An architect

One day an architect came to our house. She came to meet my father.

When they finished speaking at 3.30 [pm], I was playing with her. She showed me all her maps. She told me that she studies in a college.

She had a big file, and so many colourful maps.

Architects build houses. They draw pictures. Architects mostly work together; Uncle Dean is her boss, and we all know Uncle Dean, because he is Aunty Patsy's son ... no , brother-in-law... no, son-in-law. He has two daughters, named Gabriella and Olivia. Gabriella is older than Olivia.

If you want to find out more about architects, you can go to the Wikipedia page. My father showed me. When I grow big, I am going to become an artist. If you learn to draw, and if someone teaches you, and if you like drawing, and if you draw most of the time, that's how you can become an artist.

technorati tags:Saligao, architect, home

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Aren's double-decker bus

Daddy had gone to Pune. He brought a double-decker bus for Aren. Aren likes his double-decker bus. Aren plays with it a lot. Grandpa told Aren that he wants to see how many days he keeps it nicely. And he still kept it.

He's all the time with his new bus, and he likes it very much. Mama thinks we got it with Cadbury.

Daddy bought a bal for mel, and colour pencils.

I also like the bus. If I was in a bus like that, I would sit on the first top seat, with my brother. I would keep the window open so I could see everything.

Aren told me that they put the double-decker bus inside the scanner, and they got the picture. But I don't know if it's true. I think they (Daddy and Aren) must have taken a photo, no?

technorati tags:toys, Aren

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My brother is famous...

Today we were searching on the Internet... my father was working... and we found a report about Aren. It was about the bees. One man, a scientist wrote about Aren how he sent away the bees from our avocado tree:

Now he's jumping on Dada's neck, and saying "he, he". When he came to know about it, he was jumping. He called Grandpa and Nanna, and said: "Click a photo of me."

A novel method to drive away rockbee swarm!

It was the usual SOS about a swarm of rockbees settling near a house; there are children playing, their safety in peril! This was in August 2005.

Mr. Frederick Noronha who sent out the SOS message received several helpful suggestions to deal with the bees. And then after three weeks, his own son drove away the bees inadvertently and in the process got us a new method to deal with unwanted rockbee swarms. He was playing with a tin - banging it - inside a room near the tree holding the swarm. The bees probably disturbed because of the noise fled the scene!

Let me give you the story in detail, starting with a mail in August 2005 from Frederick Noronha from Goa.

Frederick Noronha fred@bytesforall.org

Re: URGENT *** Query about a bee hive

Dear Sir/Madam,

A colony of bees has set up home about about 3 metres from my home. The hive is about 3/4 metre in size, and located on a tree.

Any suggestions on how, and who, can deal with this? Do you know the contacts of anyone in Goa?

We checked with someone who works at the Goa Directorate of Industries, who recommends removal. The 'pest control' solutions also offers a Rs 500 per hive solution, that involves destroying the bees. Is this the only way out?

Since I have small children in my home, I'm afraid of their safety.

Any help, tips, or links to knowledgeable beekeepers in Goa would be appreciated.

FN

On Thu, 2005-08-04 at 08:33 +0530, M.C. Suryanarayana wrote:

Dear Noronha;

Let me, at the outset, assure you that the bees on the tree do not cause any problem to you and others, unless deliberately provoked (throwing stones, hitting with a stick or any such sudden movement directed at the bees). You may therefore like to leave them alone, as long as they dont disturb you (some worker bees may stray into any room of your house in the evening/night if any window is open and if there is light in it; but that is an instinctive behaviour of insects and the bees do not mean any harm).
 
Now, for the removal of the hive: unfortunately I do not know of any beekeepers in Goa; moreover beekeepers do not know about this type of bee (from what you said the bees are the 'rockbee' variety and are not 'kept' or reared. Tribal people usually 'hunt' these rockbee hives for honey and beeswax. If the colony (the bees and their wax comb) is newly settled, it may not have any honey; so, you have to pay such tribal honey hunter some money to remove the hive - depending on your anxiety and status in the society, the charge for this may vary, but it should not be more than Rs. 50 - 100. My advise is not to use pest control chemicals. Did you try the State Office of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission? The staff in the beekeeping section of this office may know somebody who can do this for you.
 
If you are desperate, and cannot find anyone to remove the hive, try this: on any day in the late evening put off all lights in the house and advise your neighbours too to do the same and remain indoors for about 2 hours. Using some dry sticks, leaves, dung, etc. light a fire on the ground right under the 'hive'; cover with green leaves and let the fuel smoulder and create lots of smoke. The smoke should go up and reach the hive. The bees are afraid of fire and smoke and as soon as they sense the danger of fire, they sip some honey in the hive and leave the comb to settle somewhere away at a safe distance. At this time you (covering your face and hand with protective clothing -- like gloves and a monkey cap; and using - if required - a torchlight covered with a red transparent paper) have to cut the comb off from the tree with the help of a knife tied to a long pole. If possible, scrap off any wax on the tree where the comb was attached. The bees may return later to the spot, but as there is no comb now they may leave the spot for good.

Best wishes, M.C. Suryanarayana

Frederick Noronha (FN) wrote 8.26 am, October 15, 2005:

I'm really grateful for all your help. FN

Thanks for all the help to everyone. This story indeed had a strange ending!

