A date with Fr Rob Galea

 The stage in the Good Shepherd Convent auditorium

A request from Francis Colaco's daughter -- former IGP police and my parents good friend had me quickly thinking on my journalistic feet.  The young priest had to be feted in Bangalore and not in the regular press but in the two catholic magazines I write for regularly. Tabor where Fr Adrian Mascarenhas our boys contemporary is the Editor and Together the Franciscan magazine we grew up with. There Fr Saji, the HOD I worked with in JNC is the editor and a great friend.

"Yes! please work the interviews," they both said with great excitement. Now how to do it I wondered and got to work planning the questions. Once both sets were worked Nisha sent them off to Fr Rob and by the next day, right in my mailbox were MP3 recordings of his answers! The wonder of today's technology!

"Steve what can I do?I cannot hand write his answers,"I wailed. In minutes my son who has a Masters in Media Studies, used an app and downloaded the text off the MP3 for me to work with! It took me all of a few hours after that to weave my interview stories and off they went to both editors!

Of course we went for the actual show and enjoyed every minute of it!

Tabor Kirana for Fr Adrian

Pg 2 and the Archbishop loved it!

In the Together which has a really large readership.

Jungle Hut after 35 years

 

                           The quaint entrance gate to Jungle Hut

My life is like this -- full of lovely surprises! Nothing planned! And our visit to Jungle Hut was exactly like that. An invite by whatssap and in minutes we packed our bags for one night and were off. For the first time we were driving on the Mysore, Bangalore Expressway. Ofcourse one has to be very careful of speeds as there are speed signs which one has to adhere to. 100 is exactly 100 km per hour and not more.

The quaint huts which dot the 20 acre property

35 years ago we had visited when it had first started, as we are friends of the owners. They had just TWO huts and we ate our meals with them in their dining room. Today the property is run by their eldest son Vikram who's wife was our son Davids classmate in college!

The pristinely clean swimming pool

Since we all love water, and the boys swam for Karnataka, we always spend time in the pool. Not very deep or big the pool was filled with absolutely sparkling water and we had a fun time for a couple of hours in a perfectly empty pool, against the back drop of the Nilgiris hills!

Yes! Its a clothes rack!

The cute little touches all across the room really caught my eye. Clothes racks, stands for towels, -- so many little touches which showed they cared that they were on the fringes of the jungle and need to be careful. No feeding of wild life which was clearly stated especially since herds of deer always seemed to be in the property, mowing the grass!

Solar panels to heat water

It was after years that we all had solar heated baths. In our home in Castle Street, our Anu Solar worked marvelously for all the boys growing years and kept our electric bills to the minimum. Solar water also came into the kitchen and so our kitchen drain was never blocked with any waste. The hot water moved the grease and with it the waste and flushed it out.

Notice on the shower cubicle

The notice on the shower cubicle was for those used to instant geysers! Here after a small wait we got piping hot water and could enjoy a nice long bath knowing full well that all three of us could have, nice hot baths. Its such a pity that it takes so much education for a human to understand the positives of solar lights and solar heaters.

 

The Nilgiris mountains encircle Jungle Hut making it a wonderful sight to wake up to in the morning or even just sitting down eating a meal in the open dining hall. Apparently there are 40 people employed by the resort to keep it running and keep it a genuine hideaway for city slickers like us. 

Now I have to sit down and write the long form story for the magazine that sent me on the trip. Thats fine! Imagine going on a holiday for free and writing all about it and getting paid for the story once its published!

 

A visit to Goa with the South Carolinas

 

A visit to Goa with the South Carolinas

Outside Bom Jesu cathedral in Old Goa -- pic taken by Aiden

Three years since the South Carolinas visited and I was worried my Andrew would get his allergies flaring up again with the air pollution in Bangalore which he suffers from. Lucky with the rains the pollution seemed to have settled and he had a wonderful trip, minus any medication which he normally has to resort to.

Lets go to Goa he said, I want to show the kids Goa. Normally we are stuck in Bangalore doing jobs. Instead lets get out and have fun in Goa he insisted and you have to come. I wondered if it was possible with the monsoon in full fury in Goa, but luckily the kids dont have any airs and graces and everyone had a good time despite the deluge.

 Ofcourse there was no proper beach visit which Annika and the kids love, but they have Destin in Florida, which is just as nice, though I could never compare the two! Goa wins hands down!

The kids are older and so much fun now!

