Wanting to trace my roots, but not really knowing where to start, my
genealogy project has been on the back burner for some time now.
Ironically, I was speaking with Goan journalist Frederick Noronha and
the subject of his new book Another
Goa came up in conversation. I expressed interest in reading and
reviewing it for my new blog here on India New England Newspaper’s
Website, without asking any details about it. Wouldn’t you know it ...
The first chapter deals with digging for roots and discusses just that -
“a quest to better understand their identity, find their roots, and
possibly retrace their ancestry.” Noronha states at the outset, “Strange
though it may seem, Goa could be one of the best places in this part of
the globe to belong to if you’re curious about your roots.”
So I get two bargains for the price of one, actually maybe even three,
if all goes well - a review, an interview, and due to the fact that the
author shares vital information on how to begin this journey, this quest
for the knowledge I’ve been searching for, possibly finding out that I
maybe be at least part Indian - a Goan Indian in fact, after all.
I have met several Goans in my travels through New England. Two
gentlemen that I remember distinctly, would be one who works at Kebab
Indian Cuisine restaurant in Lowell, whose hand tattoo prompted me to
make an inquiry, whereby he gladly told me of its history. The other was
Octavian Furtado, who after finding out that I was interested in
writing about Goa, gifted me a beautiful book of postcards that had been
in his possession for the last fifteen years.
But I digress, after giving you the reasons behind this particular post,
here now is the interview with author, Frederick Noronha and the review
of Another Goa.
Simi - Welcome to Namaste, New
England! Frederick and congratulations on your book Another Goa!
FN - Thank you Simi. I do
appreciate the interest you've taken in the book.
Simi - Your thoughts on growing
up in Goa and what it means to you.
FN - You might know that Goan
males suffer from an excessive dose of homesickness at some point in
their lives! I was born in Brazil. My parents spent a decade there, when
my dad suddenly decided to return "home".
Adjusting to a fast-changing Goa of the 1960s (just after 451 years of
Portuguese colonial rule ended, and so did our myths of what it meant to
be "Goan") was a tough job. However, since then, I too began to
understand Goa, to enjoy digging deeper into its many complexities.
Therefore, deciding to stay on here -- rather than immigrate to a more
affluent country, as many Goans do -- came naturally to me.
Living in the same village, I have been at since the age of two, my
daughter going to the same school I went to, and her friends probably
being the children of my friends... this is what being in Goa means to
me. It is an interesting place with an interesting, complex history. As
you could guess, I'm not "fanatically" Goan, and see the negative sides
of the place too. It is just that after being here all these years
(nearly five decades); I understand this place better than most other
places on the planet... and feel I could probably contribute to the
debate here.
Simi - In your book, you took on
many important issues that Goan people are facing today. What message
do you want people to come away with after reading Another Goa?
FN - Goa is often portrayed as
the "holiday capital of India". It is that. However, it is much more. It
is a place where nearly a million-and-a-half people live permanently
(they are not on holiday), struggle with their daily life, and it is a
place which saw the crossroads of history intersect here.
In short, I am trying to present diverse faces of Goa, so that this tiny
part of the planet can be understood in all her complexities.
Simi - If any Goans, living here in the States or elsewhere, read this
interview and want to get in contact with you, what would be the best
way for them to do so and where can readers in places other than India
purchase Another Goa?
FN - As someone who enjoys being
contacted by my readers, and since I have been overactive in cyberspace
for many years now, my contacts are easy to find on the Net.
Email: fn@goa-india.org or fredericknoronha1@gmail.com (you'll find
other addresses too ... most work). Phone +91-832-2409490. Mobile
+91-9822122436.
The book can be bought via http://tiny.cc/goa1556
Simi - When did your passion for
writing begin?
FN - At the age of 7, my mum
encouraged me to write tiny contribution to a British magazine (gifted
by my aunt). I got "paid" the princely sum of 50 UK pence (about Rs 7 in
those days). This triggered my belief in the self-fulfilling prophecy
that I could write.