One day, my daughters friends were over to play. My [two-and-half-year-old] son was feeling left out. He went into a small room below the stairs (not far from the hive), and started banging on a tin there.

None of us were looking at the bees, whom we had got quite used to by then! "Uncle, look," said one of my daughter's friends. By the time I noticed it, the bees were 200 metres away, and were determinedly flying off past the fields in front of our home.

Apparently, the noise generated by my two-year-old had unsellted them. Aren wasn't even aware of what he had done! I shooed all the kids into a bathroom which is fairly airtight. But the bees just seemed intent on getting away!

We were initially afraid about safety while the bees were around. But then, a whole lot of friends, including some of the top bee specialists in India, responded to my email queries, and had predicted their behaviour aptly. Minguel was helpful particularly. So did beekeeper Ambrose in Saligao.

They would not trouble any of us. In the evenings, if the doors were left open long and there was a light-source inside, some 3-4 bees would enter the home -- of course, not with the intention of attacking anyone. In that sense, they're less harmless than a mosquito (which bites without provocation). We could just swat the 3-4 bees that came in, and they would fall down harmlessly.

We would stand-by and marvel at the disciplined and coordinated manner in which the bees would fly about their work, with two or four leaving the hive(?) and the same number returning every few seconds!

Maybe I'm imaging it, but the flowers around started blooming when they were around.

In a few seconds, they flew off as suddenly as they landed up at our place. They were gone. What was most surprising was that there was no honey-comb left around. My wife felt that there had been no honeycomb, as they gave the appearance of just sitting atop each other, and the 'comb' seemed to be changing its shape. Miguel feels they might have disassembled the comb as they went off.

So, a story which ends well. Even if we were afraid when the bees came in, and were around (what with having two kids in the area, and a schoolful just nextdoor... some had told us that the bees would probably move off after two days, but they took over three weeks to do so!). When I was talking to Ambrose, he said he felt he ought to be going in for keeping some more tame bees at his home!

Does anyone have a list of bee-keepers in Goa? Just curious after having a subject of interest thrust on me ;-) FN

technorati tags:Aren, bees, Saligao

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My cousins from Hyderabad

[Photo (from left): Ronu, Riza, Aren (in front), Rachel and Richie at Venessa's wedding, 2006 December in Borivali, Bombay.]

My cousins have come from Hyderabad. Hyderabad is near Secunderabad, in India.

They are 13 of them.

The children's names are Rachel (10), Richie (14), Ronu (about 17), Ronan (4), Reiden (2-and-half). The adults names are Albert, Soiny, Harvard, Shalini, Kevin, and others.

In my aunty's house in Nerul, they have three dogs.  Their names are Cinnamon, Skipper and Bambi.

We went, and we are going to go also, to the beach everyday. We went to swimming pools also.

Sometimes the whole family comes, or sometimes only a few come. They have one car, and if both are there, they can use both. If our car is also there, then we all go in three cars.

I spent some days in their house, three days and two nights. We have lot of fun there.

[In Bombay, Jude Haven building... my neighbour's house. Ronu, Rachel, Riza, Aren (in orange tee-shirt), Richie. December 2006]

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My naughty brother

My brother Aren listens to me sometimes; sometimes he doesn't listen. He threw a banana on my nose (heh!) and hit me. I hit him back sometimes. Otherwise, sometimes when my mother and father tell me to keep quiet, I keep quiet; they correct him sometimes.

My mother makes him stand in the corner. My father sometimes shouts or sometimes keeps quiet. He argues with elders.

At the moment, he is climping up the table and he is telling Nanna "You give me the teapot."

He is little naughty, but also at the same time he's good. He stopped hitting. He has to stop pulling my hair and stop biting me to be a good boy.

 

[Photo: Aren is playing with all his toys, and posing. He has made a "computer".]

No I don't want any other brother, because I like him.

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My cousins from Hyderabad

My cousins have come from Hyderabad. Hyderabad is near Secunderabad, in India.

They are 13 of them.

The children's names are Rachel (10), Richie (14), Ronu (about 17), Ronan (4), Reiden (2-and-half). The adults names are Albert, Soiny, Harvard, Shalini, Kevin, and others.

In my aunty's house in Nerul, they have three dogs.  Their names are Cinnamon, Skipper and Bambi.

We went, and we are going to go also, to the beach everyday. We went to swimming pools also.

Sometimes the whole family comes, or sometimes only a few come. They have one car, and if both are there, they can use both. If our car is also there, then we all go in three cars.

I spent some days in their house, three days and two nights. We have lot of fun there.

technorati tags:cousins, holidays, visits, Hyderabad, Nerul

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At Mandrem

We went by bike to Mandrem, and we were living in one beach. We were living in some huts. Coco-huts. We were actually living in a house. Small room. We had nice fun. The water was very nice and warm. We are going to go there with our friends.

We met one girl. Her name was Dee-Anne. Her aunty's name was Emily, and I don't know what her mother's name was. They were a big family. She was two years year old. Her aunty was 16, and she's in the tenth. We had gone there on Saturday, and they came later.

technorati tags:holidays, summer2007, goa, mandrem, pernem

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These are beach huts

These are beach huts. (My brother calls them 'beach cuts', because he doesn't know to say the word properly.) I like beach huts because they are small and cosy, and also comfortable. Once we had been to a beach hut. When we got up in the morning, we went to the restaurant to have some lemon tea, and then we went for a swim. They are in North Goa and South Goa.

