Around the World

We’re going to GO to GOA on Karen’s birthday!
Goa was a beautiful place with flora and fauna (near a rainforest) on the coast of Southwest India and different from much of India. It is known for its beaches and is a major tourist destination from all over the world. It is a mere 1429 square miles with 1.5 million people (out of India’s 1.5 billion).

SUSAGADO is the word in Konkani that describes this city. The people are laid back but not lazy, just mellow and … overall peaceful. They want people to know that they know how to balance life and not focus on money too much but just enough since they value lifestyle much more. They say they believe in “Capitalism with a social conscience”. The per capita GNP is 3 times everywhere else in India. In other words, people from all over India come here to work and send money home since they make three times as much here.

The wealth comes from tourism, mineral mining (iron, limestone, manganese, bauxite) and trade. Goa has 2 international airports a very good road, and rail system too as well as infrastructure of telephones systems and electric utilities, better than most of India. Education is very important here and literacy is almost 100% along with top Universities and medical schools here.

An interesting history in Goa in that the Portuguese maintained the area as an overseas state from the 16th century for 456 years until 1961 when it became part of India. Although the East India Company acquired most of India, they did not in Goa which maintained Portuguese and westernized very early in the 1500s and brought Catholicism there.

We received a long explanation of the Goa Civil Code/Family Law … seemed very important to our Guide. They eliminated Sati, where if a husband died the wife killed herself by fire. It’s all about when a man dies what happens to his property (who fight for what) or worse what happens when they get a diverse. The details doesn’t matter but it is interesting how many homes are left due to inheridence issues , empty. Made no sense to us.

Europeans for most of history got their spices from India and many are produced in Goa. A major town here is named for Vasco de Gama for discovering the path to India in 1498 (when Columbus went the wrong way and ended up in America, thinking it was India and named the natives Indians). The Prime Minister of Portugal happens to be Goan and all Goans from as of the date of Independence (about 600,000 people) maintain both Goan and Portuguese passports and feel these strong roots to Portugal. As for religions, Buddhism came here in the 2rd century for about a 1000 yrs and then the Portuguese and Indian (Hindu) influence. The people speak Konkani, Portuguese, English as well as Marathi (popular Indian dialect for the entire region). Sadly, Goa used to have a large Jewish settlement, but Portuguese colonial rulers employed an inquisition from 1560-1820 where thousands were burnt alive for their beliefs. Goa is very much a religion tolerant nation now and Israelis often vacation there these days.

G20 signs are all over India. The workshops located in many Indian cities are to create international economic cooperation. It plays an important role in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance on all major international economic issues. India holds the Presidency of the G20 from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023.

The theme of India’s G20 Presidency - “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth · One Family · One Future” - is drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishad. Essentially, the theme affirms the value of all life – human, animal, plant, and microorganisms – and their interconnectedness on the planet Earth and in the wider universe. The theme also spotlights LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), with its associated, environmentally sustainable and responsible choices, both at the level of individual lifestyles as well as national development, leading to globally transformative actions resulting in a cleaner, greener and bluer future.

After a fun welcome, our tour included a drive around Goa where we got to see some beautiful homes (see photos) and some that needed work because they were abandoned and others that were more simple. From there we went to the Se Cathedral and Basilica of Born Jesus. The Basilica and the Cathedral across the street (see white Church and interior shots) were built in the 17th century. From there we went to the Hindu Temple, Shri Shantadurga Saunsthan, a private temple complex belonging to the Goud Saraswat Brahman Samaj. It is dedicated to Shantadurga, the goddess who mediates between Vishnu and Shiva (no interior photos allowed). There is a main temple and three smaller temples of other deities which have been built on three sides of the temple. The temple consists of a collection of pyramidal roofs with a dome. Visitors could only walk around the perimeter inside as the “inner” areas were just for Priests.Read more