COMMON MEMOIRS OF A GLOBE-TROTTER.: 2019

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Sr Noelle Marie(Aunt Daisy Furtado) completes 50 years of the Religious Profession .Celebratory Mass and Felicitation in Mumbai.

"Golden Jubilee Invitation Card"

Dad's sister Aunt Daisy.Furtado was the first person in the "Furtado Family" to join the religious profession as a nun affiliated to the Apostolic Carmel branch of Nuns. Now three of my cousins Fr Nelson.Furtado, Fr Johnson.Furtado and Fr Jaison Furtado are priests in the Catholic Church , very rare for three brothers from the same family to devote their lives to the Catholic Priesthood.Recently the third generation "Furtado Family" enrolled himself into the seminary to become a priest.Cousin Larry.Furtado's brilliant son Nigel from a privileged background surprised the family by opting to join the priesthood. Aunt Sr Noelle Marie had completed 50 years of service to the religious profession in May 2019 which was celebrated privately among the clergy but went unnoticed by her relatives.Cousin Mr Martin.Furtado got the news of Aunt Daisy's "Golden Jubilee" occasion and he was instrumental in organizing this official celebration.

Money makes the World rotate and we all "Furtado Family" member's beginning from Uncles Rozario and Winniebald to cousins , nephew's and nieces contributed monetarily for the same. Saturday(17/8/2019) was the occasion of the Golden Jubilee celebratory mass of Sr Noelle.Marie at "Sacred Heart Church" in Santacruz followed by a get-together at the "Willingdon Catholic Gymkhana".Three priests, Fr Stanley.Lobo, Fr Gonzalo and Fr Jaison.Furtado conducted the "Golden Jubilee Mass". I have given a brief photo essay of the grand occasion through my own personal memory bank.

L-R :- Fr Jaison.Furtado, Fr Stanley.lobo and Fr Gonzalo at the entrance of "Sacred Heart Church" in Santacruz.

A View of the congregation during the "50th Golden Jubilee Mass" at Sacred Heart Church in Santa Cruz.

"50th Golden Jubilee" mass in progress.

Pets are a part of our human family .This stray cat which made the church its residence attended almost the entire "Golden Jubilee Mass" service seated near the altar and later sleeping cozily in a box labeled "Prison Ministry".Bizarre and true.Cousin Larry.Furtado photographed this mouser cat of "Sacred Heart Church" although i doubt it ever catches any mice as it seems too docile .Reminded me of my cat's back home who live a carefree life..

Offertory rituals of the mass in Progress.

After the Mass Service a photo shoot in front of the altar of "Sacred Heart Church" .

"Furtado Family" photo after the mass .

"Furtado Family" photo shoot outside Sacred Heart Church at the Church main gate entrance.

Willingdon Catholic Gymkhana :- After the celebratory mass in the church we walked the short distance from the Church premises to Willingdon Catholic gymkhana.Start of the celebratory function at the gymkhana hall. Queuing for the "March-Past".

After the "Golden Jubilee Mass" in Sacred Heart Church a felicitation get-together at the "Willingdon Catholic Gymkhana ".Welcoming Sr Noelle Marie into the hall for the felicitation ceremony and grand get-together party of invitees.

A few of the guests at the Golden Jubilee Felicitation R-L:- Dr(PhD) Mrs Vivien.Amonkar, Mrs Glady's D'Silva, Dr(PhD) Nihar.Amonkar and yours truly Rudolph.Furtado. Dr Nihar.Amonkar son of eminent Hindustani Classical singer Late Smt Kishori.Amonkar and Mrs Glady's D'silva wife of eminent banker Mr John.D'silva lived in our building "Vaibhav Apartments" at Old Prabhadevi road.Mr's Glady's D'silva studied along with Aunt Daisy in Mangalore before she joined the religious profession of nuns. Dr Nihar.Amonkar's wife Dr Vivien.Amonkar was the Vice-Principal of St Xaviers college in Mumbai. Sister Noelle Marie has over the decades been a teacher and Principal of a few Catholic schools and Institutions.Ultimately it's a small World..

Sr Noelle Marie (Aunt Daisy) seated with her colleagues and guests from the religious profession of Nuns. Sr Noelle Marie belongs to the Apostolic Carmel school of Nuns.

Fr Stanley.Lobo giving a introductory speech to the guests. On the extreme right is Mrs Rolin.Furtado wife of cousin Mr Ajay.Furtado's .She was the M.C of the afternoon and kept the crowd entertained with D,J music and games.

