Bubbles (1968-2023)

You were pretty late to come on the scene

A gulf returned family with a precocious teen

You descended from that Mazda, with nonchalant style

A complete enigma, none had seen in awhile

Your talent and creativity was a class apart

Whether acting, dancing, singing, baking or art

You made magic, and was always happy to share

With friends, family and students everywhere 

Not a classical beauty, but desired by lots 

Judging by the queue, who for you had the hots

You had your pick from many a name

But chose the wild one, that only you could tame

You had many acquaintances, but true friends were few

You trusted them and they relied on you

You never strove to be the centre of attention

But somehow the spotlight followed your direction

You were dangerous to be around in a serious place

Rolling your eyes while keeping a very straight face

Wherever you went, you were quite a hit 

With smart innuendo and intelligent wit. 

Like a Diva, you waltzed in fashionably late

An enigmatic smile for those who had to wait

But with this invite from those Gates so Pearly

Why in God's name did you have to leave so early? 

Now that you're away from all these Earthly troubles

Rock heaven like only you could dear Bubbles.

Frankly speaking…

A Conversation with a Marinagar resident, would generally go like this…

 

Q: How’s Frankie? 

A: Which one? 

Q: Frank Mascarenhas? 

A: Which one? 

Q: Zappa 

A: Why didn’t you just say that. And then, the pause...   

Coz there were so many facets to Zappa… Witty, well read, fun, intelligent, poet, fun, natural sportsman, talented, fun, crazy, tough, strong, fun, respectful, good son, good husband, great father... did i say fun?

An interaction with Zappa was like a roller-coaster – he came, he said some stuff, you laughed and by the time you recovered he was gone. 

Every interaction was also melancholic… what a guy! what heights he could have climbed, if only…. what could he have been, if only… 

Frank did what he wanted to and did it to his satisfaction… and that was good enough for him. He respected people enough not to offer them advise, and only expected the same in return. 

So, lets toast Zappa, the guy who took the effort to be funny and make people laugh. And more importantly, the guy who did what we all want to do – live life on our terms… with no regrets. 

Happy birthday in heaven Frank (24/07). May you continue to spread laughter till eternity. 

P.S. If you have any of Frank’s writings, poems, one-liners or links to them; please post them in the comments so they can stay here for posterity.

And we'd play... And you'd stay... Come today.

 

You read a lot and had a view,

on things, for which we had no clue

We did not listen, we did not care

for all the knowledge you had to share

For you saw things that we could not see

and in your mind that set you free

We heard you speak, we witnessed your stand

but it is you we did not understand

It's not your fault that we were wrong

you showed us you, in that Neil Diamond song

Go with God dear Darryl Monteiro

may you find eternal joy with your friend 'Shilo'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wToA7sVKgJo

Sanna Ho Sanna Hey Superstar

We watched in awe on the volleyball court when the most impossible spikes were picked up by you millimeters off the ground cleanly, with no scrapes to your knuckles

We watched you walk into SMRC in chappals and frayed jeans and calmly proceed to kick the asses of all those self proclaimed badminton champs, who you dispatched to all corners of the court without even breaking a sweat

We watched you don the goalkeepers pads because that was what the hockey team needed

We watched you stealthily steal chickens for feeding the boys while making the Star and also you going back the next day and paying the family the cost of the chicken.

We watched you fight your demons repeatedly and with the help of your friends in the colony overcome them.

We enjoyed going shooting pigeons and bats with you and mostly enjoyed your pranks. I still remember you surreptitiously fixing a clothes clip on Gerrad's shirt while he stood umpire and telling him he was "clipped". And Gerrad suspecting something kept bending down to check and every time he did the clip would go under his paunch and he wouldn't see it.

I learnt from you how to make gum from maida, how to fix a kite and how to ride a moped. The first shot that i ever made was from your airgun.

I looked forward to meeting you on my multiple trips to Goa; you always had a joke or an anecdote to share and never failed to invite me over.

You always had a good word to say and you made us smile (a melancholic smile is on my face as i type this)

We will Miss you Hanson Braganza. God Bless & God Speed.

"I want my Khaaana!!"

Am not going there... this one is about food

Around 2 years ago, there was a sudden anticipation in the air; rumour was that Hotel Shahnaz would be re-opening...and oh what joy when it finally did. Now our kheema pao and chai breakfast after mass ritual as back. Mass was never the same when they were closed.

God forbid walking down to Paramount for the same. "Chee their kheema is too oily. Ok you go... but pack pudding for me...side piece."

I always wondered why Mahim could not have any "good restaurants" till i realized that we Mahimites were rather snobbish and preferred to eat in Bandra than in Mahim. So even when Jimme's Kitchen opened their Mahim branch - we still went to Bandra and they had to shut shop in Mahim.

