Fritzell's blog

Born in a Goan Roman Catholic family, I've always witnessed a number of catholic traditions and festivities which add richness to the Goan culture. For instance, after the most exciting season of Christmas ends and the new year commences, one witnesses the preparations for the procession of St. Sebastian in many of the coastal villages of Goa. Hailing from the village of Assolna, I've witnessed the Nomenar since the dawn of my memory.  St. Sebastian who was a Roman soldier,  was also an early Christian saint and martyr.  He  was killed by arrows during the persecution of Christians by the Roman emperor Diocletian.  He is often depicted tied to a tree or post and shot with arrows. According to the Catholic Church Calendar, the feast of St. Sebastian is celebrated on 20th January every year. The procession is held a few days before and on the feast day. Being a community event, different villages have their own unique ways of celebration of the feast and the proc...

( In the village of Assolna, June 1946) As the rooster crows at 7a.m, Maria screams at the top of her voice, “It’s already 10a.m. Are you going to sleep the entire day? Oh Flavia? Can you hear me or are you pretending to be asleep? I guess I’ll have to let your brother, Tony accompany me to Margao”.   Little Flavia, about 8 years of age is woken up by her mother’s constant blackmailing words. Her eyes wide open, she throws the bedsheet aside and runs to the front door to find out if they had really left.   Stunned and shocked Flavia cannot believe her eyes. Her mother had really left without her. She thinks to herself, “How can they do this to me? I’ve been waiting for this day since forever and all I get is abandonment?” Her wide sparkling eyes begin to shrink in disappointment and tears roll down her pink cheeks as she runs back to her bed sobbing.   By this time Maria walks along with her son Tony and reaches the village bazaar. There she meets Pedro, the pod...

Picture credits:https://www.freepik.com/premium-photo/pigeon-is-standing-wet-street-front-city-street_49268940.htm What's the worst thing that could happen on a Monday morning, when you are already running late to work and while on your journey, you are stopped by an injured bird in the middle of the road?  Frustrating, right?  Let's us go back to that particular Monday morning... It so happened that I saw a car a few metres ahead of me being slowed down by something, and as I reached closer, I realised it was an injured pigeon which was trying to take off but fell on the ground every time it tried. The car swerved in an attempt to avoid running over the poor little injured bird and drove away.  As I rode nearer, it was my turn. I decided to slow down and take a quick look. But the bird had other plans on it's mind. It tried to fly again and landed right infront of my tyre, making me hit those breaks and stop immediately!  The bird just wouldn't move from that spot. ...

(Image source:https://www.teamly.com/blog/procrastination-benefits/) Procrastinator !  A term I truly identify with. For example, it took me three long years to get this blog post up. I've been telling myself to write something worthwhile. But guess what, I might as well do it tomorrow!  Been convincing myself to get my hands on something crafty or artistic, coz ofcourse I enjoy it (or maybe I used to, atleast). But let's begin tomorrow, right?  The other day I heard an old familiar voice in the corner of my bedroom and I figured it was my 11years old guitar, begging to be strummed. I did fulfill it's wish. Just took me a couple of weeks.  I am known for procrastinating. It's a personality trait I possess. No matter what the reason, for not having completed some task, everyone already concludes that I might have had procrastinated to do it later and then forgotten about it. Everyone already assumes, even if not the case. That's how bad being a procrastinator feels l...

Picture courtesy: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTHilBWQAYDU0OWI1_rAObo4V_wzEEKdloEx58hK8CiGJISvWMw&s Woke up to the sound of pouring rain, Wrapped in my warm blanket this morning, Nothing on my mind to do,  Days, months just passing. Almost the end of another month, It's like, the year just started yesterday, but  July will soon go away!    Facing new kind of challenges in this new decade,  Never thought, the movies we watched  would come true to such extent, The pandemic situation is like a movie we watched back then, It all seemed scary to deal with,  Now we are starring in this movie called 2020 at present! Spread so quickly, one by one, every nation was hit, Lives lost, numbers kept increasing. Economies fell, livelihoods destroyed.  Some took measures and recovered well, For others it's a nightmare from which they haven't woken up yet!  Home, transformed into workplace, school, gym.., Online is the new outdoor...

St. George Island Last year in November a family friend told us about a place, an island to be specific, that is located in Vasco, Goa. She told us that people are allowed to cross the waters and visit the island just once annually and urged that we should go there. In addition to that, we were told that the same day, the Holy mass is celebrated at the island marking the feast of the Cross that is located there. This seemed like a good opportunity and a once in a lifetime experience for us all. We decided to go there with only this little information.  The journey On the day of the feast, that is 17th November, we left home early morning as we live in Salcete and had to reach the Baina dock by 09 a.m. On our way to Vasco, we stopped by and had our breakfast in a small hotel and left for the adventurous journey.  We reached the dock on time and had to wait a while till a motor boat/fishing trawler was arranged for us. It was jaw-dropping, the way more than 30 people in a single...