SHE DON-Hindi Movie 'Shabri' Review
by Amrita Simon

'Shabri' is the story of a slum-dweller girl,working hard at an Atta-chakki for her family that is almost as poor as church mice.

An alcoholic father,a mother working herself almost to the bone making pickles and a young brother who loiters around mixing with the wrong kind of people, adds to the burden of the already heavy laden,weary and frustrated Shabri..

The ashen tinted film symbolizes the lack of any hope or color in Shabri's life. Her concern for her brother 'Bandhya'(Vijay) is expressed only through tight slaps and scraps over a pair of rubber slippers.

'Murad' (played by newcomer Raj Arjun) is a Mathka player with a heart.

From the very beginning, he is shown as a savior of sorts.His expressive eyes say it all.... his compassion and kindness.

Acutely aware of and almost hating what he does for a living, Murad is seen constantly discouraging Shabri's brother to have anything to do with anything illegal.

The only dramatic entry in the film is that of the Villain (Pradeep Rawat). He seems even more sinister than what he was in Ghajini, literally making the back of the hair on your head stand up.

Bandhya gets picked up by the police for a crime he is innocent of. Murad frantically tries to get him out but fails.

Shabri turns up at the Police station to set her brother free. While she waits outside the Cop-in-charge is shown slurping his meal in a disgusting way. The way he tears into the meat he is eating and sucks at the bones depicts what some corrupt and cruel cops are capable of doing.

As he leers and touches Shabri, her terrified young brother, his beating wounds visible, his voice quivering with terror, musters enough courage to tell the cop to lay off his sister or else.....

Later Bandhya is shown in a dark cell with a lone bulb swinging mid-air,with cops all around him and one of them undressing.

What you see later is not for the faint-hearted.

The Director, Lalit Marathe shows Bandya's torture and brutalization, in a way that has never, ever been seen on any Hindi Movie screen before.

Murad breaks the news to Shabri in silent scene that nevertheless conveys his own pain.

When Shabri sees her brother's young broken body, his torn chappals (the very pair she'd fight with him about) laying alongside, a representation of sorts, of the perverted, animal like cruelty he had to go through, something inside her snaps and she takes the law into her own hands.

Murad stands by her like a rock. The rest of the movie is about how because of their actions Murad and Shabri are on the run and literally have to 'hit the mattresses' with both the police and the Villain 'Rajdhar Bhau' hot in their pursuit.

In a juicy, author backed role, Isha Koppikar,(Shabri) gives the best performance of her career with her slum-dweller look (dark pancake,crumpled saree, et al) and gait down to a pat.

Almost always serious in every frame, one gets to see Shabri give a slight glimmer of a smile when she catches Murad looking at her as she dries her freshly washed hair.

Newcomer Raj Arjun (Murad) is the surprise package of the film .

Considering,this was his first film, he has given a beautifully restrained performance, expressing himself softly with words or sometimes with his eyes only. Any other actor in his place would have hammed or may have been tempted to but Raj gives a stellar performance in a role that should have been longer.

Zakir Hussain is good as the stony faced cop with a wry sense of humor.

As the main Villain, Pradeep Rawaat has out done himself. He is just too good. Unlike other Directors who show the Villain as just a very bad guy, Lalit Marathe has carved out many facets in his Villain that shows his cruelty, his pain and finally his stunned grief.

In fact the Villain is the best etched character of the film.

As a first time Director, Lalit Marathe has done a good job, paid attention to detail, made a good film on a novel concept and is worth watching out for.

Even though, in my opinion, the film could have done without the ashen hues and expanded the romantic angle between Murad and Shabri a little more, it is unquestionably a must watch for all those gangster film aficionados out there.

SIMON SAYS....

No country for old men !!

It's the Indian Independence day. Sitting on the road,with cars and rickshaws whizzing past him,dangerously, is a white haired, old, emaciated man, his frail arm stuck out, begging for money, food....any thing.

A well dressed man holding the Indian flag passes him by without throwing so much as a glance at him.

Others, mostly the blue collared workers, throw in a few coins in his battered steel cup but not one car stops...not even a single one, to give alms to this frail man obviously unable to work, not even on the day our country celebrates Independence.

