"I remember the little me running around this huge mango tree at Candolim beach, playing hide-and-seek with my sisters. We would have simple food like pulao and chicken xacuti. I wasn't on Facebook then, to boast about the memories, but I miss those moments of pure joy," says 17-year-old Svetlana Pinto, reminiscing about her childhood summer holidays.
A Goan family picnic could be characterized as one big family sitting down on mats or bed-sheets spread across the sand or a shady spot nearby a shore. There would be flasks to keep tea warm and ice blocks in drums to chill beer, and these measures would last till evening on these inevitably hot summer days. Aunties would prepare sandwiches, while uncles would laze around with their drinks. Little girls would make sand castles, while the boys would play football. There would be someone in charge to make sure the children did not venture into the sea. If they did, there would ensue a yelling.
By noon, the family would unite for a game of cards or housie. And after a simple, yet sumptuous lunch, it was nap time with songs and music. And by the time the sun would begin to set, the whole family would huddle up in the water for a swim.
Picnics offered an opportunity for recreation, fun, and, more importantly, a chance to meet and connect with extended family. Which is why Svetlana is saddened that the trend of a traditional picnic during the summer break is a dying habit among Goan families today.
"Everybody is suddenly too busy for a picnic and people prefer going to resorts rather than cooking some homemade food and packing off to the beach for some quality family time. It's all about picturesque snaps, exotic food menus and brand resort names today. Memories are more artificial than real and soulful," she bemoans.
Colva, Benaulim and Palolem made perfect picnic spots because of the shade, though Betalbatim could arguably be termed as the most 'cliched' picnic spot in South Goa. In North Goa, Baga and Calangute were the popular destinations, along with Candolim and Morjim.
Melissa Godinho, a resident of Majorda feels it's the soaring mercury levels that are deterring people from holidaying at the beach. "Over the years, the summers have gotten hotter and Goans, both young and old, have got more conscious of their tan. When I was younger, it did not matter what time of the day it was, you never needed a reason to go to the beach. Now I can't think of visiting the beach before 5 pm," says Melissa. She adds that she now prefers an overnight picnic at the beach or a holiday indoors.
The above observation also explains how Goans have moved on from the seashore to holidaying in resorts, both in Goa and elsewhere.
Families book rooms for the weekend at resorts along the coastline and enjoy the summer indoors. Johnson Fernandes, a native of Belgaum, but who has spent much of his summers in Goa with cousins, believes that the picnic culture still exists, but now it is more about friends binging at the beach.
"Lifestyles have changed. Some youth would even trade a family picnic with cousins for some late-night clubbing with friends and strangers. Sometimes, cousins themselves go out to pubs and discotheques; so, they don't find it necessary to bond over picnic time," he opines.
Borda-resident Louis Fernandes, who used to frequent Colva beach, feels the main reason why picnics are rarely seen today is because beaches have gotten crowded with domestic tourists "who often misbehave". "It's not about one's breathing space exactly, it's about trust. In the 80s and 90s, you could let your daughters walk into the water with a swimsuit on, today it is risky."
"The most beautiful part of our picnics was how we would be 'adjusting'. Sometimes the beach would be crowded with many picnickers. There was no marked territory and we would compromise on space. Strangers became friends and by noon time, we were sharing lunch," recalls Louis.
Linda Gracias, a retired teacher from Utorda, relates the changing pattern to the empty nest syndrome. "The boys have grown and travel the world; the girls are married and working. It is not like how it used to be and we have to accept it. Sometimes it is like the go-getter in the family lives abroad and there is no one to organize the picnic."
She also points out that Goa's beaches have become dirtier and suggests that the government take the state's garbage issue seriously if it wants to preserve tourism.
Melanie Braganca, a college counsellor from Mapusa, stresses that family togetherness — whether family meals, discussions, or picnics-is more important today than in the past because there are more competing distractions, more choices of activities outside the home, and a constant bombardment of information from modern technology.
"The simple pleasures of childhood seem to be a thing of the past. Days of walking on the beach, getting wet in the rain, going on family picnics are now practically extinct. The current generation is blissfully ignorant of the treasures of nature. They're busy playing 'candy crush' or 'angry birds' on their Smartphone,"she points out.
All said and done, the testimonies are not exhaustive evidence that families do not go out for picnics anymore, but are mere illustrations of a diminishing tradition of Goan society. Many believe that the only way to revive the habit could be maintaining cleanliness on beaches and maintaining law and order on our shores.
