Newsletter Winter 2011 - Goan Association of New Jersey

GOAN ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY, INC.
Volume XIX - Number 1
On the inside...
Association Corner
Newark Soup Kitchen
Collage
2
3
4-6
Finding your inner Kit-Re-Baba 7
People News
8
Goan Gourmet
8
The Children’s Christmas Party 8
Caring Corner
WINTER 2011
9
The Goan Connection is a publication
of the Goan Association of New
Jersey, Inc., a non-profit organization
established in 1991.
Inquiries, membership, subscription
requests, feedback and letters to the
Editor may be sent to:
The Goan Association of NJ, Inc.
P.O. Box 335
Cranbury, NJ 08512
The
Goan Association
of New Jersey is
celebrating it’s
20th Year!
Website: www.goanj.com
Email: committee@goanj.com
1
Who’s Who
Valerie Moniz
Managing Editor
Louella Menezes
Designer &
Asst. Editor
Alan Lopez
Collage Designer
Executive Committee
Felix Menezes
President
Gladys Monteiro
Vice President
Olinda Gomes
Secretary
Allan D’Guerra
Treasurer
2
Goan Association Of NJ, Inc.
Website: www.goanj.com
Email: committee@goanj.com
All rights reserved.
Association
Corner
My Dear Friends,
Winter, with all its fury, blasted its way into
2011, but I hope the rest of the year will be
different. My wish for you all is a very
warm, happy, peaceful, healthy and
successful New Year 2011.
What a
difference a year makes with the DOW and
S&P 500 gaining momentum, and I hope this
mirrors your hopes and dreams for 2011 and
beyond.
Your Goan Association is revving up for a
great year full of fun and activities for you
and your family. Our Spring Fling, which
was scheduled for April, has been put on the
back burner, owing to the GAHF’s Gala
Charity Ball on May 14th. They have a
worthy cause that is being pursued for muchneeded affordable cardiac care in Goa, hence
we decided it didn’t make sense to have two
functions in the same time frame. Our
Annual Summer Picnic is scheduled for July
9th. I hope the mention of our picnic chases
away the winter blues, as you reminisce and
smile about past picnics, sunshine, green
grass, games, and lots of fun. Our regular
events, i.e., the Whist Drive, Retreat, and the
Christmas functions, will follow.
This year is a milestone year for the Goan
Association of New Jersey, Inc.
Your
Association will complete 20 Years of its
existence in December.
I take this
opportunity to congratulate the Board of
Trustees, Executive Committee, Planning
Committee and each and every member of
the GOANJ for your support all through
these years. Thanks to you, we have attained
this milestone, as each year we increase our
membership and our activities.
On this our 20th Anniversary, I, together
with your Executive Committee, would like
to request that each and every one of you
look around for fellow Goans in your
neighborhood or your work place, and if
you come across anyone who is not a
member, please let them know of our
existence, and direct them to our website, or
direct them to contact anyone on the
Executive Committee. We welcome them to
join our expanding Goan Family in New
Jersey. Many of our present members have
found us this way and have been so grateful
for the introduction. New friendships have
blossomed in this our
adopted country where
we hope to pass on our Goan values and
culture to our children and to future
generations.
We have a lot of plans for this special year,
one of which will be to have our Christmas
Dance, which is also our anniversary dance,
celebrated at a more spacious banquet hall,
due to anticipation of a larger audience.
Your help and suggestions in making this a
grand success will be very much
appreciated, so kindly email or call any of
the Executive Committee members. We
would like to celebrate this special year with
you our members, so what better way to do
it, but with your suggestions!
I look forward to seeing all of you in person
at the events planned out this year. Your
Executive Committee aspires to make this
association a vibrant, supportive and a caring
organization that knows how to party and
have fun, yet at the same time knows how to
give back to our community in the US, but
most of all,
give back to Goa our
motherland.
Viva Goa!
Felix Menezes
President
NEWARK SOUP KITCHEN –
Valerie Moniz
A WORTHWHILE GOANJ EFFORT
The GOANJ Planning Committee has made a commitment to volunteer once every other month at the Mother Theresa Soup
Kitchen in Newark, which is run by the Sisters of Charity. The first event on Dec 11, 2010, was led by me, as well as Sharon and Alan Lopez.