My cousins abroad

My cousins live in America. Their names are Joshua, Craig and Daniel. We are related to them because my mother is their father's brother. He's my uncle. Joshua is the oldest, then Craig and then Daniel.



Daniel is quite small. I don't know how old, but Craig must be 5 or 4 or 6, something like that, and Joshua is 7. We have videos of them in Bombay. I would like to show you some photos of them here.... (my father will scan them).

I passed in my exams....

We were in Bombay, and I phoned my father up. He told me that I passed in my exams -- in English, in Konkani and in EVS (Environmental Studies). I failed in Maths. I got 11 out of 25 in Maths.

I like Maths and English very much. EVS and Konkani are okay. In EVS I have a little bit of a problem, because there are very hard words, and I don't understand most of it. Konkani is okay. But English and Maths I understand.

In my Maths paper, I did one thing wrong that I know. There were some sums that were given, and I wrote them one on top of the other. That's why I got it wrong.

My Math's teacher's name is Teacher Judith (Judy), my English teacher's name is Teacher Nita.

And in the next year, my teacher might be Teacher Latika or Nita, they teacher the fourth standard.

In the fourth standard, I'm going to study well and on my own. I'll take little bit of help from my daddy if something is difficult. If I have a little problem in EVS. In the third standard, my father used to teach me. Also Ruth used to teach me, till her exams came.

Our trip to the jungle...

We are going to go to the jungle. It's in Dakshin Goem (South Goa). We are going to go on Saturday (tomorrow, May 5, 2007). My mother, my father, my brother and me are going. It was a surprise for us. I didn't tell my brother as yet, but now I know. Today my mother told me, in the morning. There might be few animals there, like snakes (I'm sure). There might be all wild cats. Or wild dogs. We might see them. I think there will be many other creatures like monkeys. We are going to live in a small house, and are going there only for one night. We are leaving the house by morning....

Katrina Kaif

I saw the movie in Inox called Namaste London. My friends had taken me for it, because my friend had taken me for it. Her name is Gabbi. Katrina Kaif used to live in London, but then her father decided to take her to India, and then to some people's house, and they went to the Taj Mahal.

The movie was fun, because there were funny parts. One day she spilt cold-drink on her husband. And her father was drinking milk with his hands, so badly.That was what was funny.

After the movie we went to a restaurant, Kamat, near the church. I ate chole.

We went to the Fontainhas festival

The Fontainhas festival is where art things are displayed. There also was one picture of Jesus that somebody had drawn. And there were pictures, and I thought it was a photo because it was so neat.

I saw one man using other things to play music. Once he took a pot and he was playing. Then he took a glass and was playing it (as a drum).

We met some friends of ours. The mother was related to Ashley's wife. Ashley is my daddy's work-friend. We had met him on the same day (when I bought stickers and showed him).

I saw some people dancing, and when I looked at the children most were buying red kurkures.Almost everyone. I though tlhat was funny. I think there must have been only red kurkures for sale. Kurkures are some things like chips, more like Chitos, and they're long and crunchy. Children like them very much; I don't like kurkures. I like Chitos and chips.

I saw some girls dancing. One gang was dancing with sticks, and the other was dancing with pots. The gangs dancing with sticks, one lady was singing and the rest were dancing. The gang dancing with pots, they only were singing.

technorati tags:art, fontainhas, goa, india

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Going to Betalbatim

On February 18, 2007 was our church picnic.

We were all excited. We were going to Betalbatim. Betalbatim is near Canacona (?). We reached Betalbatim by bus. We were close to Margao. It took a long time to reach there. We reached there by lunch-time.

In the picnic there were many children: Alister, Earl, Vinella, Abigail, Gabby (not Heidi), me, Merryl, Victoria, and others.

At the picnic, after lunch, we had to sit, and by evening time we went and they took us to play, and we were playing dog-and-the-bone and passing-the-ball on the beach.

We had to bring our own food from home. They brought some watermelons. I took pulao. For snacks, I took chips and sandwidth. For evening took some more chips, but as I was hungry in the afternoon, I ate it up. They also gave us juice.

While going to Betalbatim, in the bus I was sitting near Abi, Gabby and Victoria. While coming back, I was sitting next to a girl, and Gabby and Abi were standing. There was place when we were going, because the Communion class went first. But when we were coming back there was less space.

We had a lot of fun there. We collected a lot of shells. I had a snail one, and many others. I don't know more.

technorati tags:picnic, church, betalbatim, goa, india

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Receiving communion together

Four of my friends received communion together with me. Our party was at the club (Saligao Institute). We had a joint party.

[Abigail, Riza and Gabby, February 11, 2007. Photo FN]

I was excited when I was going to received Communion. Because I could take Communion every day and know the taste of it.

In the Church, we had to say different parts. There were some children who had to sing one song. It's called 'What Can I Give Him'. Few children who sang it were Merryl, Alvina, Alister, Earl ...

We had to prepare for the Communion for ten days, when we had to go to the Church. They taught us all about sacraments, and how to receive them.

