TIME - Goan Bullock Carriage

Atam kitem tankam aum sangoum (What will I tell them now?)

Atam kitem tankam aum sangoum?

Sounsar aum bonvlom,

Zaitea lokak meulom

Sobith and xanthikaiechem

Goa munnon mojem

Tuji vhodvikai sogleank sangli

Tednam maka tannim dili

Vhodd xebaski

Punn aiz mojea kalzak

Kitem Goeam goddlem tem aikun

Chodd dukh bogli.

Mando, durpod, zothi

Ani xamaincheo kanniencheo

Bhov ugddas korim,

Thambonastanam naum Goenchem

Ani Goencheam locachem

Vhoir uklun aum dorim

To tunch maka sang atam

Kitem aum tankam sangoum

Kosli voddvikai anink urli?

All Souls Day

A Reflection on our own mortality

The Journey

The sky opens

It waits for me

For my return journey

I look back and see

People behind me

They wave good-bye

I wave back

And quickly recall

When not so long ago

Their love

I did in fact ignore

Their friendship

I took for granted

They smile at me now

But for me it's too late

I cannot smile

I am lost

My time has come

To the great beyond

I have got to go.

Tony Fernandes

ALL SAINTS DAY

ALL SAINTS DAY

 - not only for all day today,

but forever. 

Saints offer us 

examples to imitate. 

My Father the Simple and Humble Man - Senior of Cumbiem Morod

My Father

~ the simple and humble man ~

(Seniors of Cumbiem Morod)

Guirim, Bardez, Goa

             The fourth in line of seniority was my father, Dionizio (Dennis) Fernandes. His first venture for employment in Bombay was in the 1920’s when he was in his early twenties. He worked hard and put aside savings to build a new home in the same spot where his grandfather’s house stood in our village. He then got married. We would have been 4 brothers had we not lost 2 due to sickness when young. My older brother and I were born in Bombay. After bringing me to Goa at the age of 6 for schooling, my father came home on leave every year to be with us, and also to repair the house and take care of other matters. Like what most sons would say, my father knew everything about everything, from history to politics, and science to geography. He acquired knowledge from reading newspapers and magazines endlessly, keeping himself abreast of international events and happenings. His World War 2 episodes were worth listening to, and one did not have to refer to an encyclopedia to write an essay in school.

              He spent his retired life in Goa. He persuaded labourers in the village to put aside savings and taught them how to open bank accounts, accompanying them to banks in Mapusa to have accounts opened for them in their name. People often came to ask him for advice when they were in difficult situations.

              My father was an active member in the Village Panchayat. He was also instrumental, along with other people of village community, to draft and send the very first application to the government for the urgent need of a road through our village and pursue its outcome with the authorities till he sadly passed away.

Happy Halloween!

God Bless

 the Trick-or-Treaters

and

KEEP THEM SAFE

Man of the Litany Hour

Man of the Litany Hour

(The Seniors of Cumbiem Morod)

Guirim, Bardez, Goa.

Abdonio, my favourite ‘Titi’ had an aura about him that made him a very likable man of distinct character, with his kind and pleasant ways in dealing with us - the youngsters of a bygone era. He was very helpful to all folks of our village, especially the very old.


He sang the litany by heart, word to word, no booklet required! The younger boys of the village relied on him for back-up as he knew all the tunes and words of the hymns that we sang in the village chapel. He would start with the first initial few bars with the right pitch for the litany and other hymns and the rest of the folks would take it from there.

When we were young, sometimes on rainy days of the monsoon season, the village boys and girls could not play outdoors after school in the evenings. So, at times, we went over to his house and sat with him in the balcony of his house to hear him relate old stories of our good old village of Cumbiem Morod. He regaled us with colourful accounts of his younger days and other short stories of wit and humour. It was getting dark as he still went on. Then as we heard the chimes of the Angelus bell of our village chapel, we would all rise as he recited the Angelus prayer at the end of which everyone wished him 'good evening' before we walked to our individual homes.


Many years later during our vacations in Goa during the late 1970’s, my wife and I often visited him in the evenings when he once again related wonderful stories of the olden days. His memory astounded me. I always thought he had a strong resemblance to my favourite American actor – Jack Palance. Before living a retired life in Goa, he had worked in Bombay most of his life.

