My Life in Goa

My story starts in November, 2006, in Colva Beach, in the southern part of Goa. It’s a beach town popular with Indian tourists. It has a few lovely resorts which bring in group tours that stay for 1-2 weeks, mostly English, Europeans, and Russians. It’s smaller and more manageable than larger beach town such as Calangute. The larger city of Margao is about 10 miles inland, and easy to reach by bus, motor rickshaw (a motorcycle with 2 seats attached) or group taxi, a large black and yellow Ambassador. As many people as possible squeeze into the huge auto, 4 in the front, and 5-7 in the back depending on sizes. I rented a first floor flat (second floor apartment) in a large 3 story home. There were 3 apartments on the first floor, and 3 more on the 2nd floor. It, as so many large homes, is geared to seasonal tourists who stay for a few months. Many people reserve the same apartment for the following year. It is located one block off the main road leading unto the beach, surrounded by lots of trees and flowering shrubs. The owners of the home live with their children on the ground floor. They are very Catholic, evident from the large shrine of the Virgin Mary on the side of the driveway. The rent was 6000 rupees, about $150 a month. Cable TV was $10 extra. The bedroom was large with a large built in closet and 2 single beds pushed together. The kitchen consisted of a stainless steel sink, refrigerator, a large table, and a 2 burner gas stove. Living room furniture consisted of a TV, 2 wood side chairs, no cushions, and a wooden love seat, no cushion. The bathroom was large, with a western style toilet and a great shower. The rooms were all painted aqua, and I felt that I could never get warm. I added rugs, voile curtains, cushions, a lovely bed cover, and wall hangings. I never warmed up. There were strict rules about what time to be in. The gate closed at 11:00 pm, so if you were out later, you had to inform them so they could stay awake to let you in. It was not acceptable to have men in my apartment, no matter what the intention was. I guess she was shielding her children from “unacceptable” behavior. When I told her that my male friend from Kashmir was going to come live with me, she was not too happy, and when the time of his arrival approached, she told me he could not live there. That did it. I didn’t care what culture I was in, I was not going to be told how I should live. I’m not sure what she most objected to, his being a Muslim Indian, or our living together “in sin.” I found a new apartment in Calangute, in the northern part of Goa. My friend, Gulzar from Persian Paradise in Calangute, found the apartment for me. It was advertised as “American Style”, a brand new 3 floor building. My apartment was on the end, facing a busy street. All streets in Calangute are busy, especially in the winter. It had balconies on all three sides of the building, with large coconut palms overhanging. There were 2 bedrooms, each with large armoirs. The kitchen was beautiful, stainless steel sinks, refrigerator, a new 2 burner gas stove, large window wall, and a ceiling fan. High sloped ceilings kept the air moving upward. The furniture was very comfy, and a large entertainment center held our large TV. I added all my accessories, and it was lovely, the nicest apartment I have ever lived in. The cost was 20,000 rupees a month ($454.00), including all utilities. It also had air conditioning, which we only used one time. I was very happy in that apartment, and could have stayed for a long time. I tried to reserve it for next year, but could not, as it was already rented. Calangute has lots of rentals, many of them very nice, and some with a beach view. This year, 2007, Majid and I found a house with one apartment on the 1st floor in Candolim, next to Calangute. I love it here. It has 3 bedrooms, a dining room with a seaview, a large kitchen with a seaview, and a large living room. The eaves have a space between them and the walls, so there is always fresh air moving.  We have added new curtains, rugs, bedcovers, 2 fans, and a table and chairs. I love all the space. Best of all is how quiet it is here. All you hear at night is the ocean crashing onto the beach. The family below is fairly quiet. They go to bed early, and get up early, but of course, I never hear anything in the morning. Once in a while a coconut will fall from the trees unto our clay tile and corrigated aluminum roof, and it sounds like a bomb going off. The crows love our roof, too, lots of dancing and loving going on up there. During the rains, I'm sure it leaks, but that's not a problem during the winter season. This is the best apartment yet, and the price is right....15,000 rupees, $375 a month, including utilities. We have the paper delivered in the morning, $4 for a month. Milk and fresh bread are delivered everyday, and the vegetable vendor comes every other day. The fishmongers come about every other day. I'm hoping we can be here next year also.