As our reporter starts talking to him with our photographer clicking pictures......a small crowd gathers...curious, eager to give bytes and quotes but no help.

His name is Randa Pawar (A Marathi Manoos!) aged 90 and suffering from Throat and Mouth Cancer and Blurry vision.

His wife, Sakuna Bai,60, and he live in a 10 by 10 feet room. His elder son Samarao Pawar,22 lives with them while his younger son, Nagesh Pawar,20,who suffers from some mysterious ailment, one fine day, left home, never to return.

“My wife has cancer too.......thankfully we were both was operated on, at The Tata Memorial Hospital around the same time 12 years back. The operation was free and I am grateful to them,but we had to buy our own medicines. My wife is okay now but I am still sick”said Pawar

With no support from the sons, and left to fend for themselves.....Pawar's wife stays at home while he spends the day begging, trying to collect enough money to buy food and medicines including injections.

The medicines he needs are expensive costing Rs 100 per tablet. Since climbing stairs is a very big problem for him, how he manages to get on the train for the hospital,is anybody's guess!!!

Where does he stay? “In the same place I have been staying from 1947, Damu Nagar,Mahindra gate number 2”

Our reporter, Meeta Nair asked him a few questions....Did he know what day it was?

“Monday” he replied.

I'ts Independence Day, the day India gained Independence !!!.

The poor man is mumbles... “I didn’t know”. Well how old is he? “90” he said.

So he must have been around that time in 1947? “Yes I was.” Does he remember anything? “Not much” he says.

What does Independence day mean to him? “Nothing” he says

“What CAN it mean to me??.....look at my state, the Government gives me no assistance....I am so weak, some times I don't have the strength to go out and beg. Plus the Policemen beat me up when they catch me begging.” “NO!!”he says, dismissively, “ Aaazadi Divas means nothing to me"

Our reporter, Meeta asks him.Would he mind posing for the camera......holding the Indian flag?

Despite all his earlier complaints, Pawar not only agrees but insists on standing up......to give respect to the Tiranga.

Our Photographer,Naresh Das, and Reporter, Meeta Nair, watch silently as he struggles to his feet, his legs quivering as he faces the lens.

His speech becomes labored........“It hurts when I talk” he says indicating a spot on his neck. “The suffering is too much. There is no point in living any more” he trails off....

Does he need any immediate help besides money and food?

“Steps.”...he says stumping our reporter completely, “I need help with climbing steps”.

It's a cool,cloudy day, “How does Hot Daal-Rice sound? Would he like some?”

“Yes” he nods eagerly and waits patiently. He accepts the money and the steaming plate of Dal-Rice and the money that I send across and promptly digs in hungrily, asking if he can come the next day, for some more food.

Watching him wolf down the meal, I wipe away a tear as I think of all those Independence Day, self patting speeches, given all across India, by our supposedly well meaning Politicians, put there, by the Smart Indian Junta.... but somewhere, in the course of “The Great Indian Development,” millions of people like Pawar (both Marathi and Non-Marathi) have some how slipped through the huge cracks in the system and fallen into a pit of hell.

May God help them!! I don't think any one else will !!!

SPILL THAT MILK

by Amrita Simon

“Cow's milk has Calcium, the way nature intended it.....FOR CALVES” said Harvey Diamond in his ground breaking book on Health and Nutrition- Fit for Life.

For this voracious critic of milk, there is a grand purpose of mother nature and there is a reason why all mammals have milk available at the birth of their young.

Each species milk is uniquely beneficial for that specific species.

His logic makes sense,think about it.... how many of us have seen a calf drink a buffalo's milk or a puppy drink a cat's milk?

Animals do not drink the milk of another species.

The only species which does that, is the Human species.

Once weaned, animals stop having milk. At this point Mr Diamond, specifies that pets and animals in the Zoo are an exception because they have no option but to consume what we offer them.

"Cow milk is designed to create a huge big boned animal with four stomachs and there is no way humans meet those criteria....

