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THE HUMBLE CLAY POTS OF OUR MOTHERLAND BY ARMAND RODRIGUES Clay emerges from mother earth, and the pot is likened to a child that comes from the womb of a woman.   For millennia, women made clay pots, by hand.   Then the wheel got invented and it gave birth to the potter’s-wheel, and the role of pot-making shifted to men.   Women would collect and prepare the clay, and embellish pots with designs, after men had shaped them.   In archaeological digs, shards of pottery become historical treasure troves.   Ancient civilizations were adept at working with clay.   It is believed that man’s introduction to the art of making clay pots was a huge fire that destroyed everything in its path, except for a piece of burnt clay.   This piece was as hard as stone and did not absorb water.   It led early man to making pots and jars of clay, drying them in the sun and then firing them in a crude kiln. Hey Presto! Vessels capable of holding liquids s...

For a friend who would not stop asking: The BBC and me, a beautiful love affair I must have been four or six years when I first listened to to the BBC World Service’s Sports Round-up. My next-door neighbour, Mr Pinto (Peter, Francis, Jenny and seven or eight other children’s dad), also a tailor, used switch his radio on to listen to the British racing results and from Day One I used to be sitting on the floor with my ears pricked. After a week or so I tried very quickly noting down some notes and over the next few weeks and months got a handle on the British sports and their seasons. I would then tell my friends after school all about it. I did not take down the racing results – Lestor Piggot, Scobbie Breasley, Frankie Durr and a whole bunch of other jockeys appeared interesting  -- but I did not pay much attention and I paid a somewhat cursory attention to complete results of the football matches on Saturday nights delivered in a sort of funeral tone, with an equally funera...

From a booklet by Melwyn Every ward in Saligao seemed to have at least one teenager who had earned the notoriety of being a rascal. They were either loners, or outgoing kids with a mischievous look in their eyes that seemed to attract an accusing finger whenever something untoward happened in their ward. Today, with the benefit of hindsight, I would say that those kids were smarter and far more creative than most of their peers but were constrained from displaying their creativity by the staid and proper Catholic society that pervaded their formative years. I often wonder what ever happened to some of these characters, one of whom was a loner name Euric (Yo-rick) who was in his late teens. He had a slight hunch, and he walked with a loping stride, his hands close to his pant pockets, and his head raised forward that gave him the appearance of a human camel. Euric had the reputation of being a thief of ‘tender coconuts’ - a coconut before it ripens and acquires a dried grey h...

Doc Tears for a Goan icon THE ETERNALLY ELEGANT DR MANU D’CRUZ Dr Manu (Manuel) D’Cruz was an outstanding Kenyan Goan Ear Nose and Throat consultant physician and a consultant sergeon who graduated in Edinburgh. His passion for treating the sick, especially the poor villagers miles away from major town centres, had to be seen to be believed. Nothing would stop him driving 200 miles unless, of course, his beloved Volvo was Ill. He was recognised as a great Kenyan when  President Moi bestowed on him the Order of the Great Warrior. As you will see he was also a devoted Goan. On the social scene, of course, his first love was the Nairobi Goan Gymkhana. He served as president/chairman countless times and was always ready to put up his hand if there were no one else for a committee post. He was also a dedicated Rotarian and was regularly lauded for his work with the organisation. I have left the tributes below to sp...

Kenyan Teacher wins $1million Global Teacher prize. WOW! From 1961 to 1970, I was a teacher at Menengai High School, Nakuru which had a population then of about 60,000. There was one other high school, Nakuru Secondary School. Both schools, like most Government schools, were well-appointed and had staff members who were graduates and included expatriates from Britain, Canada and the U.S.A. The population of Kenya has grown by leaps and bounds since then with the majority of the young rural hopefuls flocking to urban centres to seek education or employment. I find it hard to believe that the once sleepy town I lived in has become a bustling city of 500,000 in less than 50 years.  This population explosion has not taken place without a price. There is a shortage of affordable housing so slum areas have come up, resources are strained and unemployment has led to an increase in crime. The school population has sky-rocketed and Government schools can no longer cope with the num...

September 7, 1938 – November 15, 2019 We are sad to announce that on Friday November 15th, 2019, Leo Moraes, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 81. Loving husband to Sheila for 49 years, father to Lorraine (Keith), Judy, and grandfather to Lucas. Leo is fondly remembered by his siblings Hipo/Laura (deceased), James (deceased), George/Carmen, Paul (deceased)/Audrey. Leo will be sadly missed by his many nephews, nieces, friends and family. Leo’s quiet demeanour and gentle nature touched all of those who knew and loved him. Leo was an avid traveller and camper. He loved spending time in his retired years cruising the seas and playing with his grandson, Lucas. Visitation: Chapel Ridge Funeral Home, 8911 Woodbine Avenue, Markham on Monday November 18th from 2-4 pm and 6-9 pm. Funeral: St. Mary Immaculate Catholic Church, 10295 Yonge Street, Richmond Hill on November 19th at 11 am. Condolences : keithandlorraine@hotmail.com In lieu of flowers, donations can be...

What makes children happy? It is just the middle of November but the annual blitz has started. I am referring to the endless commercials on TV and the advertisements in the flyers paid for by toy manufacturers and retailers to persuade children - and adults - that the lives of our young people will be forever blighted if Santa does not bring them a certain toy or the latest in electronic gadgetry. When I visit homes where the floor is littered with expensive gifts and the children are having fun in one corner with the cardboard cartons in which the gifts came, my mind wanders back to Africa and my own childhood.  My father was a hard worker but salaries were small in the thirties and forties. He always handed over his entire monthly salary to my mother who worked miracles providing us with the necessities of life, making sure we were well fed and clothed and received a good education. Christmas was a special time when my three sisters could be sure that Mum would get Mrs....

In 1977, the conservative Islamic regime of Ziya-ul-Haq, who banned Almost all secular music, came to power in Pakistan. This repressive policy hit the residents of Lahore, traditionally considered the musical  capital of Pakistan, leaving many musicians out of work and forcing them to hide. (I don't know the name of the magazine I picked this up from, apologies. Title in a distant language untranslateable.) In the early 2000s, Pakistani millionaire Izzat Majid brought together the remnants of Lahore’s music circles in his Sachal studio, trying to restore his lost musical heritage.  Influenced by his childhood interest in American jazzman Dave Brubeck, he created the Sachal ensemble, which combines the features of traditional Pakistani music with Western pop and jazz. During their recent tour in the USA, performing in Saratoga, the ensemble performed a mixture of traditional Pakistani music, original compositions by Majid and conductor Nidat Ali, as well as sev...

Gerald was brooding like a chook that had lost its egg. If he was a chook he would have been pecking at the ground, its nose picking up all the little bits of this and that in the ground. Eventually, because the rest of the guys were in minor twitches of mirth,  he said, rather sheepishly. "My lift is stuck on the ground." Someone said rather loudly: "Take the stairs" "Not that kind of a lift, you git," growled Gerald. After a few minutes of silence, one or two "Ohs" were murmured. It was not long before Dr Google was passing his phone around. Here's what he had on the screen: Doctor’s Response The most common sexual problem in men as they age is  erectile dysfunction  ( ED ). In general, the younger a man is, the better his sexual function will be. About 40% of men are affected by  erectile dysfunction  at age 40, and nearly 70% of men are affected by  ED  by the time they turn 70. Aside from age, risk factors fo...