When I school, I simply loved reading magazines. As we know, reading is
fertilizer for the mind. It also helps us to subconsciously imagine
ourselves writing something similar. Later on, I dabbled in things like
photography and college wallpapers. Even while in college, I took up a
job in journalism, which drew me a pittance, but I loved it!
Simi - Can you take us through
your writing process?
FN - Writing, to me, is a
discipline. You need to do it regularly. I was blogging at a camp in
rural Bangalore once, and told friends that if I didn't write enough I
could not get sleep. They laughed at my joke. Only later did I realize
it was partially true.
Writing news ... and editing it ... is something I've been doing for
donkey's years (since I was 19). So that comes easily. But I also like
to do "different" things, like writing longer pieces, book chapters,
blogging (which i find very relaxing), photography (have 25,000+
sharable photos online at photosfromgoa.notlong.com) and, of late,
publishing books.
One needs to keep creative juices flowing by focusing on diverse forms,
and new challenges. Even today, I get a small high when I find a column
in print, or a byline of mine in a new publication. In the past, I
feared about getting "burnt out" as a journalist... but maybe the
subconscious fears helped me to do a range of different things, and thus
keep me interested in the same. I would never work merely for the
money. If a certain task was meaningful and soul-satisfying, I would
probably do it for free.
Simi - What are your favorite
and least favorite components of writing?
FN - That has changed with time.
Strangely, I started as a junior copy-editor (called sub-editor here).
So I took a lot of pain in polishing words, and putting across a good
product -- well expressed, no needless words, accurate sentences, etc.
Later, I shifted to writing (mainly news), and felt that was more
creative. Along the way, my flirtations with photography kept recurring,
and I enjoyed every stint there.
Now, at this point of my career, I find a challenge in indulging in some
alternative-publishing. So the challenge is to get others to write, put
their work together, make it of publishable quality, and get it out.
I still enjoy the creative side of writing. What bores me is the
mechanical side of it, or the managerial side. I'd rather not grow in
seniority and rank (anyway, that doesn't threaten me much, being a
freelancer since 1994) if it meant shifting to the managerial functions
of journalism, e.g. the role editors are expected to play.
Simi - What advice would you
impart to aspiring writers?
FN - Have faith in yourself. You
can definitely do it, if you want it bad enough! Never put money at the
centre of your calculations. Creativity should be given due importance.
You need to be productive and prolific -- keep writing, keep sharing
your writing, and don't feel shy to circulate your work via the Net. You
need your audiences more than just money! In fact, the former could
help you reach the latter.
Simi - What challenges or
obstacles do you encounter while writing? How did you overcome these
challenges?
FN - Challenge number one is
boredom. You get stuck in a job, which pays you well, but which doesn't
keep you creative. The solution: just quit, take risks, gamble. You'll
land on your feet.
The other challenges are the constant need to reinvent yourself, the
need not to take yourself too seriously, and the need to keep learning
and fight off arrogance (that usually comes with age, just as our weight
grows :-))
Simi - Who are some authors
and/or books that inspire you?
FN - I was impressed by the
journalism of an I. F. Stone [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_F_Stone]
Editors like Vinod Mehta of New Delhi have consistently impressed me by
their ability to bring out readable publications. In my college days,
the writing of a Hemingway or Scott Fitzgerald impressed me for their
simplicity. Rather than a Shakespeare (who left me completely cold), the
work of some Indian writing in English impressed me because of its
stark and honest depiction of a very relevant (to us) reality.
Simi - What role do you most
like taking on - journalist, editor, photographer or publisher and why?
FN - Editing (copy-editing) was
something my career started out with, and being an alternative (book)
publisher is something I've spent the last 2.5 years working on. But
most of the time, in between, it was journalism.
Photography has been a fascinating way of relaxing for me; it distresses
me. I've also spent about 15 years volunteering in cyberspace, on a
range of projects, and feel immensely enriched (not monetarily, I didn't
go for that!) by this work.
Simi - What is next for you?
FN - Life never works by plan,
so I'll just play it by ear! My only aspiration is that I continue to
enjoy whatever I'm doing (or change what I'm doing).
Simi - Thank you so much for
spending this time with me for the interview Frederick. All the best to
you.
FN - Thank you! I'm grateful for
your time and interest! |
