Sunday, June 13, 2010

Goa Blog

Goa Blog

Meeting SRK in Goa was a dream come true

Posted: 13 Jun 2010 09:05 AM PDT

Hyderabad’s Reha Sukheja, the first runner up at 'I Am She’ Miss India Universe contest, is living it up

The first thing that strikes you about 19-year-old Reha Sukheja is her towering personality. At 6ft 1inch, she stands tall among her friends. "My friends never let me wear heels. They would never even let me walk along with them on the road. They would walk on the footpath and insist I walk on the road! After having worn flats all my life, I dreaded wearing heels for the I Am She pageant," laughs Reha.

The city girl, now studying economics at Fergusson College, Pune, emerged first runner up at I Am She, missing her chance to represent India at the Miss Universe pageant by a whisker.

Participating in a beauty pageant was never in Reha’s scheme of things. "I came home to spend my summer vacation in Hyderabad and my mom Renu egged me on to participate in I Am She. I was least interested and said I’d do this just for her and never again. When I learnt that Sushmita Sen is behind the pageant I agreed. She’s been my idol. If nothing else, I thought I’d at least get groomed. But it turned out to be the best experience of my life," gushes Reha.

Preparing for the pageant meant sessions in fitness, diet, dining etiquette, communication, grooming and public speaking with emphasis on self-discovery. She brightens up narrating her experiences in Mumbai and Goa while training for the pageant.

"While in Mumbai, we had access to the hotel’s gym but in Goa, we were made to do a lot of free-hand exercises. Sushmita’s fitness instructor was also involved. We used cones spread across the lawn, like what you saw in Chak De, to do exercises. It’s unbelievable how those exercises helped us get toned. And we were happy we didn’t starve; instead, we were asked to eat a small, balanced meal every two hours," says Reha. Her child-like enthusiasm is infectious as she reels off nuggets from the sessions.

More than physical grooming, Reha came back amazed at the I Am sessions that took participants on a journey of self discovery. "We also had sessions with Sushmita. She used to observe us as we went through our training and knew the strengths and weaknesses of all the contestants."

While there, Reha walked the ramp for Priya Chatwal’s fashion event and also learnt contemporary and classical dance styles.

The finale, she says, was the icing on the cake as Shah Rukh Khan announced her name among the top five. She is lost for words recalling sharing the stage with King Khan, whom she adored since her school days. "Walking down the stairs on to the stage, as he held my hand, was a dream. I wanted to shriek in delight but had to be poised and graceful on stage. And he was so short compared to me wearing heels," she laughs.

As the first runner up, her journey has just begun. "Each one of us has to work for a cause for the next one year." The MBA aspirant prefers to let life spring its surprises for her. "I don’t know what I am going to do next month, so I have no idea if I will enter the glamour industry in future," she shrugs.

Courtesy:Hindu

Pacheco to move HC for bail in Nadia death case

Posted: 13 Jun 2010 08:08 AM PDT

Former Goa Tourism Minister Fransisco Mickey Pacheco will be moving for anticipatory bail in High Court on Monday.

Goa bench of Bombay High Court will also hear the anticipatory bail petition filed by Pacheco’s aide, Lyndon Monteiro tomorrow.

Both were denied relief by session court in Margao, last week.

The former minister in his earlier bail petition had claimed that he was being framed in the entire case.

Pacheco is on the run after he was questioned by Crime Branch in connection with the death of his 28-year-old friend Nadia Torrado.

Monteiro, his close aide and officer on special duty, is also missing since June 6 after he was charged for destroying evidence in this case.

Nadia had died on May 30 while being treated in a private hospital at Chennai.

Crime Branch on Saturday had questioned Pacheco’s live-in partner Viola Fernandes, who had given clean chit for him.

She had said that Pacheco is innocent and she herself was present in Mumbai when Nadia was shifted to a hospital there.

Courtesy:TOI

Chapora, Cabo da Rama in Goa may get new lease of life

Posted: 13 Jun 2010 05:12 AM PDT

The state government is perusing a proposal for adaptive reuse of two well-known forts in Goa—Chapora in Badez and Cabo da Rama in Canacona. INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art & Culural Heritage) has already submitted detailed project reports in this regard, said development commisioner and secretary (archives) Narendra Kumar. Adaptive re-use is a process by which ancient buildings are adapted for new uses while retaining their historic features.