Cutting the Golden Jubilee Cake with confetti being showered onto the participants :- L-R :- Cousin Mr Wilson .Furtado, Self, Aunt Mrs Flossy.Furtado,Uncle Mr Winniebald.Furtado, Cousin Lira.Furtado's husband Mr Treavor.Britto,Sr Noelle Marie, Uncle Rozario.Furtado, Aunt Christine.Furtado, Cousin Ajay.Furtado and last of all Cousin Martin.Furtado.After decades a majority of the Furtado family had gathered under one roof.

Dancing Games conducted by MC Ms Rolin.Furtado. There was a "Private Bar" and we gents were in high spirits during the dance competition .

A Grand buffet lunch .

Eldest of the "Furtado Family" :- L-R :- Mr Winniebald.Furtado,Sr Noelle Marie, Mr Rozario.Furtado

With me in the photo is the gentleman Mr Peter.D'Souza from our ancestral village of Barkur who saved me in the 1970's from drowning in the Sitanadi River in Barkur.As usual on school summer holidays we would visit paternal and maternal ancestral villages of Mabukala and Barkur in Udipi district of Karnataka where i loved to wade in the ponds and river along with my cousins although i didn't know swimming. One day while wading in the shallow waters of the Sitanadai river in Barkur suddenly stepped into a sinkhole with my feet not touching the river bed with my cousins thinking that i was joking for help. Mr Peter.D'Souza much senior to me realized i was sinking and jumped into the river and dragged me into the shallow depth where i was back on my feet.This near death drowning experience is as vivid as yesterday although it happened decades ago and today in 2019 i daily swim 2 Kms ++ in the M.G.M.O pool in Mumbai. BELIEVE IT OR NOT. Even Mr Peter.D'souza finds it amazing that i am today a long distance swimmer .Mr Peter.D'souza resides in Barkur village.

Grand photo of extended "Furtado Family" and friends at the end of the felicitation party of the "50 Th Golden Jubilee " celebrations of Aunt Sr Noelle .Marie AC. Its ultimately photographic memories that remain with us after any occasion.

NOTE :- I have written this brief pictorial essay from my point of view while my other relatives would have their own views and photo's of this once in a lifetime occasion of a Religious celebration.A big thanks to professional photographer Ms Samantha for the pictures as its ultimately photographs that keep memories alive long past the event or occasion.Definitely cannot include all photographs in this short essay .

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In a local bus in Yokohama in June 1988.

Had visited the Japanese Port of Yokohama in 1988 and as usual roamed the city like a tourist after my duty hours on board the ship.Among my overseas travels i was fascinated by Japan, having visited most of its ports including Tokyo a few years later.Imagine being the only non-japanese in a local bus in Yokohama! Those were the days when the saying "Join the Merchant Navy and see the World " was a fact of Sea-employment in any capacity, from Captain or Chief Engineer to the lowest rank of Toper(Toilet Cleaners).Port stays of average cargo ships was minimum a week and hence everyone got a chance to step ashore and sight-see or just visit the local pub.

Singaporean Wendy.Tay.Gek my Girlfriend companion in Singapore (1987) during Dry-docking.

Co-Mariner Sanjay.Sawant and myself at South Shields in England..

In 1985, a big group of mazdock engineers discovered "Soth Shields Nautical and Engineering College" for appearing for "Marine Engineering Exams".Myself and sanjay.sawant travelled together to South Shield and studied together along with others for the exams, a 5 months stay in the frozen winter climate of North-East London in 1985/86.This photo was taken by Mr Vinoo.Sequeira, co-mariner colleague in our college campus "Winterbottom Hostel" on 29-12-1985.The thick snow layer indicates the severity of the British Winter, the first time in my life that i was exposed to a prolonged continuous winter of snow.Memories of a life-time.

"The Last Farewell" at "Rudolph Cottage(Bangalore) Wednesday(4-10-2009)

Dad Louis.J.Furtado and myself at "Cubbon Park(Bangalore) on 19-3-1992.

Author(Blogger) Rudolph.A.Furtado and dad Louis.J.Furtado at "Cubbon Park" in Bangalore."Rudolph Cottage" which was under construction during my periodic visits to Bangalore. It took almost 5 years to complete due to various reasons.Dad was 68 years of age in this photograph.During this phase of my life it wasa "Allrounder lifestyle" of hectic shuttling between my "Shipping Career","Rudolph Cottage construction","Private Scandals" and "Facial Hair transformations".This was one of the phases in my life where i didn't either grow a moustache or beard, the "CLEAN SHAVEN" man.

