Goa, part 2: The People

  The best part of traveling--for me-- is the people I meet wherever I go. 

When I first arrived in Goa and checked into my Mish Mar airbnb guest house, I was greeted by an imposing woman, gregarious and lily white. She was Nita, a Brit from Nottingham, with a delightful English accent so thick it was hard to understand her at times. She invited me into her corner suite for a brandy! And so began a truly precious friendship... one in which we shared stories (mostly hers) and I was kept in stitches from her colorful quips and whacky humor. 

Understandably, some of the whacky humor was the product of her profession--that of a funeral director! (retired now, though, at 75... she spends every winter here in Goa.) A first in MY life, that is for sure! As you may well imagine, I pressed her for stories of what that life was like. Of course it ran the gamut: hard, interesting, gratifying, distressing... hence, needing a good sense of humor. I could certainly relate to this, as the same was true of police officers... as I experienced first-hand when I was one. 

I did my best to record my favorites... but there have been too many to retain! So... here you have some of the best of Nita-isms:  

"Don't get your knickers in a twist"-- a classic, of course, meaning, don't get upset about it

When asked by a sleazy young Indian on a motorcycle she passed by, walking back from the beach, if she wanted to have sex, she stopped, looked him up and down, and said emphatically, "Not with YOU!"

When talking about kulfi, the delectable Indian ice cream made with condensed milk, I explained that it was much denser than regular ice cream. Without missing a beat, she said, "you mean like ME?!"

"Going for a paddle" -- swimming... I guess derived from "dog paddling"?!

Describing for me what a "fanny" really is-- NOT what we think in the USA! "The backside is your bum",  she explained, "whereas "fanny"...well, that is the other side... that part of the female anatomy!" (or words to that effect.)

"Budgie smuggler" -- a speedo-type bikini swimsuit for men. (Still puzzled? A "budgie" is the English word for a small parakeet...get the idea?!?!)

When showing her a photo I took of a buffalo baby and declaring how cute it was, she looked at me with an expression of blatant disagreement and responded, "I used to have a boyfriend who looked like that!"

And my most favorite of all, the capper: "I never went to bed with an ugly man, but I have woken up with many!" (Yep, she truly enjoys her brandy, her King Fisher beer...) 

The marvel of Majorda, she has friends everywhere. Walking down the streets, all sorts of people--other foreigners as well as Indians--stop to talk to her, and she to them. Sociable, witty, and whacky... Nita is a total delight to hang out with!

Other excursions around Goa have also lead to memorable encounters with Goans. From going on a private temple tour via tour van,  to a farm, fields and unique house tour on the back of a scooter, I have had wonderful opportunites for getting a sense of the people and the culture:

At a Ganesh temple I visited, I was invited to witness part of an Indian wedding ceremony (too far away for any decent photos, unfortunately)... and then, to see the catering set up downstairs. I took this photo with the gentleman you see here because of my commenting on his lovely kirta (The long, dressy shirt that is traditionally worn by men, especially for special occasions). This led to him asking me all about myself and my travels... and, of course, the requisite photo! 

At another temple, this lovely group of women were busy preparing a "bandara", or free feast, as part of a special ceremony being held there that day. There was a good deal of happy banter... They clearly enjoyed each other's company as they worked, and gave me radiant smiles as I passed by. 

This woman was begging outside of a temple... I pantomimed that I would give her some rupees in exchange for one of her multiple necklaces, but it didn't compute! So... no necklace or rupees were exchanged....but I did at least get a great photo! 

My train compartment companions on my 2 hour train ride down to Gokarna (more about that in a future blog!) The boy was very happy to be heading off for a weekend with his grandparents... this woman--like grandmothers everywhere-- was quite insistent upon feeding this young man, who bought food from just about every vendor who came by! He was a bottomless pit... a fact that made grandma very happy!!! 

What is more touching that a teen with his pet chicken?!? I met this young man in the process of renting a bike from his family. 

Caught these two women walking by down below my balcony at my first Goa guest house.. it never fails to amaze me, this balancing act of goods atop the head! Perhaps this is the reason why Indian women-- at least the traditional village people-- have such good posture?!

This delightful man, Somnath, is the husband of my friend, Chitra. You would never guess that he is a retired army general! He was kind enough to take me around the less touristic parts of Goa on his scooter. I was able to see some really lovely, natural scenes, as well as many beautiful Goan houses. (photos of these to come in future blogs.)

Raviraj and Pradeep: My two favorite staff members of the Mishmar guest house. Friendly, helpful... always ready with a smile for me and the other guests! Really made for a pleasant stay. 



Next up: Animals!