After a few days, they gave us some readings to say. On the last day, we knew it well. We said it nicely on the last day finally.

Fr Calisto, Teacher Felicia, Teacher Marina and Teacher Massia helped us. Teachers Felicia and Massia were in our class, and Teacher Marina was in the Konkani class.

The parish priest said the Mass and and there were two fathers with him, that's Fr Fermin and another father who came to our school one day. Fr Fermin told a story during the Mass, about God and gifts. I liked the Mass. There were many people in the church. They had asked us bring a hundred rupees, and they gave us the candles. So all of us had same candles.

The ones who were holding the pictures up, were given the candles afterwards.

After that, we had gone to the party. There was one man who was playing all games. He had come to organise the games. He was playing action-games. And only one running game -- bombing the city.

There must have been 200 or 300 guests in all (for all four children). Dalton, who was receiving Communion with us, his brother's birthday was on Feb 16, so they put his birthday on the Communion day. It was also the 75th birthday of some grandparents, so we gave them gifts and had a little party for them together. We had ordered some food from some caterers. It was nice. I ate pulao, noodles and chana-masala. There also was fried-rice, custard, jelly, pork, chicken curry xacuti and something else.

[At the Mae de Deus Church, Saligao]

technorati tags:goa, communion, saligao, 2007

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This year, we will receive Communion

I am going to receive Communion this year. Communion is the body of Jesus. When you take it, people say Jesus goes to your heart. This year, I am going to receive Jesus. My dress is white. The tailor's name is Leander, who stiched my dress. It's very fluffy inside, and comfortable.

There are other children receiving with me. Few of them are Alister, Abigail, Gabby, Darlton, another Alister, Sylvester, Elban, Keenan (yeah), Clayton, Joshua (not Keenan's brother), and few others.

We are having a joint party in The Club (Saligao Institute) at 12 o'clock. We might have a small magic show. Darton, Abigail, Gabby and me have all invited 72 people each. My daddy makes fun of us and says we're all going to have a big wedding. First he started saying that we're going to have a big party. Then he started saying we're going to have a small wedding. Then he started saying we're going to have a big wedding. {Now type.} My story's over. Prrrrrrrrrrrrrr....

My sticker collection

People give me stickers often, and then I trade some stickers, and put the rest in my book. I'll show you my book also, with all the stickers. There are these kinds of stickers: Christmas, Tweety, Barbie, Poo-Bear, one bubble and one shell.

One pack costs ten rupees. One pack my grandmee gave me from America. Four packets my god-father brought. Otherwise, my father buys all the time... and my mother sometimes.

Stickers cost ten rupees for one pack. I buy my stickers from Mapusa market. Specially from the book shops. There's one man who sits on the ground, and he keeps all his stickers. Mostly I buy from him. But he closes in the evening... must be at 7.30 [pm].

In school, when I mind the class, I give them stickers. But I don't give them often.

I also trade with my friends calledl Abigail, Gabby and Heide.

technorati tags:stickers, schoollife

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My grandmother and godfather come to Goa

My mother's brother and mother's mother (godfather and grandmother) came to Goa for a holiday. They actually live in Bombay. Our house is not too big, so they live in Nerul. That's our house only, but it's fully ours, because it's my mother's father's... and it's shared by all his brothers.

They took us fishing, and they took us to the beach and swam with us.

They gave us a very good time. They went on Sunday morning (Jan 14), at 6 o'clock (in the morning) sharp. They got up at 5 in the morning. They woke me up in the morning also. It was so dark. I wanted to play also, but I was scared. I also wanted to take a morning walk, but I was scared.

They still kept the prawns (bait) in Nerul so that we can fish.

technorati tags:goa, grandmee, riza, nerul

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Aren ... and the rats

Aren is my brother. Aren is three years old. Once, me and Aren were sitting upstairs and watching TV. And I saw one rat running up.

Aren was watching Tom and Jerry, and he asked me, "Can you give me a Jerry."

So I told him, "It's better to have a Tom, because we have a lot of Jerries running around, and eating food and all that. I don't know if he understood the joke.

He must have thought so, because in the movie, Jerry is colourful and he's the good guy. But in the real world, Tom is the good guy. Because the cats catch the mice. The mice just eat our food. The cats protect us.

I had two cats... many cats. Some were named Whitey, Spotty, Tigger. There were two Spotties. There was one Billy and one Spotty. Three Spotties, actually. But my cats ran away and died. I had only one dog, since I was a child. My dog's name was Banshi... and, she died. Very sad. She was vomitting first.

technorati tags:rats, cats, tomandjerry, aren

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What I'm going to do for Christmas

Christmas is when we celebrate Jesus Christ's birthday. We have Christmas holidays starting on December 23. We like Christmas holidays because we get presents and we get to go for special Mass, and we have a party. Some people. We get together, meet at church and have a nice fun thing.

Little before Christmas, we go for practise to learn Christmas carols. Then, we sing it little before Christmas, around our whole vaddo. A vaddo is part of our village. Uncle Nicholas taught us Christmas carols this year. We sing in English, and only one in Portuguese (Felis Novidade ... half is in English). Some which we sang are Jingle Bells, Silent Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, Joy To The World....

Silent Night, Holy Night
All is dark, all is right....

We collect some money, and we give it to the Church for Christmas.