Eating Dairy products is eating a product designed to make you very big, like a cow, very fast. Cow milk is for baby cows....it is idiocy to insist we continue to drink it after infancy right into our eighties (if we can get that far). Are we actually to believe that when our mothers finish, the cows should take over?" he argues.

According to Mr Diamond's second book Fit for Life II - Living Health, Dairy products cause a plethora of diseases and should be consumed only if one wants to be ill.

He says- “Dietitians and Nutritionists who say otherwise either don't know enough or are simply mouthpieces for the Dairy Industry. Diseases like Obesity, Asthma, Bronchitis, Sinusitis, frequent Colds,Runny noses, and Ear infections are all primarily caused by Dairy products.”

He further explains “Milk causes more mucous than any other food, thick dense mucous that clogs and irritates the body's entire respiratory system”

He is definitely on to something there because some studies do claim that Cheese is linked to Migraines.

The truth is that people consume Dairy products in the misguided notion that it is healthy, an important food group and they get their Calcium from it.

In reality nothing could be further from the truth. Milk has two elements that need to be broken down by enzymes in the body. They are Lactose and Casein.

Lactose needs the enzyme Lactase and Casein needs Renin which is absent in the human body by the age three or four, which is why milk gets so indigestible by the time we pass that age,and we hear so much about some people being lactose intolerant.

Mr Diamond spells it out “Over 98% of the population is lactose intolerant”

He is not alone.

According to the late N.W Walker, (who authored and researched Nutrition and Healthy living and who lived to a ripe age of 109 years himself) the Casein in milk was directly linked to Goiter growth and other Thyroid gland diseases.

Christina Pirello, a Natural foods expert has this to say: “Milk clogs arteries, contributing to Heart disease. The Estrogen and other hormones being fed to cows has been linked to Breast and Prostrate Cancer as well as the onset of Early Puberty.”

Another condition that Dairy products worsen are, Stomach Ulcers. For years people have been asked to drink cold milk for Ulcers and Acidity which is odd because all Dairy products (other than Butter and Ghee,they are simply fats) are very acid forming and the very LAST thing an Ulcer patient should have.

According to authors Oski and Bell in their book titled 'Don't drink your milk', Dairy products are linked to Anemia in children, Allergies, Stomach Cramps, Diarrhea and Multiple Sclerosis.

In fact Dr Oski, former Physician-in-Chief of the Johns Hopkins Children Center, actually got the American Academy of Pediatrics to admit that 'Maybe children should be discouraged from milk drinking'.

In a significant 30 year study by the late Dr. Roy Swank at the University of Oregon, a low milk and animal fat diet in Multiple Sclerosis patients arrested the progress of the disease almost miraculously.

In another study in Hawaii, Researchers found a direct link between milk drinking and Parkinson’s disease in, Middle aged men.

People from the Nutrition Industry insist that milk consumption is important to avoid Osteoporosis, when the truth is exactly opposite. Milk and other Animal products are a major cause of Osteoporosis.

According to Dr John McDougall M.D and author of the bestselling book 'The McDougall Program', milk is very acidic and Osteoporosis does not result from too little Calcium, but rather primarily from too much milk and other animal food derived acids that rob the body of Calcium and weaken the bones.

In his words, “There is plenty of Calcium in all plant foods to meet the needs of children and adults.”

He is absolutely right about that..... The most Calcium rich foods are Spinach, Sesame seeds, Almonds, Broccoli, Cabbage and other Leafy vegetables. What's more, all Fresh Fruits, Beans and Grains have Calcium too.

Lactating mothers are urged to drink lots of milk to produce more milk themselves.

Which does not make sense.

Where does the cow get it's Calcium from??.

Not from glasses of milk for sure....it's from grass and leaves .

Vegetarian diet is supposed to be healthy. Yet... people from Vegetarian communities in our country suffer from Diabetes, Heart trouble, Arthritis, Obesity and Kidney problems.

And why's that? The answer lies in their excessive consumption of Dairy products.

Unbelievable? Makes sense though, doesn't it?

Don't take my word for it...Read up, check the internet, talk to a Good Physician who has bothered to keep abreast of the researches conducted in this field.