We were supported by Rui and Giselle Gomes and Janet and Desmond Saldanha. The seven of us gathered at the kitchen around 8:30 am,
and after unloading our trays of spaghetti and bags of groceries, we quickly rolled up our sleeves, as there wasn’t much time before the doors
opened to the homeless. Under the nuns’ directions, we quickly prepared the trays of salad, a big bowl of fruit salad, and set up the food
line, while other volunteers heated up the spaghetti in the large commercial- style ovens. After a short prayer, led by Sr. Luciana, the doors
were opened around 10:00 am, and the hungry came pouring in. Some of us organized the line, some of us served the food, some of us
replenished the serving trays, and some of us started the washing up. We worked like a well-oiled machine, and before you know it, the last
100th person was served, and all that was left was clean up and quick goodbyes, as we made our way home.
All the volunteers expressed what a rewarding experience this was, and it was evident they were willing to do it again. We would like to
involve our whole membership, so if you are interested in volunteering, please contact me at valerie1moniz@optonline.net. Come join us
– you won’t regret it! If you are not able to do it on a particular day, there is always a chance to volunteer for the next event. Our hope is
that all of you will have the opportunity to share in this uplifting and worthwhile experience.
The Goan
Association of New
Jersey is now on
Facebook.
Come join us at
www.facebook.com/GOANJ
and become a fan by clicking
the “like” button.
3
Finding Your Inner Kit-Re-Baba
By Elvis Proenca
The other day a friend called me with one of those 3-guys-walk-into-a-bar joke. “A
Gujju, a Sardar, and a Kit-Re-Baba walk into a bar…..” he began but I quickly cut him off. “Stop right there!”
I said, “I know many people from Gujarat and I have many friends from the great land of Punjab, but what
on earth is a Kit-Re-Baba?” My friend seemed annoyed at being cut off mid-joke and wouldn’t tell me what
a Kit-Re-Baba was. “I’ll give you a hint”, he said, “first of all, know thyself!” This guy considers himself quite
the philosopher, so I refrained from asking if he had found that quote in a fortune cookie from last night’s
Chinese takeout. But I couldn’t get that Kit-Re-Baba word out of my mind and so I decided to investigate.
It turns out that Kit-Re-Babas are persons of Goan origin who were dumb enough to leave warm
tropical climes for frozen tundra lands. Large colonies can be found in the British Isles and Canada, and to a
lesser extent New Jersey and New York. Some have even strayed from the herd and migrated into
Pennsylvania and Delaware (although why anyone would go to Delaware is beyond me!). Why the odd
name of Kit-Re-Baba? Because Kit-Re-Baba is the signature greeting of this group. It’s what these chaps say
to each other when they meet. Those of you who still remember your Konkani will recognize that Kit-ReBaba roughly translates to “What’s up, dude!” And since the word Kit-Re-Baba has been around from the
days of that Vasco de Gama dude, it goes to show you how their lingo was hip way before Bart Simpson and
American hip-hop defined cool!
If you are not an anthropologist, it may not be easy to spot a Kit-Re-Baba in this great melting pot we
call America. The moment a newly arriving Kit-Re-Baba gets off the turnip truck (I mean Air-India jet), he
loses his accent, sheds his “khasti”, and heads for the nearest McDonalds. He patriotically immerses himself
into the local culture. For instance, at Thanksgiving dinners, it is not uncommon to find Kit-Re-Babas
dutifully spooning mouthfuls of bland turkey when they would clearly prefer spicy sorpotel, or proclaiming
their undying appreciation for the pumpkin pie while secretly wishing the host had made bibinca! Quite the
chameleons, our Kit-Re-Babas!
Of course, if you know what to look for and have some patience to do so, it is not hard to find a KitRe-Baba or two. At this time of the year, you’re quite likely to find them in their driveways, bent over their
shovels, muttering cuss words in Konkani while hurling gobs of snow into the neighbor’s yard. Some may
occasionally break out into the refrain of “where the hell is global warming when you really need it!” You
see, no matter how hard he tries to adapt, deep down the Kit-Re-Baba is a tropical creature, with a visceral
longing for warm ocean breezes, freshly caught pomfrets, and tall feni cocktails. Why, oh why did I leave
Goa?