For Christmas we make different kinds of sweets. Like doce, pinag, guava cheese, kal-kals, neuris. Doces is made out gram (chana). Pinag is made out of jaggery, and is brownish-black. Gauva cheese is made out of gauva. Kal-kals are made out of wheat and they are curly in shape. Neuris look like boats (in shape) and they are made out of coconut sometimes, or jaggery, or gram-flour.

And, dada, I wanted to write cashew barfi. People make it? Not so many....

Cashew-barfi is made out of cashew, and it has silver foil on it. You're meant to eat it....

I like gauva cheese and cashew barfi, because I love gauvas and cashew barfi, because it's very tasty.

My mother also likes gauva cheese, and cashew barfi. My father likes pinag and ... nothing else.

They celebrate lots of Christmas parties in Goa, and they play a lot of nice games.

So far I went for two parties, the Don Vaddo one, and the St Mary's one. In Don Vaddo, Santa Claus came on a bullock cart, and the other Santa Claus was behind the gate, in Parra. Actually I liked the Don Bosco's party very much, but I've not gone, because we didn't book it. They have lot of fun and games and I meet my friends and all there. Last year I had gone for the Don Bosco's one. But this time, we missed it, because we couldn't make it.

Suhail's grandfather and schooling

Suhail
Originally uploaded by fredericknoronha.

Suhail's grandfather was very sick, and died after some days. He was very active, and used to go for walks. They used to call him Xapai (grandfather, in Konkani).

Suhail's grandfather is his father's father.

Suhail was schooling in Lourdes Convent, in my class in the second standard. In the third standard, he left the school and was in home-schooling. Now he is a Porvorim school, that's what a boy called Selvyn from my class told me.

There are two of my friends who did home-schooling: Anant was doing and will continue home-schooling. Suhail has left, my friend told me. That friend is their neighbour.

Going to St Britto's

Severina Gardens, Duler
Originally uploaded by fredericknoronha.

When I went to the party in Britto's, I made some friends. I only know a few names. Erica and Priyanka. Only that. And Kristoff (my cousin).

The party was about a Britto's party. They had made a new book about Britto's. (A souvenir.)

And then, my brother was dancing with me. And then, one man was calling, making it like assembly. We had lot of fun. They called one man out, and they said, "Where's your hair?" And he was laughing, because he didn't have hair.

Then, they said to the Provincial, "Why are you wearing slippers?" He was laughing because he was the provincial, but they were making fun of him.

I forgot what happened (because it was many days ago), but I'll tell you what we had to eat. It was laid out on a long big table, a rectangular one. They had two kinds of salad, they had chicken cafreal, chicken gobi, pulao, some gravy, bean curry. They also had ice-cream. There was cake, but we didn't have, because we had ice-cream. There was bebique, but we didn't have because we only wanted ice-cream.

Dada met his friends, and Mama met Aunty Melanie. It was about the Britto's 2006 party, for the old boys, my Dada told me.

Our favourite teacher

Our English teacher's name is Teacher Neeta. She is very sweet. We all like her very much. We love her. She gives us stickers, and she talks to us very sweetly. She's very helpful. She always gives us tests what we like, and she gives us nouns and fun-riddles sometimes. She also gives us nice stickers when we completely our work neatly and do our homework.

All the children like her. When she comes in the class, they all shout, "YAAAAAAAAAAAAY."

The children like when she gives us tests. Because she gives English tests, and they like to write English. You can write it neat and touch the line. Children like to touch the line.

If we don't complete our work, she doesn't send us out for recess.

There is a boy called Edward (Anthony's son). She is his aunty. I don't know (where she lives).

My hobbies and movies

I like quizes and drawing. I like playing also. And I love movies. Some movies which I like the BEST: on Pogo, the Olsen Twins, on the Hallmark Channel I like Sabrina, on HBO I like to watch Shark Boy and Lover Girl. But I don't like the movie. I don't like them. But I want to know, because I've never seen it before and my friends are telling me about it.

I also like the Goblet of Fire. It's a very nice movie, and I've got it. I also showed it to my school. Those who want to borrow it, can ask me and put your name down in my blog. You got to give it back {in how many days dada? three, two?} You've got to give it back in two days.

My teacher Neeta also wants to borrow it. She's very sweet.

Sarfaraj goes for Taekwondo

There is a boy in our class, and his name is Sarfaraj. He's very smart in Taekwondo. He had joined after all the other children, after two boys called Vikram and Eric. Vikram and Eric had also done well, but he's on the black belt -- the last belt.

Only those who were on the 'black' belt would get a free ride to Bombay, for their training.

Sarfaraz was on the 'black' belt. So he got a free ride to go to Bombay. He went for some days, and afterwards he was absent. But Eric and Vikram were on the yellow and green belt. But they had to pay Rs 2000 to go. So, they didn't want to go.

Sarfaraz is very good at Taekwondo. He's quite smart. He has two best friends in class, and names are Alister and Vikram. His only best friend is Vikram. He likes all the other boys also, but he likes Vikram and Alister the most. I'll find out where he lives. His mother took a black cloth and put all shine on it, and she drew Donald Duck on it, with paint. Sarfaraz took it to school, and the teachers said, "So nice." Even the children liked it and were playing with it.