Thankfully they are like us -- no fancy restaurants, just the little Darshini which we frequent while in Goa called the Sawant Cafe. Had all Aidens poories and Faloodas and Alainas butter chicken and naans. Annika is a true blue foodie so asking my friend Chef Jason he told us to avoid O Coqueiro and Souza Lobo that they grew up with but named Xavier Cafe in Mapusa and Sai Krupa in Porvorim.

Aiden loves Falooda and swears his Dads is the best. Andy wanted both kids to enjoy a falooda where his beloved Grandpa Tony took him and David, in Mapusa, during their numerous holidays in Goa with him, but I was unsure of the little hole in the wall place with our American brats.

Alaina could drink endless tender coconuts like me so we kept one another company and I swam off the effects on diabetic me.

All three -- Annika, Andy and Bonny dived into thalis wherever we went but me and careful portions I stuck with just picking from their plates. The kids managed with Yogurt and rice.

Beach bums Annika and the kids had to make a stop on Candolim beach which scared them with its turbulence and rough waves.

It was our lovely Alaina girls 11th Birthday while on the trip so she chose her fav icecream sundae and ofcourse we all sang lustily for her.

Annika bought half the shop of masalas as Andy wanted Rechard and Cafreal and all the goan masalas for his Shrimp and fish frys back home.

We were lucky to get delicious Mussel fry in Sai Krupa which more than made up for me having to pick at most restaurants.

And best of all the kids loved the little kaka shops where they could find everything they ever wanted and even buy it with their Indian money.

I was so glad they were able to see all sides of Indian life, not just Hayes Road which they used to as babies. Its fun to loaf around with them now as they are older and not whiney as they used to be about the noise and crowds in India. Ofcourse a visit to Marios shop had a couple of his paintings in their bag which we had framed in Bangalore before they left. 

Two weeks sped by in a flash but it was such a good two weeks where we made a ton of memories.

The Goa house in Pilerne

 

We originated from here -- The Furtado family

A long time ago when we were young Dad instilled in us the need to look after our ancestry. He said we must never forget our roots and where we originated from. Dad had 5 of us and a serving officers pension which was minimal in those days from the Air Force as a Wing Commander. But he always managed to look after the old house and never let any part of it crumble , even though he went there probably 4 times in a year. It was very hard for him but he still managed to do it. Going by bus, coming by bus and bussing it in Goa as well.

The Furtado chapel built by Grandpa to match the house

 So once Dad died there was no one else to look after the property as my brother John had relinquished his share by buying my Mums palatial house in Tivim. It hurt Dad that his son wanted another property and a signed deed was made at the lawyers which I registered in the Mapusa  court. When I went to study in Europe in 2006 to 2008 my youngest sister was entrusted to look after the property. Doubt she did as I had continuous calls from neighbours and cousins and that the verandah had fallen in and the garden was hugely over grown.

The old Altar which I try to keep going inspite of the termites

Once I returned to India I retook over the house but then she refused to help with looking after it. I had to manage with three siblings helping and that was hard as a caretaker had to be paid on a monthly basis as well. It was like getting blood out of a stone to get their funds so I decided that we need to sell a plot to be able to fund the houses upkeep and our travel expenses. Everyone had a "share " but no one was willing to share for the maintenance. That was when it was Mums smart idea to sell one plot and invest it so we regularly had money to pump into the old homestead.

The boys give gifts for the house where they went with Grandpa.

It took 4 years to be able to identify a plot and identify the buyers. Every time we went down we searched and no one was interested but I never gave up. Finally a lawyer gave me a tip and I contacted the buyers keeping my sister Christine, brother Mark and Mum in the loop. Mum was excited as she could see me struggle. "If its done you wont have to beg every year,"she said as she saw me flagging in wanting to handle the house. Finally after four long years of haggling and negotiating I got a sale and invested the funds into a bank. Mum was gone by then but luckily had signed everything to clear the way. The plan was very simple -- Goa property -- sell to support the maintenance of the family home, nothing else.  All agreed and all signed and it was a huge relief when it finally was closed.

Banging the mud collected in over head beams by termites. 

We dont have holidays, we spend the week cleaning and seeing to various issues in the house which make the boys really angry. " You never have a holiday when you go there,"they rant and rave, but I promised Dad and my ancestors who's grand pics hang in the hall. We are comfortable in Hayes Road because of them. I struggled for 30 years with a greedy family that starved us, at last I have money to live thanks to my ancestors. Every morning the first thing I do as I pull on my trainers is be thankful to them.