To find the Kit-Re-Baba in his element, you have to wait until summer. An assortment of picnics,
parties, graduations, communions, and other festive events bring them out in droves. These guys have
perfected the art of partying! When three or more congregate, they spontaneously burst into song. Songbooks
appear as if by magic, someone fishes a “rebek” from their trunk, and pretty soon everyone is belting out
tunes from the 50s. There’s always plenty of food from the motherland. And Johnny Walker is a regular
guest.
So, are you a Kit-Re-Baba? Here are a few signs. Are you hopelessly nostalgic about all things Goan?
If your conversations always end up reminiscing about the good ole days in Goa, you might be a KRB. If you
prefer feni over 40-year single malt, you may be one. If you believe that overbuilding in Goa has destroyed
that fine smoky flavor of the Goan sausage, you’re probably one (I’ll let you figure out that one, but here’s a
hint – it has to do with the disappearance of the “kumaon”). And if you still say “I’m going home” when
referring to a trip to Goa, you’re definitely one! There are other clues as well. Do you tend to swear in the
mother tongue? Can you bite into a hot chilli bajia and still smile through your tears? Are you willing to pay
extra for a “GOA” license plate even though no one on the road knows what it stands for? If so, welcome to
the Kit-Re-Baba club. We meet every other Tuesday. Just don’t forget the khasti if you want to get in the
door!
7
People News
Goan Gourmet
Baby News
Debbie Desa and Roger Sequeira,
along with grandparents Victor
and Carmin Desa, Loy and
Angela
Sequeira,
proudly
announce the birth of their son,
Kyle David Sequeira, born on
October 16, 2010.
SALT COD FISH STEW
by Helen Sequeira
GOANJ MEMBER-OWNED RESTAURANT
Enjoy a hearty meal with French-Asian Fusion flavors.
5 course lunch buffet Tues thru Fri - 10% off
Early bird special 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
buy one entrée and get the other at half price.
Dinner Specials Sunday thru Thursday – 15% off.
Groups of 10 or more – 15% off every day with reservation.
On & Off premises catering and party rooms from 25 to 100 available.
See www.fusionon22.com for details.
The ChildrenÊs Christmas Party
Karen Barretto
The Goan Association children’s Christmas party was a blast.
It was held at Our Lady of Peace church hall in North
Brunswick. I have been going to these functions for the past ten years, so as a
kid I have seen how much it has changed from there being just about one
hundred people to more than double that amount. At first, there were few
activities like getting a present from Santa and now there are many fun
games which parents and children can take part in. The pizza and ice cream
at the party were delicious and all the children were more than happy to eat that
rather than the traditional Indian food that they always have to eat at our Goan
functions. There was music by the DJ in which everyone showed off their
“moves”. Groups of kids took part in skits about Christmas time. Every one of
the kids, from ages one to twelve, had a good time with all the games and
activities and just being able to hang out with friends and family.
1 lb boneless salted cod
2 oz butter
2 medium onions thinly sliced
2 tbs finely chopped garlic
1 sweet pepper thinly sliced
2 cups whole tinned tomatoes cut in
halves
1 tbs curry powder
1 sprig of thyme
1 sprig of marjoram
2 tbs fresh parsley chopped
½ cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp pepper sauce
4 hard-boiled eggs sliced
Boil salt cod in plenty of water for
20 mins. Drain water. If still too
salty, add water and boil for another
20 mins. Drain water.
Break the fish into large pieces.
Heat butter in a deep pot and sauté
onions and curry powder. When it
starts to brown, add garlic, fish,
sweet pepper, and sauté for 3 mins.
Add tomatoes, herbs, water, pepper
sauce, salt and pepper. Simmer for
1 hour.
Add sliced eggs 10 mins before it is
done.
Serves 4-6
Helen Sequeira, a long time
GOANJ member, lives with her
husband, Keith and children, Dylan
and Kai, in Middletown, New
Jersey.