But he's also good at jokes. He makes very good jokes in class, and makes everybody laugh. Then they have one group of boys, and they all in one game. They run very roughly and fast.

I had joined Taekwondo, but I didn't like it, because I didn't like to do that. I like ballet because it's very gentle. And also I like quizzes, and I bought one quiz book for my class teacher. Other children like many things. I'll introduce you to one kid called Zenia. She likes drawing. She writes very neatly, and she's very good at drawing. She's also good at quiz, and she helps Teacher. And everybody likes here.

Cycling in the Convent

Yesterday my friends came and we were cycling in the convent. My brother has one, and I have a bigger one. My brother and me also share a small Zoomie. The other one is a BSA.

I like cycles, because you use your energy and you become thin and slim. And you lose weight, those who have got too much weight.

I am thin, and I don't lose weight.

They were all fighting for the nice small one. Abigail (the bigger one) was fighting for the big bike. Heidi was fighting for the small and the big bike; she had asked for the Zoomie. Gabi was fighting was for the small bike what she was riding, and the bike Abi had, but she didn't like the Zoomie.

Abi wanted only the big bike and the smaller one, but not the Zoomie.

So there was some confusion. Gabe was saying, "Now I'm not going to help you'll." Then we cycled on them, I carried one, Gabe just walked, Abi and Heidi drove it and came home.

And I wanted the big cycle or the small one. But not the Zoomie. Because the Zoomie goes ... so this... and takes you high. When I grow big, I'm going to buy an automatic cycle. When you press the button, it starts and takes you in circles. And one with a machine built in. If you ask for water, snacks, food or a palace, it should give you everything!

Photos

On the Internet, some of the photos are Copyright. Some are Copyleft.

I like the Copyleft because everybody can copy and take them. Even I take them. The Copyright ones you have to pay so much money, just for one photo. So the Copyleft ones are better, and people should make them more of Copyleft.

I was writing a blog entry on the Olson twins, but all the good and nice photos are Copyright. When I grow big, I shall keep my photos and put them in Copyleft. Even I like to copy. Copyright, I don't like it -- because other people can't copy theirs. Now I want to go....

Going to Candolim beach

These days we have been going to Candolim beach. Because we are in holidays, and we like to go to the beach. We go at around 9.30 and we come back home at 1.30 or 2 p.m.

We go with my friends. Their names are Saachi, Shimmi and Shimoron, and their little brother Junior, and their maid called Preeti. And their mother Grace too. And my mother, and me, and my little brother called Aren.

We swim, and we play with the sand. Sometimes we also make sand-men. We go swimming far, and they all cry for the life-jackets, and the round floats. Saachi and all like their round-floats, and they all fight for it, and my life jacket also.

It takes ten minutes to reach Candolim beach. Aren cries and he swims. He doesn't swim in the water. Not very outside, but in the middle. In the shallow waters.

The chess champion from Goa

Ivana is a chess champion from Goa, and she had gone to Georgia and now she has back to Goa. She has won two gold medals and one brass medal. She is a girl, and she's seven years old. She is from Goa. And she's very good in chess. She is our smallest girl in India who won the chess championship.

It came in the newspapers about her. I saw Ivana in the newspapers. The pictures were she was playing with the chessboard, and with her were all her prizes. People told me that she is a good chess champion, and that she did very well and all. And that her name is Ivana, and that she is seven years old.

I want to be like her. And I got one friend; her name is Abigail. She also likes all these games. But she doesn't like chess so much. She likes carrom. And I like chess.

I've managed to teach my grandmother, and I taught my mother, and I taught my Bombay grandmother. And my father taught me. My mother also knows all the moves now, but only some she doesn't know. I tried to teach my grandfather, and I'll teach him slowly -- because he has work and all. I taught Abigail, and she learnt quite fast from me. Isabel is not very interested. I was trying to teach one girl in the Bookworm, but she had to go home. Of the Bookworm's chess-game, the knight was missing.

I have a good small chess-set -- it's not only a chess-set, it has all games in it. When you're going to a picnic, or travelling, you can carry and take it. There are many games like chess, Chinese chequers, three-in-a-row, snakes-and-ladders ... and there's one which I don't know.

They have magnets. The magnets help all the men not to fall down and to keep sticking on the board, when you're carrying it to a picnic.

I want a new chess set. The day before my birthday, my father took me for shopping, and we saw a new nice chess set. He was going to buy it, but I refused that time, but I wanted the quiz thing. He bought me that. Now I like the chess set. So I'm trying to save money.

The new library called BookWorm

Suddenly, my father told me that there was a new library in Panjim. So I joined it, and I started coming to the library a few days before my birthday. It was a nice library, and all, but on the 16th of October, 2006, they opened a new library at Porvorim. There was one at Panjim also. 16th is also my birthday.

But all the old books were kept in the Panjim library, and the new books were brought to the Porvorim library. So I was... like sad ... because I liked it.

We do many activities, and there is a friend who comes to the library. (He comes to Saligao also.) His name is Anand. I met his mother on the 17th when I had gone to Porvorim. Anand lives in Porvorim, that's why he comes to that library.

I got a friend and her name is Sailee. I met her in Bookworm. I don't know where she lives, and now she's in the Panjim library. Also I got one other friend in the Panjim library. Once we had seen her before. My father knows her father, and her name is Maria.