Replacing broken tiles

Madam fire ho gayaa meter me! says the caretaker worriedly. Lucky I was there and put it out he says. Get into the car and lets go I say, worried that the whole house could be reduced to cinders. It was a really old meter anyway and needed changing. The cost was large but I did not have to beg anyone for funds, as Mum prophetically said -- I had the large sum to just replace with a brand new meter and wiring. 

Another time we were going down to pay the taxes and the caretaker called saying there was a huge storm and a big tree had fallen across the road and onto our electric wires leading to the house. I have to call the electrician to replace the whole wire from the pole or you wont have electricity. Another large sum that I had and could send immediately to get the job done before we landed. Pradeep the young electrician from the village was good and I was glad we had him to handle our jobs.

Cleaning white pomfret -- thanks to Mammas lessons!

The cousin in the big house has broken dozens of tiles in the dining room says the caretaker -- taking out his mangoes. The rains have begun and the house will get damaged. Lucky we had bought about 50 tiles and kept in the store which was a godsend at short notice. There were always fights when we were young as it was difficult for Dad to replace. Now I just bought the tiles and that was that. 

The tank in the house is over flowing and the beams under it are rotting. We are present when Gopal the senior plumber arrives with his toothless grin. Hes in his 70s but climbs the ladder like a 20 year old. I need a ball valve and stop cock he says. Bonny who is always ready to help like he did in Dads time takes Gopal to the Verem shops and  buys the needed stuff. Thankfully its fixed and since he is around all the flush tanks are also checked.

 

Ofcourse I lathered them with Rechardo masala before frying

The whole of the front and back is over grown with weeds. I need to scythe them before you land. Get it done I say and its a relief watching the man with the scythe clean out the back especially from where snakes enter the house. The well needs to be done as the stupid neighbour has fixed a pump ot it. Three of the four walls have collapsed into the water. It will cost at least 50 k says the caretaker plus the cost of the stones. I baulk not cause I did not have the funds --as it would mean my having to spend 2 weeks getting it done. The woman would not take out her pump so leave it. Best to let sleeping dogs lie.

The Pilerne fields with the cross.

The woman has decided to take over our property on the other side of her house. They were servants in the house a couple of generations ago and were given the hut to help the old family. Now they are a thorn in our sides. I have to get poles and demarcate our property and fix a gate. Costs  money and I am again thankful I do not need to beg anyone. I get the local welder Ranbir to weld and fix a small gate which opens into our property and the poles demarcate our land going to the back. My brother in his great wisdom broke down the outside toilet and used the stones, so now she was trying to claim that whole area including the wells. Again running to the survey office and getting the forms we proved it was ours and put up the poles.

 Weeds grow tall with the monsoon- a constant  battle.

We pest controlled the whole house which has been a massive relief for us all. I will never stop that even though its expensive as pest control is the only way to keep our beauty standing. The man and his team arrived from Mapuca and pest controlled the whole house, especially the roof and its surroundings for two whole days. God knows how much dirt and dust we inhaled. By the end of it we were exhausted but happy as we had a 5 year guarantee. I dont wait for five years -- sorry. Each time we go down I call Anand and say there's a spot which maybe imaginary to come and sort and he sends his team. We dont live there so its needed.

Making tea on the single burner stove

Its time again to go down to Pilerne-- I thank Mum everyday for having such a smart plan in place. Ofcourse the greedy sisters want everything on a platter -- just transfer 10 lakhs each says the one in Australia just cause I stopped looking after her apartments. Before that she signed and was very much part of the discussion with Mum. The sister in Bangalore is one better demanding shares and doing no work her duffer husband calling me a thief! ( Sticks and stones fella!) Oh just transfer they say-- really??

The beautiful San Jaon the Baptist Church

I love the house and I love Pilerne like Dad did. Go and scout -- find property and sell and give me my share madams -- I tell them both, like I did.Sit in survey offices get the surveyor, break a leg -- pay for it all.  I did not work to fatten your purses. I worked hard for the house and to keep my promise to Dad. Its really a shame when the sister who knew what we were doing and why, stirs up a hornets nest with the dumb younger sister. But then she has always behaved like that which is no different from the rest. Greed fuels them all, I'm done and dusted with platters. 

Go forth and speak to the muncards for our property, maybe they might give you one coconut for free.

The coconut trees in Castle St

Decades ago I decided on a whim to plant two Deejay graft coconut trees at the back of our Castle Street house with the boys. There was a friend named Everest who was working with Deejays at the time looking after their coconut project. He works in the Middle East today looking after their date farms.