But then God help the guy who spoke of the kebabs at Bade Mian or Mohd Ali Road.... Nothing is or can ever be as good as Alam Bhai. Am a foodie myself and have traveled the world but have yet to match the taste and price of Alam Bhai's seekh, kiri, kaleji and gurda. Come to think of it - have not had kiri anywhere else in the world.

Mahim's Khau Galli is the place to go for good hat and cheap food washed down with Baba Falooda.

In the 80's on the way back from the "club"; this is what Rs 10 got Caje and me... 1 bowl Ragda (Rs 1 each), 1 plate Seekh ( Rs 4) and 2 Falooda ( Rs 2 each). Today Ragda @ Rs 20, Seekh @ Rs 80 and Falooda @ Rs 60.

Lets face it - Mahim has lost some of its restaurants - Gentleman's, Midlands, Crown Bakery, Cafe Jalal Shah have all shutterred. New ones like the incarnations at Capri and the Goan place that opened in Ram Mahal have come in and died. Some others keep chugging along - Gopal Krishna still serves a mean misal, Garden Chinese became Gee-Lees, Ming faced some issues till Zinho single handedly ate them into profitability and they still survive, Swagat, Cafe Korak, Cafe Meeraj, Madina and the rest in that line are still in business.

But the most resilient seems Paramount - day in day out it is still crowded. The same menu board with its chalk written prices - and slats turned over when they run out - you still share a table with strangers, steel water glasses, the black and white salt and pepper shakers, the same dishes ( which surprisingly taste the same though portions seem smaller)served in the same steel quarter plates the kaanda limbu in the steel bowls, the same waiters (much older now) with their pencil behind their ear taking your order on a small chit of paper to writing your bill on the same 2x2 bill book and giving you the checked towel after you have washed your hands at the sink which still has quarters of lemons and slivers of Lifebouy. - you want old the old days... Go to Paramount.

In Marinagar - U. Manuels Sorpo, Mr Gama Rose's Guava cheese, A. Antoinettes pork roast are some of the memories i have.  Godfrey and Sherwin both are in the catering business - but unsure if they do small orders and Muriel still does her Tiffins.  Any food heroes that you guys remember or those that still make and sell - can add in the comments.

And while the Restaurants have had their ups and downs... New India, Rajendra and Tarzan thrive. And the Taadi Maadi Vikri Kendra (opp the Rly station) which has gone through multiple avtaars over the years is now back selling Toddy. 

Cheers.

Musings of a Gulfie

My first memory of someone coming back from "abroad" (i mean foreign here... i learnt about guys coming back from a "broad" much later in life) was possibly the same time i heard about TR (or transfer of residence), of Air conditioning with ducting for all rooms and of Mazda as a foreign car- in particular a silver hatchback.

For those who haven’t caught on yet, I’m referring to the return of Dr Cedric and family from Doha - this was a event where as kids we stood and watched trucks coming in with boxes after boxes after boxes that were unloaded and carried up to their house. It would have taken years to open all those boxes and it probably did.

The contents of those boxes revealed wonders to some of us who had never been exposed; to the first glimpse of a coulour TV, a VCR, VHS & Betamax cassettes, push button telephones, sofas (which were not double beds) a cooking range. Today all the above are found in every home, but for a kid in the late 70’s early 80’s this was a revelation; something that he could boast about and ridicule his peers who had no clue about what he was talking.

While in most albums of the early gulfies, there would always be a photo of the guy (in goggles - most probably Ray Ban) standing next to a swanky looking car – in all probability a Datsun, a Mazda or some Huge American gass guzzler with tail fins. (this was much before Toyota & Honda became popular and before Datsun became Nissan) and you always admired the car and envied the guy for the same - so to see Dr Cedric’s Mazda in real life, to ride in it and feel the cold air from the A/c was definitely a dream come true.

So thank you Dr Cedric and family for providing me these experiences very early in life; I write this blog sitting in Doha where I have come to work, a good 30 years after you have left. I keep wondering how different the place would have been then, as compared to now and whether you would like it as much now as you did then.

To Gillian ( Raymond Lopez’s) daughter who has preceded me in Doha, thank you for the warm Marinagar welcome you have given me, for making me feel comfortable, helping me look for a house and showing me the restaurant where i can get kheema like Paramount. Thank you.

latest news - hopefully contnuously

Nestor (Frank Coutino’s son) has created http://marinagarsportsclub.webs.com/ which gives the current happenings in Marinagar.

And it is my fervent hope that Nestor and the guys administering this site have the tenacity to keep this site alive and give us Non resident Marinagarites regular updates on whats going on in our colony.


Lets encourage these guys by logging on, becoming members and giving your feedback and comments.

In case you missed it, here is the link again http://marinagarsportsclub.webs.com/ – so please use it....Now.