At the very least he will say it is not harmful to cut down on a product that is so high in Cholesterol and so low in Fiber !!

That Radiant Glow
by Amrita Simon

OK ladies, you may not be able to change your skin type but that youthful radiance is not out of your reach if you do treat your face right. So how do you get that bright sheen that gleams on faces staring back at you from glossy magazines??

Dr Nina Madnani, one of the best Dermatologists in Mumbai busts a lot of skin myths and tells you super skin secrets, that no one else will.

So how does one get their skin to look bright and beautiful? What can we slap on? or eat?

Dr Nina says,“Glowing skin is a combination of a healthy lifestyle and having a skin which is smooth with no pigmentation anomalies. A diet rich in nutrients, especially iron, vitamins and proteins is a must. Fruit and vegetable juices are good though overweight people should avoid fruit juices because they can be high in sugar.”

On the topic of our nutty obsession with getting fairer, she has this to say-

“Many ad agencies have driven the public into a frenzy by their visuals, promising a rapid reduction of skin color resulting in a more 'Beautiful' face which is misleading.

Your skin color is determined by your genes and the extent of exposure to ultraviolet rays. Fairness creams temporarily reduce the skin shade by a fraction but the moment you stop application, your skin will revert to your original color.”

To all those young boys and girls who think smoking is cool, listen up......

Dr Nina specifies that a smoker's skin is 12.5 years older than that of a non-smoker. Get it?? Time to stub that cigarette butt out!!

About wrinkles, she says that anti-wrinkle and skin plumping creams work 'very minimally' and there are two types of lines that appear on our faces –

One are the expression lines caused by facial movements (crows feet, laugh lines, frown lines etc).

The other are very fine lines that are caused by sun damage. Sunscreens containing Anti-oxidant vitamins and Retinoids are mildly helpful in reducing the fine lines.

She recommends the use of sunscreen every day with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 for normal use and 50 for prolonged sun exposure.

For dry skin, her mantra is to 'Moisturize! Moisturize! Moisturize!' and says that creams with Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), are useful in rejuvenation of the skin.

Is exfoliation of the face good for removing dead cells ?

Here comes the warning- “Exfoliation does remove the superficial cells but face scrubs with large particles can cause redness and irritation in sensitive skins.”

Women go in for regular facials and some are being advised Chemical peels by beauticians.

What are her thoughts?

“Chemical peels do help in rejuvenation of the face and making skin smoother and more uniform in appearance"she says

"Various peels exist for various reasons but complications can occur if they are performed for the wrong reasons and by unqualified personnel " she warns.

Well, what about facials? Just how important are they in the 'beauty regimen'?

"Facials give that 'feel good' factor and are useful only for those with dry skin” she points out.

Another hurdle in the path to good looking skin is, facial hair. It is a source of annoyance to most women and foxes the best of us on how to deal with it.....to bleach or pluck, to wax or thread, to shave or zap it to death with lasers.....

Dr Madnani clarifies, “Laser hair removal is recommended for permanent hair reduction and cannot achieve permanent hair removal.”

(Wow,we certainly weren't aware of that!)

Well, most women use bleaching,threading or even waxing for unwanted facial hair. How safe are these methods?

According to the Doctor, bleaching has no side effects on the skin, if done properly. Threading is OK and contrary to popular thinking, does not cause the skin to darken. And though waxing the face may cause Follicutlitis in some people, here comes the real shocker.....

Shaving your face does NOT make you sprout hair like a man.

So here it is, girls....

The secrets behind that radiant skin that's been eluding you for so long.

Happy Glowin!

Child-rearing Tips - Part 2

In my last post we discussed

1 How to turn every opportunity into a fun teaching moment

2 Television- the best shows to expose your kids to.

3 Manners- Start early and lead by example.

Part-2

No shouting, yelling, threatening or physical violence of any kind.
Now I know this one's not easy but......Do not ever lose your temper when dealing with a tantrum specially when there are people around..

No matter how badly your kid behaves, never ever shout at or strike him.

You may think they are too young but even a two year old feels humiliated when chastised or struck specially when there is an audience.