"We have space for two trees," I said and one day the door bell rang and there stood Everest with our two coconut saplings. They cost  a princely 10 rupees each and the boys and I had fun digging the pits at the back and putting down the trees.

 
"They are two different species,"said Everest and only after they grew and fruited did I understand what he meant. The front tree had huge fruit and the back tree smaller and greener fruit. Supposed grafts which are meant to be short, these have grown more than 20 feet tall.

 Narsimappa de-husks the coconuts with an easy de-husker bought off Amazon.

The first tree grew very fast.  Giving two fruit in one year. It was so exciting to see how rapidly the trees grew and  threw out sprays of flowers and fruit. The first tree gave massive fruit. If one fruit fell on anyone they would surely die. They were at least 2 kg a fruit. The fruit had an orangey hue and the kernels were thick and delicious. All our friends asked for them and Mum made her famous coconut sweet for Christmas with  freshly grated ones. Never forget her lime and coconut stuffed pan rolls which she made for Shrove Tuesday with our coconuts. I really miss my parents.

Today the trees are over 20 feet tall

Lucky for us Narsimappa and the boys especially Naveen can shin up the tree and remove the fruit. Twice a year we get a massive crop of fruit from just one tree. The second tree has stuck itself out over the back wall into Shoolay and the whole road feasts on our trees.Its hard but we have no option as the entire tree is over the back plot of land which belongs to them.

Freshly opened the husks are white and become brown over time

I have started selling the coconuts on a whatssapp group and am so surprised by immediate sales when the fruit have barely been brought into the house. Ten cleaned coconuts and they were gone in seconds to a friend on Rest House Road at a decent price.  The tender coconuts I have to hide as I can drink them by the gallon. "May I have 12 please?"says Bela or "May I have 10 please," says Suchita or "may I have 8 please for Peter," and Porter or Dunzo are at the door flying them across the city to my buyers.

A visit to Hoskote with Francis

 

Francis enjoyed his visit to Hoskote!

A long time ago when I had lost my twin boys, my Aunt in Australia insisted that I visited her and Uncle Gussie to recouperate and recover my equilibrium. Losing a child and in this case children sent me spiraling into despair. My parents were most supportive and yet I just could not pull myself out of grief. So when A Genny said "Come!"I thought ok, lets go. So we applied for an Australian visa and promptly got rejected! Nope sorry folks we dont want you guys coming here and absconding. So, Dad said call Francis Colaco he is in Delhi where we had applied for our visas  -- he will definitely help. My parents were his buddies. In minutes we called Francis and in hours we had our visas. THAT was the power of the man.

 With Naveen who wants to join the police

 THEN! I had the fight of my life with a consulate woman who misbehaved with me and when I said I would tell the police, she turned the tables on me. My siblings took her side because one lot was getting her rental and the other needed a German visa for their son. Where could I go and who could I turn to? Francis ofcourse! it seemed like Dad was telling me to go to him yet again. I took the video which clearly showed her hitting me, slowed down by my students in college and Francis came with me straight to the current IGP. He need not have being such a big man. Read my book Some Bark, Some Bite available on Amazon.

 Each time we connected with Francis and gave him a bag of fruit from the farm he would say -- take me to your farm. I never bothered thinking such a big man what would he do on on our tiny 2 acre farm? But this time when he helped my husband escape being scammed he asked yet again and on the spot we set up the date and we took him. 

Bangkok tamarind grown from seed by me from sweet tamarind brought from a conference.

How he loved it -- picking chickoos, eating SWEET Bangkok tamarind which I grew from seed, checking out our apples which a Colonel gifted me, fresh off the tree, 

I crunched it fresh off the tree -- core and all!

looking at our lures put up on our mango trees to save our crop and finally sipping hot coffee made with the Arabica coffee beans from a tree that was taken from Hayes road to Hoskote. Grandpas Arabica trees of which I stupidly took only ONE, when there were six which I could have transplanted.

Grandpas Arabica from Hayes road.

 Francis has promised to help Naveen who has applied to join the police. We did not ask -- he volunteered when the boy spoke to him. I hope he does, as these boys are like our sons and have grown up on the farm to strapping 20 year old men.

Francis, you have looked after us even when family did not. Karma will catch up with them, but we have Francis to help whenever we call.

Apples in Hoskote!