Allaying fears that hotels or any such venture may come up in the forts, Kumar said, “We are not going in for any change that would affect the basic character of the place… the restoration will be done without affecting the archaeological, historical and heritage value.”

The government may initially organize ‘light and sound’ programmes, as is done in places like the Red Fort, or host cultural programmes. Although other states have restored monuments for adaptive re-use, this will be the first such instance in Goa. However, given the problems government officials faced during the renovation of the Reis Magos fort, the government wants to put in place a proper law before going ahead with the project.

It intends to amend the Goa, Daman and Diu Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1978 to facilitate the government to undertake restoration, renovation, re-erection and reconstruction of ancient monuments and to put them to adaptive re-use “without affecting their basic character, archaelogical, historical and heritage value”.

The government also wants to make sure that works approved by the authorities concerned do not get stalled midway. Besides, Kumar said, there’s a strong need to protect government officials and professionals involved with such projects from legal proceedings.

During the restoration of the Reis Magos fort, based on complaints filed by some organisations cases were slapped on government officials, including a police inspector. Officials need protection and the law will be amended, Kumar said. The amendment will come up in the next assembly session after which the government plans to go ahead with the project.

The pre-Potuguese picturesque Chapora fort has changed hands many times, falling to the Mughals and the Marathas besides the Portuguese. The Portuguese fortified it in 1717.

Cabo de Rama fort also has a picturesque view and attracts a large number of tourists. However, like the Chapora fort, it is also in a dilapidated condition. A witness to fierce battles in the past, it has a tunnel built by the Portuguse. The British had used the fort as a prison.

As part of its efforts to restore the state’s historical monuments to their former glory, the Goa government has spent around Rs 20 crore under the XII finance commission on places like Santana Church, the holy pond of Mahalsa temple in Verna, the Reis Magos church and the St Estevam fort.

Courtesy:TOI

City of Joy erupts once again

Posted: 13 Jun 2010 02:39 AM PDT

The city's reputation as the Mecca of Indian soccer is on the decline, but Kolkata is soaking in the WAKA WAKA fever!

As Planet Earth soaks up the biggest sporting spectacle in the world, the FIFA World Cup, the excitement level is also reaching fever pitch in India. Ever since this game was introduced to India by the British in the late 1800s, the 'beautiful game' has always had a special place in the heart of people from Bengal, Goa and Kerala.

While the performance of Bengal teams have nosedived rapidly over the last five years in the domestic soccer season, the enthusiasm and love for the biggest football event of the world continues unabated in the City of Joy.



India's absence from this event has never affected the spirit of this soccer-mad city. The entire city has turned into a special football zone. Different parts of this mega-polis have 'adopted' a particular nation and cheer them on during this one-month football festival.

Brazil and Argentina are the two perennial favourite teams in Kolkata. In fact one would even find special prayers being offered at temples for an individual team's success. Huge groups of people would be assembling in front of a television-set to cheer their 'adopted' nation.

One can also find street walls painted with different country colours. Cheap team jersey replicas can be found in every nook and corner of the city, especially at the Maidan Market in central Kolkata. Needless to say, the price of a particular jersey depends on the team's progress in the tournament.


The victory celebrations have to be seen to be believed. Hordes of people normally come out on the streets to celebrate the result of a particular game by spraying each other with the team colour.



Courtesy: espnstar

14% hike in Goa’s petrol consumption

Posted: 12 Jun 2010 09:42 PM PDT

Goa has witnessed a 14% increase in petrol consumption and a 6-7% jump in diesel consumption over the last year, Union secretary for petroleum and natural gas S Sundareshan said Saturday.

“LPG consumption is growing at 10% per annum. For a population of 14 lakh, 4 lakh gas connections is very good. If you consider that each family comprises 3-4 persons, we have covered the entire population,” he said.

When pointed out that the capital city does not have a single petrol pump providing 24-hour service, Sundareshan said he would inquire into it and directed BPCL officials to provide such a facility at the earliest.

Courtesy:TOI
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