The Miss' names are ... the teacher in the Porvorim library, we call her Ma'am. But her name is Elaine. The Panjim's one name is Sujata Noronha.

We learnt many things there. Like making our own fish acquarium in a small bottle. We also made coasters [dada, what are those things called, which you put water glasses on?] and we also did printing magic.

Aren, my brother, came on the 17th ... he's three years old. And he came to the library, and was playing. He brought one book... and didn't know how to read. He was just searching the pictures and playing with it.

The teenage twins (now 20)

This story is about the Olsen Twins. They are two girls, and I watched only one movie -- that is, when they go to London. They are some flim (sic) stars, and their names are Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. They are from America.

I came to know them because, when I watched the movie, I used to see two girls acting in the cartoon movie. I didn't really follow what it was. But the next day, they showed the teenage movie. Then I came to know.

I like them because they are very funny and they act well, and they keep thin and slim, that's why...

They are both 20 years old, because they are twins. Please see more about them [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olson_Twins]

A joke about Mary Kate: Mary Kate says that she has everything in the whole world, except friends. But I really don't know, how can she be saying that [LAUGHS]... because I'm her best friend.

The rows in school...

In our class, we have four rows. When Felician's mother comes (who has a quiz or reading) the rows are called A, B, C and D. Our row is the A row.

Now just because it's the exams, I'm put in the A row. First girls used to sit together and now we're put with the boys.

The girl sitting me was Anagha, and we were in the C row.

Now let me tell you about the C row. Mohammed and Selvin were put right at the back of the D row. The whole D row was getting points, but because of this Mohammed all their points were getting cut. He was making mustee [mischief] and coming out every time. Teacher asked him: Should I minus your marks?

He said "Yes teacher". The others said, "No teacher." But he said: "YES teacher!"

D row was trying to call me, and said they would send Sushmita to my row.

But I said I didn't want to come. Because they would still have a problem....

Mohammed is minusing the marks. And Shushmita doesn't know much.

In our row, there's a girl named Anishka. And she does well. She's quite good. So I stayed in C row, and the girls were very quiet. Teacher gives difficult questions, and sometimes I can answer one.

She asked one day, "Which is the biggest occean?"

I told Blossom not to raise her hand. She was going to say, "The Baga ocean".

All the children were saying, "This row will get wrong." They were all saying congratulations, and very happy because I was going to get it wrong. The boys row was against the girls row.

When I said the "Pacific Ocean", teacher put one mark on the board ... and they were all so sad.

Now I want my father or my mother to teacher me general knowledge questions. He started teaching me capitals. I know only one: Pakistan's capital ... what it starts with ... give me a little one more... Is-lam... Is-la-ma-bad.

Praying for Aren....

Our baby brother was going to be born (on August 10, 2003). Me and my grandmother (Nana) went to the Lourdes Convent chapel everyday, praying. My father, mother and grandfather were busy at home with work. And now, it's such a joke: they play with him. And me and my grandmother who prayed so much for him... don't even get the time to play with him, and he doesn't play with us. He beats me (sometimes). He's nice also sometimes ... and I love my little brother.

Aren in the boat

DSC01317.JPG
Originally uploaded by fredericknoronha.

In this picture, Aren (my brother) is in the boat. Aren likes boats very much. He likes things like vehicles and boats. He like motorboats, with motors.

One day we had a movie, which was a pirate movie. I forget it's name. We watched it in Bombay. I'll find out the name from my mother and tell you... no, I know the name. Grimson's Pirate. There was a big boat, and Aren was jumping and so happy just to see a boat.

One day he wants to see a real boat. He's not seen a real motor-boat. And he like boats. Once when we went to Campal, he sat in a peddaler boat. My mother peddalled and it was fun. But he wants a big ship to see.

This is Goa's beautiful river, Nerul. My mother lived in Nerul once. And my grand-mother also. We've got a river in front of our house. There are many trees in Nerul. We have a tamarind tree. We had a coconut tree, but they cut the coconut tree. And we have a jackfruit tree that gives BIG jackfruits. Finished...

Riza and Gabby

DSC01275.JPG
Originally uploaded by fredericknoronha.

Gabby came to my house one Sunday, and we were playing. Now we are going out to a river. (My brother stood in the boat, and my father took a photo. I will post it next.)

Gabby is my second-best friend. Her sister Abigail is also my second-best friend. I got a best-friend in Bombay. I got many many best-friends in Bombay: Moretta, Trinetta, Ulrica and Vinona....

Aren posing in front of the Army tank

Before the tank, Bambolim, Goa
Originally uploaded by fredericknoronha.

One day I had got hurt and I didn't want to go out. My father said we'll go somewhere nice. But I didn't listen at first. Afterwards, I went.

This is what we saw. We saw an Army tank. And it was very interesting. And my brother was so happy, and he wanted to see the photo.

My brother, in the photo, is wearing a Superman tee-shirt, and he wants to see the picture, but he can't go out because his photo also has to be clicked. I am wearing a red-and-white chequed pant, and a red-and-white tee-shirt also.

Aren is smiling because he's surprised that he has seen an Army tank.