Can I trade all my tomorrows for a single yesterday of those good old days? 

The Village Handyman - Seniors of Cumbiem Morod

Harichand, the labour contractor. Ask him for advice on labour in constructing a house, a shed, or work in the fields during the harvest season. You could rely on him till the paddy in the fields was harvested, threshed, put in sacks and carried to your homes before nightfall.

AUTUMN PATHWAYS OF CALEDON

AUTUMN PATHWAYS

“A path is a prior interpretation

 of the best way

to traverse a landscape.”

~ Rebecca Solnit

SALUTING THE FLAGS & STANDING TO ATTENTION

SALUTING THE FLAGS

 STANDING TO ATTENTION

(A True Tale of Circumstance)

Born in Bombay in 1947, 7 January. The British were still in India. India was yet to get its Independence from Great Britain. Independence for Felicio would eventually come 7 months and 3 weeks later. Due to economic situation prevailing at the time my family had to relocate to Goa in 1951. Goa was under Portuguese rule.

My earliest memories of hearing the Portuguese national anthem was in 1953 when I was about 6 years of age studying English as well as Portuguese in the village Primary School. Sometime after that I heard the Portuguese national anthem on radio – Emisora de Goa.

Then went to high school where the Portuguese national anthem was printed on the last page of the school calendar. I had to memorize and sing the anthem at the compulsory Mocidade Portuguesa, at the school drill and at all school functions until 1961 when Goa was taken over by the Indian Government.

In the interim period I traveled from Goa to Bombay (now Mumbai) on a 'Documento para Viagem' (Document of Travel - not exactly a passport).

I waved out to the Indian Army soldiers in their turbans as they drove through our village of Guirim in Bardez, perched on the tanks, armoured vehicles and jeeps, creating a huge cloud of dust as they rumbled along, proceeding on the unpaved road from Mapsa to Betim on the banks of the river Mandovi.

Our school calendar’s last page was soon replaced by the Indian national anthem to which I stood to attention and sang at the National Cadet Corps until 2^nd of September 1967 when I boarded a steamer to work in Dubai.

Five days of sailing on the high seas meant ‘No National Anthem’ of any kind. The BI steamship ‘Sirdhana’ of British India Steam Navigation Co. was one of the last in the line-up of steamships to sail the seas, leaving Ballard Pier on 2nd September 1967.

Dubai was one of the Trucial States of Oman – a British Protectorate. Approaching anchorage at offshore location in Dubai on 2nd September 1967, via Karachi and Muscat, the wind-towers appeared to be like sky-scrapers in the distance.

The RAF Base band at Sharjah raised the British and the T.O.S. (Trucial Oman Scouts) flags side by side and I stood up in reverence until 1971 when the United Arab Emirates were formed.

I waved out to the UAE Army Parade and stood up during functions when the UAE National anthem was sung or played.

In the years that followed I had to memorize and sing the Canadian national anthem at the swearing-in ceremony.

Anthems:     Portugal        Herois do Mar.

                    India              Jana Gana Mana

                    British           God Save the Queen

       UAE              Ishy Bilady

                    Canada          O Canada

1.  In India under the British: 7 months and 1 week (oblivious to any anthem)

2.  No Anthem: 5 days in international waters

3.  In Goa under Portuguese rule: ‘a subject of the Portuguese Overseas Province’ as the Portuguese liked to call it: 8 years.

4.  Independent Indian in Goa: 5 years

5.  Indian outside Goa: 8 years.

6.  Indian citizen and expatriate worker in Dubai: 31 years

7.  Landed immigrant in Canada: 5 years

8.  Canadian Citizen: 10 years

9.  Independent, tired and retired - Ad Infinitum.

It's been a long and nostalgic journey indeed. But what's an anthem? Besides being compositions with patriotic lyrics, up-beat marches, or hymns in a particular style, I have sung, saluted and stood up to attention and shown respect to them as they were played, and listened to the world anthems whilst watching the Olympics. But on the lighter side, if I ever decide to go to Mars, and if the Martians have an anthem, it will be my 6th.