No matter how bad the crying and the kicking and the squealing. Remember the one who is doing all that screeching is just a kid, and YOU are the adult.

So behave like one. Be calm, firm, even chilly when required but keep your voice down at all times. If your voice is low the child will have to lower his screams to understand what you are saying. This is a tried and tested method which can be used in other situations too. For example in an argument with an adult.

Research says that children love kissing,tickling and cuddling.
They say money maketh a man,clothes maketh a lady but its kisses and hugs and cuddles that maketh a happy child.

A cuddled and loved child adjusts better in class, handles conflicts better, has a higher EQ (Emotional Quotient) and is more likely to pick good friends and a loving and kind life partner later on in life.


Parents who argue, scream at and hit their kids are laying down the foundation of an anxious and a very unhappy child.

One who will have a very low self esteem and will most probably turn out aggressive themselves and turn into bullies or become scared, quiet and the submissive types.

Such kids subconsciously tend to pick physically or emotionally abusive partners. Almost always.

Kids like that don't even resist when hit and attacked by their friends or abusive spouse/partner when they are adults because by then they have been wired to think they 'deserve' it. After all mom and dad also used to hit them.

Another thing – almost all of them are full of self hatred, self loathing and are suicidal.

If you want your child to be like that, (an aggressive bully always in a rage, getting into trouble, or a suicidal introvert who gets beaten and abused by their spouse/boyfriend and who one day may become another statistic in the suicide graph of young people) ...
Then go right ahead, let your anger and ego be more important than your helpless child, shout and slap him/her when they fail a test or knock down that expensive crystal ashtray granddad gave for Christmas.

But beware, every time you hit or holler at your child, the only message you send out is, that when there is a conflict with anyone, or when one is angry or when things don't go your way, It is ok to hit.


The Bottom line is- Never hit your kid


What not to do/say in front of your child

Never fight, argue with, yell at or hit your spouse in front of your children. This one's a no-brainer. It shakes up their little world and is scary and very damaging for them. All Psychologists agree on this one.

My tip is make fight dates. My friend does this. Every now and then when her husband and and she are mad at each other,they agree to meet in the living room at around midnight (that's when their kids are fast asleep) and have a good but quiet showdown.

Another tip- Do not bad mouth relatives or friends or indulge in idle gossip in front of your child. Your kid is much more impressionable than you think. So watch what you say about others when your kid is around. Your child will respect you and others better.

Always use politically correct terms. There is nothing more embarrassing than waiting in line at the supermarket checkout and hearing your kid shout out “Look Mummy how fat this man is!!'

Mommies are not Superwomen

If you make a mistake,forgive yourself. No point beating up yourself over it. Learn from it and move on. And whenever you feel you've spread yourself too thin, close your eyes, take a deep breath and believe tomorrow's gonna be better than today.

There are many articles and books on parenting. Whenever you have the time, catch up on your reading as much as you can. Most importantly don't forget to treat yourself well. And make sure Daddy reads this,ok darlin?

Eat fresh n healthy food,fruits and salads. Get enough sleep. Ask your friends or relatives to watch the kids every now and then so you and your husband can get at least one romantic dinner in a month. Try and have friends over once in a while. Don't kill your social life.

What I mean is, try and have fun. Always keep at least one hour of some 'mommy time' aside just for you.
Do things that make you happy. Go to the spa, get a massage, watch your favorite movie, do yoga or meditation,go for swimming, jogging, dancing, some plain ole reading or simply loll around the couch channel, surfing and chill because the truth is very simple.
A happy, relaxed mommy is a good mommy and, let's not forget.....

'A good mother is worth a 100 headmasters'

Child-rearing Tips- Part 1

So your toddler has started preschool. Splendid. For successful parenting it is important to understand that you cannot and must not leave the entire responsibility of educating your child on the teacher or the school. A child spends only so much time in school. The rest of the day he spends with you and the rest of the family.

Now we know how hard mommies work and how harried, frustrated and exhausted they can get. According to Oprah Winfrey, a mothers job is the hardest job in the world. But do take time out of your busy schedule and spend some quality time with your kid. Remember, “A good mother is worth a 100 headmasters”


Turn every opportunity into a teaching method. But you gotta make it fun.