Aren is my brother, and he likes mainly cars and vehicles, like a tempo, a bus, a scooter, a boat, a ship. But the best what he likes is a big boat. And when he sees a trailer-truck he's very happy. He also likes a fire engine, because he likes ladders. And he's learning to climb.

This is the girl who's blogging, and it's me

Riza, at 5
Originally uploaded by fredericknoronha.

In this photo, I'm five years old. And I was just sitting on the chair, and feeling funny because they were taking a photo.

When I was five years old, I'll tell you what kind of a cake I had for my birthday. Everybody knows what a mermaid is. But this was a nice mermaid, and her name was Ariel the Little Mermaid. It was a nice cake. And all the children were worrying me to eat Ariel.

Some boys wanted to eat Prince Eric, some wanted to eat the crab Sebastian, the girls wanted to eat Flounder (the fish). Ariel is the mermaid. Eric is a human prince, but Ariel is a Mer-Princess.

When I was five, I used to always like to go to Baga beach. But now I don't like to go there, because they don't have shells (on that beach). I like to go to beaches where there's water coming coming close, and where there's a small stream. With beautiful trees, with many rocks to sit on and restaurants.

When I was five, I also had a friend, who was my best friend, and her name was Abigail. She's still my friend, and when I was five, she was six. Now, when she is eight, I am also eight. Because she's just a little older to me. She's going to be nine, and even I'm going to be nine. Now I am in the third standards, and so is she.

I like a teenager picture of me when I'm a little bit bigger. This picture looks so small, like a baby. And I had short hair. I like long hair also. I like pants or long skirts, but not short skirts. I like chanya-cholis or sarwal-khameez ....but not sarees.

My father is good

My father doesn't let me play on the computer often. My father takes me for outings. My father brings some things for me when he comes from work.

Now I'm going to give not a positive comment: my father is a journalist.

My father plays with me. All fathers do that... so it's not a positive one.

My father doesn't bring me Barbie dolls. My father takes me for movies also. My father takes me to nice restaurants also... but that's not a positive one, because all fathers do that. My father also doesn't let me eat too many sweets. My father also lets me watch TV on Sundays.

My father kisses me... no, no, no. When my father is going to any foreign countries, then I cry. But all the children do that. My father is the best man in the whole world... Finally, my father makes me do blogging. And he's a photo-collector. He got many photos.

EDITORIAL COMMENT: The above entry was written after Riza was told to avoid excessive praise ... being her dad's main fan ... as is typical with girls of her age. :-)

Lourdes Convent is near my house...

Lourdes Convent
Originally uploaded by fredericknoronha.

Lourdes Convent is a very good school. I like it very much. It's my best school. They teach us many things: computers, craft, drawing, games and art-work ("wealth out of waste") and singing, and PT. Jokes, riddles, songs and general knowledge questions. We also have a playing time, where we play.

A special teacher comes for us and gives us all games.

I got some teachers who are very kind to me. The first standard teachers are Sister Angeline and Teacher Rosy. The second teachers are Teacher Savia and Teacher Sybil. And the third standards' are Teacher Bela and Teacher Judy, who are my teachers. Teacher Latika and Teacher Nita are from the fourth standard, but are also my teachers.

My school also has a lot of activities. We play and study. We have many games like x-and-zero, SOS and others. There's one girl who said, "Let's give x-and-zero a name." So I thought of a name, and called it Ox. So we all call that name Ox.

You just have to draw two lines, and one has to put... give me a board.... I want to draw on a paper book. Okay, this way. Then we put the points for the rows. A and B are the girls, and C and D are the boys. Whoever gets the most points win.

I would like my school to have swimming, if they could, and also to some puzzles and games, and chess also.

The high school's principal name is Sister Lily, and our principal's name is Sister Esmeralda. The nuns are very kind to us.

We also have a chapel down; the middle-floor is a chapel. We are allowed to go to the chapel. We have a really good time in our school. My father and my uncle were in this school, and they had many friends. It is a girls-and-boys school.

Aren in Navtara

Aren Sept 2006
Originally uploaded by fredericknoronha.

When we went to the restaurant, some people came. Aren was making good jokes. Aren is my brother, and he is three years old. And he loves to play.

He was laughing and playing, and laughing simply at all. And he was saying 'hi' to the peoeple so many times. He was asking, "Can I have watermelon juice."

He ate a gulab jamun, and he said "Yukk". And the people next to us started laughing at him. He told the waiter, "Excuse me, can I have watermelon juice?" People started laughing at him.

In the restaurant, my father ate a thali (rice plate). My mother ate a masala dosa. I ate chole masala. My brother ate at little of the dosa. And he ate some rice and curry, and he drank some watermelon juice.

The hotel was pretty clean, there was very tasty food, and this time the food was become better. We had also gone to this restaurant the last time, when we went for the Superman movie.

We went to the shop selling sweets and cold-drink. We bought sweets like 'buddikabal' and 'pedas'. Buddikabal is means 'old man's hair' because it looks like that. It is sweet and white, and sometimes they put some almonds -- but not always. It tastes not very sweet, and a little bit sour. Children
like it because it's sweet and tasty. And there's a man in our school who sells 'buddikabaal' and he makes it very tasty.

Pedas are made out of milk, and it has some yellow food colour. And it's very tasty and sweet. It's round and circular, the size of a small marble. And it's good to eat; it makes you healthy.