OLD-TIMERS RE-VISITING THE “REBELLIOUS” ERA
BY ARMAND RODRIGUES
There was a time when retirees languished
because of scant offerings for them by the motherhouse, the Goan Overseas
Association (Toronto). The deficiency spawned two seniors’ clubs in the
West-end of Toronto and two in the East, to cater to their social needs. However, the situation changed for the better
when Greta Dias was appointed Director of Retirees at the G.O.A.(T). She came
in with a vision of inclusivity and has held court for eleven continuous years. She has been conjuring up a variety of social
offerings for the retirees, making them theirs for the taking.
With a dimple in her cheek and a mischievous
glint in her eye, Greta challenged the retirees to re-visit the nostalgic 50s
& 60s and re-live the Bohemian non-conformist days of flower-power and
hippiedom, at an event on September 15, 2019, held at the Kalyaan Centre in
Mississauga. People responded with alacrity. It is likely that they rummaged
through the old tin trunks in the attic to find suitable abandoned apparel of
the period. Some simply improvised. Justice was done to the clarion call.
Needless to say, music and an efficient M.C. go
hand-in-hand-- like a horse and carriage-- and are conducive to a favourable
outcome. MUSIC MACHINE provided appropriate music that resonated with the aging
generation. Joan Rosario was in her
element as she presided over the proceedings as the M.C. John Noronha and Delphine Francis joined the
band and belted out familiar vocals to liven up things. For a while the
revellers went quiet while they were wolfing down the goodies in their plate of
hors d’ouvres. Enoe D’Souza and Maurice
Dalby emerged as the best-dressed hippie couple.
While John and Alexandria Sylvan doled out
toe-tickling music, KONKAN DELITE provided comestibles to tickle the palette,
after Bertha Carvalho said Grace. A
multitude of helpers provided seamless assistance. B.R D’S. was everywhere with her camera when
she was not serving drinks. Jennifer Castelino’s fingerprints were on the
centrepieces. And, somebody was thoughtful enough to provide paper and pencil
to book dances, as was the practice in days gone by.
Everybody seemed to know everybody else. Co-mingling in a congenial atmosphere came
naturally to all. Who could have asked
for anything more?
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