7TH WORLD GOA DAY IN MELBOURNE - AUSTRALIA

WORLD GOA DAY IN MELBOURNE

The 7th World Goa Day in Melbourne was celebrated with style as Goans and their friends were welcomed by the Melgoans team wearing their name badges with inscribed greetings in Konkani “Dev Bori Sanz Dium” – (Good Evening).

People happily made their entrance to a hall that was decorated with Palm Leaves, pictures of coconut Trees and pineapples around the hall. A few Goans came up to us and said: “Oscarbab amee Goeyan assa koshem dista!!(It looks like we are in Goa) For many it brought nostalgic memories of Goa. The ambience was lifted with coloured lights at the entrance and hall with tables decorated to expect a great night in the making. One of our Goan Hindu brothers commented “Makam borem dislem aiz”! (I feel very nice today).

The event was well attended by little over 440 people – Goans and their relatives and friends. We saw new Goan students and families in Victoria.

The night was entertained by Mr. Joe Fernandes, our Goan Irmao

along with his 8 piece live band “Soul Mates”. Joe and Natasha Rodrigues sang and entertained the crowd. Joe sang Konkani songs on this auspicious day.

There was a good attendance from the Australian Goan Association Inc;. both the committee and the members were present in impressive numbers. We also had handful of members from the Goans Overseas Association Inc., who have been to our events in the past. Melgoans and Australian Goan Association Inc share the same mission statement hosted on our website www.melgoans.com Yes, the mouth watering

Xacuti and Sorpotel was the order of the day along with other dishes including Vegetarian dishes.

As Goa is a part of India, the Indian Banking Division of the Commonwealth Bank sponsored a bollywood dance that made people

go spellbound. It was a fitting tribute as a “JAI HO 2009 WORLD GOA DAY”; following the fame of Slumdog Millionaire and the song by pussycat dolls. Attached are few pictures that will say more than the words about the event.

The World Goa Day in Melbourne kept up with the triangular benefits of the day namely, Goans keeping their differences aside for a day; Goans meeting new Goans and their friends; integrating with multicultural community of Victoria and above all reliving the memories we have of Goa minus the confusaõ after 19 December 1961.