Questions regarding the recipe can
be emailed to Helen Sequeira at
kpsequeira@comcast.net.
8
ZÉt ftâátzxá
Made with taste…
$11.50 per lb
vacuum packed & professionally manufactured at a government
regulated facility
UtÄv{tÉ (Dry Shrimp Pickle) -$8.00 per 420g bottle
`tÇzÉ `|á~âà @ $5.50 per 420g bottle (gr. wt.)
Hand picked mangoes from the farms of Orotina, Costa Rica.
The Mother of All Pickles!!!
Toronto
Calgary
Joyce de Souza
Charles D’Souza
905‐919‐3470
403‐252‐5672
416‐858‐8747
403‐863‐1584
joycedesouza@3web.com charles_czd@yahoo.com
Created through passion
TáátwÉ `tÜ|Çtwx @ $2.99 per 150g paste
This Marinade of freshly ground spices isextensively usedin
preparation of several Goan dishes such as Goan Roast Beef,
JeeremMeerem, Roast Pigling, Beef Rollsetc.
fÉâét eÉtáàxw `tátÄt @
$3.50 per 150g paste
A unique blend of 16 spices with an aroma unfounded.
Use to prepare chicken, fish and pork.
Vancouver
Francesca Franz
604‐590‐0755
604‐671‐6279
miloo2fran@yahoo.com
Montreal
Charles Burtles
514-633-9527
cburtles@videotron.ca
*NEW JERSEY, USA*
Kailash Restaurant
22 Oak Street
Ridgewood, NJ
201-251-9694
joedesouza@3web.com
9
Caring Corner:
OUTREACH PROGRAMS
FOR GOANJ MEMBERS
Dianne Nunes
Over the past several years, nearly all of the extra funds, collected via raffles,
donations and private contributions from GOANJ events have chipped away at our
$5000 targeted goal for the purchase of 52 beds and mattresses for ASRO, the
home in Tivim, Goa, for mostly orphaned children with HIV/AIDS. In April,
2010, the children and staff moved into their brand new building and the sleeping
arrangements for the children greatly improved. Father Valeriano Vaz, Director of
Caritas-Goa, which operates ASRO, went ahead and purchased the bedding so the
children would have a clean and comfortable place to sleep. GOANJ is slowly but
surely paying off this promised gift with a balance of $1018 still remaining.
Pictures taken this past December, when Chris and Dianne Nunes visited Fr. Vaz
and the children at ASRO, are printed below. The new building is beautiful, the
teachers so dedicated and loving, and the atmosphere is one in which the children
have room to learn, study, grow and be creative. At the end of their very busy and
active days, they rest comfortably in their brand new beds, compliments from
GOANJ’s generous members. Thank you everyone for participating in this
worthwhile project. The children are most grateful as they can sleep peacefully in
clean and comfortable beds.
PRAYER CHAIN
The Prayer Chain continues to provide powerful intercession on behalf of those
who are suffering for a variety of reasons. Our faithful prayer members are a great
source of comfort to those in need. If you wish to have this wonderful group
intercede on your behalf, or if you wish to be a part of this prayerful team, please
don’t hesitate to contact either Dianne at diannenunes@verizon.net or Valerie at
valerie1moniz@optonline.net .
Dianne handing the GOANJ check to Fr.Vaz
Asro - the New Building in Tivim
DJ Brian
Music for all occasions
DJ services, lighting,
total event management.
Live Band provided upon request
Tel# 732-317-2621
e-mail: dynamixdj@yahoo.com
Coming Up
MAY
14
GAHF Charity Ball
9
Annual Summer Picnic
JULY
Event photos and other information
can be viewed online at:
www.goanj.com
Advertise Here!
Advertise to our membership of
nearly 500 for the whole year
(4 publications) at these low rates:
2 inch, 1 colm
1/3 page
1/2 page
Full page
$20.00
$125.00
$150.00
$250.00
Contact Felix Menezes 732-939-2916
Dianne with Principal Deepa and Sister Shyla
The beds donated to Asro by
the Goan Association of New Jersey
10