A Goan family picnic could be characterized as one big family sitting down on mats or bed-sheets spread across the sand or a shady spot nearby a shore. There would be flasks to keep tea warm and ice blocks in drums to chill beer, and these measures would last till evening on these inevitably hot summer days. Aunties would prepare sandwiches, while uncles would laze around with their drinks. Little girls would make sand castles, while the boys would play football. There would be someone in charge to make sure the children did not venture into the sea. If they did, there would ensue a yelling.
By noon, the family would unite for a game of cards or housie. And after a simple, yet sumptuous lunch, it was nap time with songs and music. And by the time the sun would begin to set, the whole family would huddle up in the water for a swim.
Picnics offered an opportunity for recreation, fun, and, more importantly, a chance to meet and connect with extended family. Which is why Svetlana is saddened that the trend of a traditional picnic during the summer break is a dying habit among Goan families today.
"Everybody is suddenly too busy for a picnic and people prefer going to resorts rather than cooking some homemade food and packing off to the beach for some quality family time. It's all about picturesque snaps, exotic food menus and brand resort names today. Memories are more artificial than real and soulful," she bemoans.
Colva, Benaulim and Palolem made perfect picnic spots because of the shade, though Betalbatim could arguably be termed as the most 'cliched' picnic spot in South Goa. In North Goa, Baga and Calangute were the popular destinations, along with Candolim and Morjim.
Melissa Godinho, a resident of Majorda feels it's the soaring mercury levels that are deterring people from holidaying at the beach. "Over the years, the summers have gotten hotter and Goans, both young and old, have got more conscious of their tan. When I was younger, it did not matter what time of the day it was, you never needed a reason to go to the beach. Now I can't think of visiting the beach before 5 pm," says Melissa. She adds that she now prefers an overnight picnic at the beach or a holiday indoors.
The above observation also explains how Goans have moved on from the seashore to holidaying in resorts, both in Goa and elsewhere.
Families book rooms for the weekend at resorts along the coastline and enjoy the summer indoors. Johnson Fernandes, a native of Belgaum, but who has spent much of his summers in Goa with cousins, believes that the picnic culture still exists, but now it is more about friends binging at the beach.
"Lifestyles have changed. Some youth would even trade a family picnic with cousins for some late-night clubbing with friends and strangers. Sometimes, cousins themselves go out to pubs and discotheques; so, they don't find it necessary to bond over picnic time," he opines.
Borda-resident Louis Fernandes, who used to frequent Colva beach, feels the main reason why picnics are rarely seen today is because beaches have gotten crowded with domestic tourists "who often misbehave". "It's not about one's breathing space exactly, it's about trust. In the 80s and 90s, you could let your daughters walk into the water with a swimsuit on, today it is risky."
"The most beautiful part of our picnics was how we would be 'adjusting'. Sometimes the beach would be crowded with many picnickers. There was no marked territory and we would compromise on space. Strangers became friends and by noon time, we were sharing lunch," recalls Louis.
Linda Gracias, a retired teacher from Utorda, relates the changing pattern to the empty nest syndrome. "The boys have grown and travel the world; the girls are married and working. It is not like how it used to be and we have to accept it. Sometimes it is like the go-getter in the family lives abroad and there is no one to organize the picnic."
She also points out that Goa's beaches have become dirtier and suggests that the government take the state's garbage issue seriously if it wants to preserve tourism.
Melanie Braganca, a college counsellor from Mapusa, stresses that family togetherness — whether family meals, discussions, or picnics-is more important today than in the past because there are more competing distractions, more choices of activities outside the home, and a constant bombardment of information from modern technology.
"The simple pleasures of childhood seem to be a thing of the past. Days of walking on the beach, getting wet in the rain, going on family picnics are now practically extinct. The current generation is blissfully ignorant of the treasures of nature. They're busy playing 'candy crush' or 'angry birds' on their Smartphone,"she points out.
All said and done, the testimonies are not exhaustive evidence that families do not go out for picnics anymore, but are mere illustrations of a diminishing tradition of Goan society. Many believe that the only way to revive the habit could be maintaining cleanliness on beaches and maintaining law and order on our shores.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Summer-of-2014-Where-have-the-picnickers-gone/articleshow/35128374.cms
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