Well, I have now been in Goa for a couple of weeks and I must admit I have done very little. We had a few things to sort out like the lights in both shower rooms stopped working while we were away. One needed a new switching unit and the other a new tube. The washer wouldn't work, turned out the water had been turned off outside the apartment but only to the washing machine, we had water to everything else but in the mean time the maintenance man came and broke the seal on the washer connection to the tap taking it apart even though I asked him to check if the water was turned on first. When he turned the water on he tried to tell me the water was leaking from the connection because the washer was not taking water in and the washer was broken. When I told him that he was talking rubbish and the connection shouldnt be leaking and he needed to fix it he told me that he was not a plumber at which I got a little irate and told him that he should not have touched it in the first place and to go away, though not so politely. I then phoned the young man who does my cleaning and within 15 minutes he turned up with another young man who resealed the fitting in a couple of minutes.
The main thing I have noticed so far is the increase in prices. The taxi drivers are charging the tourists 400 rupees for a trip to Baga and back, last season they were charging 300 although we never pay more than 200. The food and drink is more expensive. The dahl in one restaurant locally has gone up 20 rupees since last season. I know people were earlier complaining about the number of dogs around but since arriving I have not seen many around but I have heard lots of barking through the night, what with the dogs and the hens and the monkeys it is noisier here during the night than it is during the day. A friend went to rent a scooter from the usual place. The price asked was 150 when it was 100 a day last season. The man said it had gone up because of the price of fuel but when my friend pointed out that they pay for the fuel not him he brought the price back down to 100 a day. I have not been to the beach yet.

He has just proved Dread's point in To-days paper.

The Right Dishonourable Kieth Vaz MP was one of Blairs little liars wasn't he ? A right slimy piece of greasy pole climbing nastiness in my book.He is the sort who promotes the indian post colonial angst that pervades the chattering classes both in India and the UK. You know the scenario, it goes like this.Poverty was a British invention because before the British arrived there was no poverty in India.Of all the former colonies only India still plays this card.To be quite frank its getting boring reading comments from authors like Madhusree Mukerjee, " Churchill`s Secret War." who blame all of Indias current problems on the colonial period.I know this is going to raise a few eye brows but why cant influential and intelligent Indians accept the responsibility for their own actions with out waving the red flag of blame at the British ? The Raj ended 65 years ago for Gods sake, not yesterday or twenty years ago.Time to grow up i think and act like it.

Exactly !!!!!!

I was accused on here of using a young Indian man's murder to further 'my own agenda' - when actually the original article about this young man's murder, which you posted Noni, contained minimal content about the actual murder - - -------- because the whole article was primarily illustrating Vaseline VAZ's use of this young man's tragic plight to promote and further HIS agenda, and it was to this part of the article that my reply was made.
As for 'agenda' I would like to point out that the only 'agenda' I may have is where I actually HELP people who are having difficulties with their situations in Goa - so if I make a response pointing out that some slimy UK politician has a bias in favour of the people from his personal origins, I should be allowed to highlight this without being personally villified with such a vile, inaccurate and unfounded allegation !

Thank you Wally for raising this point - it does beg the question of why Vaseline has taken British citizenship !

Dread - x

Money !

All of Blairs ex babes and guys were motivated by money.Public service came a very distant second.Look at Blair today he is a multi millionaire nearing £20 million and that's not including his property portfolio....!At least Cameron came with Money and doesnt have to stoop to Blairs lies to make it.Sherry Blair makes Joan Rivers look attractive.....

Presumably he became British because his parents did, (unless you know better). He was born in Aden and came to Britain aged 9yrs.
As I said before I find him pompous among other faults.

Is 65 years that long in the history of a nation? and that too a country with a massive population and variety of terrain. There have been certainly great changes.
At least there have been no more major famines (others, including British writers, have blamed the British for these).
Unfortunately the Nehru family are still there, running the country with a corrupt shameless Congress party, Priyanka is being 'wheeled out' for her usual duties!
Have you read The Beautiful and the Damned: Life in the New India; by Siddhartha Deb? The writing style is a bit 'long winded' but it is interesting.

Watch this space! Mama is ailing and brother isn't 'up to the job' <g> - and that copy of Granma's hairstyle can't be an accident; pity there's no white flash <g>.

AndyD 8-)#

P.S. Have you read White Mughals; by William Dalrymple? The writing style is a bit 'long winded' but it is interesting. <bg>

Andy.If you come in on charter, can you go back shedule. please

Latest "Gossip" in North Goa is that all booze and wine shops are going to be shut for a month prior to the elections!!!

I`m really pleased that i`m not going to be here for the Elections!!!

Hi everyone,

I'm going to visit Uk and europe in july for a month, im planning to bring some dries food,instant noodles, biscuits along with me...any problem to bring in to london?

Bipat one of the best books i have read about modern India was written by a journalist from The Times of India.Cannot remember the authors name but the title is one you never forget." Every one loves a good drought." Its about the lines of corruption that spread out from Delhi to the rural areas and how the common man is used by the middle classes to enrich themselves without a shadow of guilt being shown by them even after they have been arrested for fraud and out right theft from some of the poorest people in India.

P Sainath. Haven't read it, but know what you mean. This is the type of corruption that Anna Hazare was trying to combat (yes I know his faults!). Ironically it is the media, largely financed by government which has virtually ended his campaign.
Look at Goa's chief minister changing parties (for money), now refusing to resign until the report on his mining crimes is published, and of course it will never be published.
What is the answer? Will the people ever have the sense not to vote for these criminals?

Palagummi Sainath:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palagummi_Sainath

AndyD 8-)#