Aeroplanes and mirror-images

Maybe because Goa is a small place, maybe because of the close links to Bombay -- I'm always amazed by how often we run into people here whom we know, or know of through some connection or the other.

This afternoon, a friend of our host dropped in to say hello to him. Turns out this person's son and daughter-in-law are close friends of my sister's, in the USA. This evening I walk back into the house after a swim to see the familiar face of an occasional tennis hitting partner over many years. He looks as flabbergasted to see me here as I am to see him. His wife is a first cousin of our host and I had no idea.

He asks if I'd like to have a hit some time. Unfortunately the tennis gear is all back at home in Bombay. He also tells me in a whisper: "I'm in the Navhind Times today! Entered a contest in Panaji, won three categories!"

He's right. The headline is that my sometime partner "bags triple crown." Should have brought my gear.

***
Two nearly adjacent ads in the Herald, May 4. One is for the "All Goa 2-A-Side Tie Breaker Tournament", Rs 3000 to the winners and Rs 2000 to the runners-up.

The other is for the "1st All Goa Football 3-A-Side Flood Lights Tie-Breaker", Rs 5000 to the winners, Rs 3000 to the runners-up, Rs 2000 each to the best goalkeeper and shooter.

Both ads feature the identical line drawing of a man kicking a football, the number "7" on his jersey.

So I have this dilemma: Suppose me and five friends decide one day, "Hey, we want to enter Some-Tiny-Number-A-Side football tournament!" What would you suggest we do? Break into 3 teams and play the 2-A-Side? Or form 2 teams and play the 3-A-Side?

***
The same issue of the Herald carries an ad for the Konkani Songit Somajik Kala Kendr production of a Konkani Drama.

The drama is called "Opinion Pollacho Bapp" (father of the opinion poll) and appears to be about "Dr Jack de Sequeira (Father of the Opinion Poll)."

Hours after reading this, we are driving into the Calangute/Baga area, and we pass a statue in the middle of a busy junction. The very same Dr Jack de Sequeira, Father of the Opinion Poll.

***
And speaking of polls, it is election time in Goa, and the papers are filled with ads for candidates, besides news of the intricate politics here.

So far, I've noticed that:

one candidate has the intriguing name "Daglas".

several candidates have an aeroplane as their election symbol, but each aeroplane is different.

several candidates have a baby doll as their election symbol, but each baby doll is identical.

an establishment called "Casa J.D. Fernandes" is a place for "wedding cards, party shop and decorations etc." Judging from its ad, the logo of this establishment is ... you guessed it, yet another aeroplane.

several candidates have issued ads announcing that they are withdrawing from the election. One, an Yvette Mario Pinto, has withdrawn from the election to the Goltim-Navelim panchayat, to avoid "risky division of votes." Two others, Namdev Tari and Jeetendra Walawalkar have withdrawn from the same constituency and announce their support for Rajesh Kesarkar. Kesarkar's symbol? No, not an aeroplane, a camera.

***
In the Navhind Times, May 5 2007, item titled "NCP youth wing flays Subhash's Mapusa claim". This is about the general secretary of this youth wing, one Peter Figueiredo, reacting to one Subhash Narvekar's suggestion "that the NCP has no base in Mapusa." According to the report:

Mr Figueiredo also said that the NCP headed by Dr Wilfred D'Souza still has a mass base in Mapusa, citing examples of Mr Shyam Sunder Neogi, who got elected on the Congress (U) ticket and current BJP Mapusa MLA, Mr Francis D'Souza, who got elected on the Goa Rajiv Congress ticket.

Indeed. Those two are superb examples of NCP strength in Mapusa. Whoever said Goa politics is a mess?

***
Same issue of the Navhind Times has some excellent classified real estate ads. "Available Row Villa", "Flats with free stilted parking", "Spacious Studio Apts for sale", etc.

Then there are two, one below the other, that are printed as if reflected in a mirror. I swear I am not making this up. At first I wondered if they were actually printed on the other side, and the ink just shows through the paper. But I checked, it isn't like that. They are actually printed on this page, mirror-image.

Why? More important, how did this happen? Any PageMaker (or other such program) experts out there who can enlighten me?

I would have loved to see the faces of the people who placed those ads, when they opened to this page eagerly.

***
A lady called Maria Raimumda (Rafelina) died on May 4. The Herald of May 5 carries three -- count 'em, three -- obit ads for this much loved lady. One is titled "Death". The second is titled "Sad Demise". The third is titled "Adeus-Mai". Each ad starts by saying she is the "mother/mother-in-law" of a different couple, which suggests that at least three of her children (she seems to have had five) inserted ads separately.

All three went to the same agency to place their ads, "Confident".

Here's a random sample of her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Pepita, Princeton, Priyana, Pity, Perpetua, Praxcy, Kuanita, Evnar, Rolifa, Valania, Shalin, Stena, Delzon, Diffa, Incet, Glemser.

Go well, Rafelina.