 

Anna Apples in Hoskote

It was any regular day for me last year when the door bell rang. Opening the door the DHL courier guy stood there with a large, odd looking parcel. It was clearly addressed to me so I grudgingly took it inside the house and tearing open the packet I was shocked to find a dozen bare root saplings with tags to them. They were different varieties of apples and to say I was surprised I definitely was shocked!

I run a Goa gardening whatsapp group and  a Colonel serving in J and K who is an avid gardener, had sent me the saplings as a gift. They were bare root and in a dormant state. I had seen such saplings in supermarkets in the UK so thats how I realised what they were. 

The 'blush'of a true apple!

To be honest I was totally sceptical.  Apples growing  in the warmth of the plateau of Bangalore??? Thats a ridiculous thought. But since the plants were with me, we dug the 12 pits on the property and put them down. It was such a shock to find the trees grew leaves in no time and seemed to revel in the farm atmosphere. Narsimappa ofcourse looks after them like his babies and brings poultry manure and cowdung which is mixed with leaf mould and fed to them.

Too many on a branch so I will prune them down to 2 or 3 fruit.

The apple is the Anna variety says the colonel which seems to have taken to Hoskote. Its an experiment which has worked well. And, its an exciting time for Narsimappa as we bring friends to see the fruit and every visit he gets handsomely tipped. Thats fine, cause in return he gives them some other fruit from the farm.  

Ravi and Sridevi tenants of 001

 

Ravi and Sri Devi our tenants for 5 years and now good friends

Suddenly I got a call from a clear speaking gentleman one evening, all of 6 years ago, asking to rent our Ground  floor apartment here in Hayes Road. He had seen my ad on Magic Bricks and decided to take a chance and call. In minutes he had set up a meeting for the next evening as he needed to tie up an apartment so that he and his wife Sri Devi could shift in. Ravi was a Director of a bank in Singapore and looked forward to heading a new bank being set up in Bangalore. 

Heliconias in Hoskote.

So the next day on the dot of a pre-planned time we met in our apartment and discussed if either of us wanted to rent or vice versa. He had his own flat in Rajajinagar but he was not happy with the quality of neighbours in the building who were loud and crass he said. Our building with its laid back peaceful nature was more what they were looking for, after living in Singapore. 

 The Indian Almond in Hoskote

I will get the lease printed on stamp paper by tomorrow if you send it to me by email said Ravi. And in minutes we had shaken hands and we knew we had good people coming to join the Hayes Community.  By nightfall the next evening he had come in and signed the lease agreement and they would shift in from Singapore, he said, in a week. And that was the start of a wonderful friendship.

Apples growing in Hoskote

The five years they lived here I was so amazed with Ravis prowess with cooking cordon bleu dishes. "I cook to de-stress after a long day at work," he would say.  

"Please do de-stress often," I would say, as the fruits of his sessions were always shared with us.Prawn or fish, pork or mutton, the dishes were varied and delicious. 

"Could you get me some tamarind leaves,"he would say and obligingly we would pull out some from just beyond our windows. In a few hours a delicious tamarind prawn concoction would arrive steaming hot into our home which was enjoyed with fluffy, fresh rice.

A chameleon trying to scare me!

Their home was like a gorgeous museum as Ravi was into antiques and bought the most marvelous, priceless stuff from all over the world. His biggest collection was statues of Buddha collected from all over the world. Hundreds and thousands of them filled every nook and corner of the apartment. No wonder no servant could be trusted to clean, when they went travelling to the US to see their only doctor daughter.  

 

The organic brinjal crop in Hoskote.

Infact after my younger brother passed away it was Ravi who helped me with handling the bank work as my brothers son ( that too is debatable) was a hindrance, being no help when it came to a recognised death certificate. He just sat on his hands demanding the money as an inheritor. I had to run from pillar to post to get one -- all he wanted was the money with no set documentation which all banks and auditors need. I can never thank Ravi enough for helping me close my brothers account and transfer the funds into the boys account.

Tabibuea Argentea infront of our Castle St home

So whenever they visit Bangalore they feel its imperative to see us over a meal and bring us a bag full of goodies from Hyderabad. What amazes me is they never fail to give their former cook and helpers a meal and a gift of cash when they visit. 

"Is Raju the security gaurd still with you?"asks Ravi as we get up to leave.

"Yes! ofcourse!" I say and he makes a detour before going to the airport to give him Rs 5000/-

"We love Pilerne!"they say, "and it took us a long time to get used to Hyderabad after being spoiled here."

I just hope our new tenants feel the same way when they leave Hayes.