Try and turn every question and query into a teaching moment. When you go grocery shopping try and take your kid along.You could turn shopping, that can be a chore into an informative and fun time for your child. Aside from the regular fruits and vegetables, most Malls stock all kinds of exotic fruits, vegetables and herbs which your neighbourhood vegetable guy may not have.It would be the perfect time to point those out.

Television

Try limit TV time as much as possible. If you want to watch, try to watch those action and graphic movies with ghosts and ghouls, blood and gore only after the kids have gone to sleep. I love slasher films with chain saw kind of horror... but I only watch when my monsters are tucked in and dreaming. Do not expose them to adult programming at all. Not even the News.

If as a parent you have forgotten some of your old Nursery Rhymes. Fret not. There are lots of videos that teach fun nursery rhymes. Television is not as bad as it has been made out to be. TV can be a great teaching tool. Keep a time limit and always keep an eye on what your kids are watching.


Cartoons like Ben-Ten, Tom and Jerry are fun but only for older kids and adults. Just recently I caught my 5 year old calling his 2 year old brother Jerry while chasing him with a hammer. I almost had a stroke. Some videos meant for kids are way too violent.

A few channels like Cbeebies and Nick Jr are very nice and provide good, fun, wholesome entertainment as they subtly teach kids manners and the difference between good and bad behavior.

Try and have a separate TV for your kids. Mine do, and all the channels that are unfit for kids their age are blocked. So it's either Animal Planet, Cebeebies or good ole Nick Jr. Pick a couple of Barney videos. Almost all stores have them. Their rhymes and songs are perfect for toddlers.

Manners

This is the tricky part. Try and teach your kid to say please and thank you right from the very beginning. If you haven’t, start now. NOW!

Kids are very impressionable and observant. They ain't going to do what you say. They're gonna do what you do. It don't matter how many times you try to get them to say Please and Thank you. Remember they will watch you and imitate you, so if you are rude to the waiter or the maid or the watchman of the building that's exactly what your kids is going to do.


So start at home, set a good example, always be polite, say Excuse-me, Sorry, Thank-you and Please, regularly when dealing with them or anybody, even while interacting with a janitor and your child will follow.

Now we mommies are human too and we do make mistakes sometimes. When you do, sit your kid down, admit you were wrong and made a mistake, and apologize sincerely with a few kisses thrown in. You will set a great example and it will do wonders for your kid's self-esteem and self-worth.

In our home we have spare room which is pink in color and has a 'naughty chair.' And when anybody, the kids or even us parents behave extra bad they first apologize to the person they misbehaved with and then, depending on the severity of the crime they get 5 to 10 minutes on the naughty chair.

The funny thing is at least once a week my husband and I also land up on the naughty chair. (Actually it's my husband who gets punished more because he really is naughty sometimes. Honest! )

Well, getting back to the point, this actually helps, the children think they are not completely powerless, that there is a certain kind of democracy in the house and not just them but every one has to follow rules, and everyone has privileges and rights. And mine behave quite well most of the time, well, almost!

I don't know about the rest of you but this system is working out just fine for us. There is no harm in giving it a shot.-

Memories of Goa

We are just back from a fantastic trip to Goa. For those who missed 3 issues of Neighbourhood Times, we extend our apologies but we desperately needed a break.

Driving to Goa was a last minute plan. Since most of our staff wanted a vacation we gave them the go ahead and decided to take a summer break ourselves. Since it was too late for tickets we just threw some clothes in a bag, jumped into our car and zoomed off. The drive was relaxing. We took National Highway 4 which has less ghats but takes longer.

We stayed at a resort near Calangute, Castle House, which was highly recommended by a friend.

Castle House is a picturesque gleaming yellow and white villa/resort with cute little balconies and a pool. The tariff was so reasonable, I couldn't get my husband to stop grinning.

The swimming pool got all the kids excited. The rooms were spacious, clean with excellent service. The bar was fully stocked with all kinds of booze with ludicrously low rates eg a bottle of beer was 55 and a shot of whiskey/rum was Rs 20 only. The sea food was very nice especially the fish steaks and garlic butter prawns. The service was so good we ended up making friends with all the employees.



