Dear Damanenses and lovers of Damao,
Parabens!
Wishing you A Very Happy & Peppy 2nd World Daman Day!
From:
M D G Rocha (Country Coordinator - India)
Oscar Noruega (Country Coordinator - Macau)
Pranay B Kolakkar (Country Coordinator - USA)
Franco Fonseca (Country Coordinator - UK/P'boro)
Luis Fonseca (Country Coordinator - UK/Leicester)
Sandra Gonsalves (Country Coordinator - P'gal)
B Lopes (Country Coordinator - UK/Leicester)
Lysa Lopes (Country Coordinator - UAE)
Silvester Machado (Country Coordinator - UK/London)
Tony Machado (Country Coordinator - Canada)
Sharmila Mascarenhas (Country Coordinator - UAE)
Maria Franco (Country Coordinator - UAE)
Veridiana de Sousa (Country Coordinator - Holland)
Noel Gama (Overall Coordinator - Daman, India)
Viva Damao! Come, Discover Daman!
www.WorldDamanDay.com
HAPPY WORLD DAMAN DAY - 20 August 2009!
Message from Dr. Adelino Costa (Portugal) on World Daman Day 09
Caros Damanenses
Estamos a poucas horas de iniciar as celebrações do World Daman Day 2009.
É uma boa oportunidade para que eu envie uma saudação a todos os Damanenses, residentes ou não residentes em Damão, incentivando-os a preservar as suas tradições e práticas culturais específicas e distintas, que conservam tantos traços da herança cultural portuguesa.
Porém, é de toda a justiça salientar nesta iniciativa o papel mobilizador que tem sido desempenhado pelo Noel Gama que, com grande dedicação e muito entusiasmo, tem estado na primeira linha da preparação do World Daman Day e na dinamização de um renovado sentimento de orgulho dos Damanenses pela sua terra e pela sua cultura.
Ele merece a nossa gratidão e o nosso apoio para continuar essa nobre missão a que se tem entregue.
Viva Damão! Vivam os Damanenses!
Lisboa, 18 de Agosto de 2009
Adelino Rodrigues da Costa
(antigo Delegado da Fundação Oriente na Índia)
Meet Damanenses worldwide on Facebook
Damanenses have taken networking from the bazaar to the internet!
Meet them on Facebook and interact with them on the group, "Discover Damao in Daman."
Press Release: 2nd World Daman Day - 20th August 2009!
DAMAN, 8 August 2009: Following the resounding success of the first-ever, WORLD DAMAN DAY last year, the organizers launched into the second year as early as April 2009 for the worldwide celebration of the 2nd World Daman Day on the 20th of August 2009 under the aegis of World Goa Day courtesy, London-based founder, Rene Barreto.
“Daman has always looked upon Goa as its 'Big Brother.’ But no two fingers are alike and so it is with siblings. These cultural differences though subtle, lend Daman its uniqueness. This worldwide event is a celebration of the unique culture of the people of Daman who have an identity of their very own – the Damanense,” says Daman-based author, Noël Gama who is the Overall Coordinator of the event.
The theme of World Daman Day 2009 is, “Viva Damao! Come, Discover Daman.” “Damão is not just the former name of Daman,” clarified Mr. Gama. “It’s another name for the Indo-Portuguese subculture of Daman and is a way of life. But most importantly, when broken up into its two syllables, it reveals the secret behind the characteristic hospitality of the typical Damanense – 'Da mão' – which literally translates to 'give me your hand,' in Portuguese meaning, ‘Welcome!’
Damanenses around the globe in countries like the UK, US, UAE, Canada, Portugal, Macau and Holland among others, celebrate all things Damanense by showcasing their Damanense cultural heritage through artistic and cultural expressions such as musical and food festivals, competitions, traditional and folk dance performances, art and craft displays, etc.
While World Daman Day is mainly celebrated by Damanenses outside Daman, in Daman itself there will be a football match on the 16th of August at 5pm in the sport ground in Moti Daman and on the big day itself, a cultural program in the evening. More information can be found at www.WorldDamanDay.com.
50-year old Portuguese sign board still in use!
You'd think the above picture of a sign board was taken from a local museum!
The photo was taken with a mobile phone in January 2009 when I visited a colleague in the Primary Health Centre (PHC), Fort, Big Daman.
Whoever says that the Portuguese language is on the decline in Daman, is certainly not living in Daman - this sign board is being used by a government establishment!
Culture Wise INDIA debuts in Portugal!
Dr. Adelino Costa probably is the first person in Portugal to buy a copy of my book, “Culture Wise INDIA!”
Here’s what he has to say...
Caro Noel,
Recebi hoje o teu livro que tinha encomendado. Provavelmente é o primeiro que chega a Portugal. Está muito bonito, muito bem ilustrado e é muito informativo.
Parabéns.
Adelino Costa
Portugal
********
Dr. Costa has been a good friend and mentor for a decade. We first met in 1999 when he visited Daman when he was the Director of Fundação Oriente in Goa and have kept in touch since.