I was born and raised in the city of Bombay, India but ever since I can remember I always spent my summer vacations with my maternal grandparents in Goa.  My grandparents always had a houseful in the summer as several of my cousins spent their summer vacations with them too. I have fond memories of playing with my cousins; lazy days spent relaxing in the hammock on the front porch, reading a book.  In summer our village was a fruit lover’s paradise. We picked ripe mangoes from the tree in our front yard. There was no dearth of exotic fruit to eat including Jackfruit, Cashew fruit, Purple Berries known as jambuls and plenty of tender coconuts so we could drink the water and eat the tender flesh. Our village had a small river running through it and we swam there every afternoon. My grandpa often took us fishing and we caught plenty of fish to eat in that same river.

Yet, all but one of my mother’s nine siblings emigrated from Goa for economic reasons they are now spread out in different parts of the world; part of the Goan Diaspora in England, Canada, Ireland and The United States. Why do Goan’s leave this veritable paradise? Is it the economy?

Picture courtesy of http://photoguideto/goa