To any body who wants to stay at a hotel in Goa and get complete value for their money, I'd highly recommend Castle House. The owner is Dev (a very friendly chap).



If you visit North Goa and want to eat out, try Britto's at Baga beach. The portions are huge, the food is delicious and the prices are cheap. Just avoid it on Sundays as it gets too crowded. Try booking the deck chairs on the beach which cost around Rs 100 for a couple,lie back,and the food from Britto's will come to you, at no extra charge.

If you want a foot rub ask around for a guy called Rajesh and he will haggle at first but give you a nice foot rub for 20 minutes if you pay him 100 Rs. If you want your nails painted and decorated with little crystals you can get the Nail paint women (who constantly roam the beach) to do some fancy nail art for Rs 110.

Another place bang on Calangute beach is Souza Lobo. They are very popular and always very crowded on weekends.They have a dance floor and have live music every day.. The food is good, the portions are generous but watch out as the service is very iffy. They have a talent for botching up orders. Over and over again. Be careful coz if you order rice and get noodles instead ,they will make you eat the noodles no matter how much you protest and make you pay for it too.

Another place at Calangute is The Flying Dolphin.It's nice and quiet with a great 180 degree view of the beach, which is not crowded at all.It's the perfect place to go with a book,lie back,order a cocktail and watch the sun go down.The food is pretty ok too and worth a try.

Calangute Grande also has good Chinese and Continental food with big portions. Another place which I was told is good, is David's for their seafood platter but I didn't get a chance to go there. Oh and do, do visit Infentaria for their all day dining. Their pastas and cakes are delicious. I spotted Director Sanjay Gupta kicking back and enjoying a relaxing brunch with a large group of friends.

Which brings me to some of the friends I made. I ran into an absolutely lovely British couple, Janet and Graham at my hotel bar (where I had become a permanent structure). We hit it off almost immediately and hung out after that, almost every day. Once they learned I was a writer they told me about a strange predicament they were in...



Now ever since Janet and Graham came to India, they fell in love with our country, our weather, our people, our food......in fact everything. It is for this reason they decided to make India their home and bought a house in Goa.

Cool.... ..right? Wrong! What happened soon after is unbelievable. According to them they did every thing by the book. In October 2001 Graham Goodburn went to the Indian Embassy in London and declared his wish to retire in Goa. He got a One year Ex-Visa,under which, he and his partner were allowed multiple entries, they could stay longer than 12 days AND buy property..

Delighted,they arrived in 2001 October and registered with the Foreign Relation Officer. They viewed a property and made a sale agreement. Their advocate made proper papers under FEMA ie the Foreign Exchange Management Act, which meant within 182 days in one financial year, they could apply for the sale deed, which they did and received. They got the deed stamped the by the Registrar in Maupsa and received the No Objection Certificate for Electricity and House tax.

At the end of their 1 year visa,they went back to UK and were issued a 5 year visa. After 5 years in India,they returned to UK to renew their visa but were shocked to learn that they would receive a visa for one year only and would be required to leave the country every 182 days, for at least a day and then only would they be allowed to return.

Irritated and upset they returned, only to have their their advocate drop another bombshell: The rules had changed further. They could sell their house to an Indian national only AND There was a new diktat …...even though they owned a home in Goa, they could only stay for six months at a time, then they had to leave the country not for a day but for at least 2 months.

Soon came another set of rules, they were now forbidden to sell their house to anybody, not even an Indian.

So here they are, stuck in a country where they own a home, but cannot live in it for more than six months and have to get out for at least 2 months and they cannot sell their home either!!!

Quite understandably, they feel helpless and outraged. It seems Graham and Janet are not the only ones. “This is happening to all the foreigners” informs Janet.

Why don't they just leave? “I love India. This is my home now and I won't leave”says Graham Goodburn passionately as Janet nods vigorously. I feel so bad for this couple, despite all this the poor things are still in love with India and want to stay.

Pfffft !!! Atithi Devo Bhava indeed!

For their sake I hope the Indian Government is listening.