My maternal family at home in Mumbai.(14-3-2001)

In photo:- Aunt Patsy.Gonsalves,mum,Uncle Wilfred.Gonsalves(mum's brother),Aunt Juliana.D'silva(Mums elder sister),Mrs Cynthia Lewis(cousin and aunt Juliana's daughter),Mrs Sylvia.Lewis(Cousin,Aunt Juliana's daughter).Among my Uncles Uncle Wilfred.Gonsalves was very instrumental in encouraging my extra-curricular interests and i never lost a game of "DRAFTS" when ever i played him in our "Byculla house,Room nos 88).In 2013, Uncle wilfred is a wealthy Canadian settled in Toronto, a far cry from the days in which he never ever won a game of "DRAFTS" against me as a school kid.He purchased me my "Stamp Album book", Hockey Stick and pay me "Interest" on the money i loaned him from my mothers allotted "Bank pocket money". I feel this was the beginning of my talent into Stocks and money investment..

After my "BONNY VOTE" with my new "VOTING IDENTITY CARD".

Tuesday(21-2-2017)GOT INKED :- Finally after great running around and inquiries filed for a new voting card at the election office in Mahim. Got back my "VOTERS ELECTION CARD" in 2016 and did my "Bonny(First) Voting" with this new card for the "B.M.C ELECTIONS" held on Tuesday(21-2-2017).Voted at the "Prabhadevi Municipal Secondary School" with the classrooms temporarily converted into voting booths as are most Municipal schools on 'Election Day".From now on will always wear my traditional "VOTERS T-SHIRT" on every election day.

Daddy in Jeddah, the highest paying job of a life-time.

In 1977 Dad and a few of his co- cargo supervisors were transferred to the Port of Jeddah after the closure of their jobs in Mombasa.In Jeddah they worked for "Gray Mackenzie Co" and drew wages on par with british cost of living and hence Dad earned approx Rs 10,000 in 1977, a massive salary. In 1977 a one bedroom flat in our building cost approx Rs 1,00,000 only equivalent to less than a years salary of my dad.In 2013, the same flat costs approx Rs 2 crores! Hence a layman can approximate the purchasing power of Rs 10,000 in the late 1970's.Sadly, he worked for only approx 2 years and retired forever, confined to our house in Mumbai.Those were economically tough financial years for our family as i was only 19 years of age,studying and hence no house-hold income for the family barring dad's savings, especially the 2 years in Jeddah.Those years taught me the lesson of thrift and always saving your money for a rainy day or financial calamities.Overnight, at age of 19 years i became the "Family Man" of the house and began taking decisions in family investments and a beginning into the "STOCK MARKET" and "DEBENTURES", investing my parents money.

Ambitions of owning a car in the early 1970's! At "Bandra Fair Studio".

In the early 1970's we were a typical Bombay middle-class family living in a chawl at "Haji ismail Gani Building".This phot is rare and faded .In Photo: - Driver:- Master rudolph.Furtado,Co-Passengers :- Mrs Greta.Furtado(mum), Mr Wilfreg.Gonsalves(Mum's brother), Mr Winniebald.Furtado(Dad's Brother), Mrs Flossy.Furtafo,Uncle Winnie's wife.We all lived together in a "SINGLE ROOM" at "Haji Ismail Gani Building".Today in 2013, this photograph might prove embarrassing but nostalically humorous.Didn't the great Industrialist Dhirubhai.Ambani begin "Reliance Industry's when living in a common chawl in Mumbai.Honestly, Chawl living has its own charm and community style living,but, as you move up the economic ladder so does the individual living conditions of people., including my relatiives.

Mr Alfred.D'souza ,as a young junior Marine Engineer in Mombasa..

I got the bug of joining ships due to personal interaction with my parents freind Mr Alfred.D'souza pictured on the terrace of our building in Mombasa.Whenever Mr Alfred.D'souza's ship touched Mombasa port he visited our residence and i remember an occasion when he took us on board his ship.Later on migrating to India our family did keep in touch with uncle Alfred who later as a collegian took me on board a S.C.I ship sometime in 1970's.Besides a herideterary link to shipping, should give Mr Alfred.D'souza the credit for creating the shipping interest in me. Through him i got to see a "SHIPS ENGINEROOM" while through my dad i only visited the ships cabin.Childhood school freind Mr Biju.Karian made my dream possible through sheer destiny as it was on his dad's reccomendation that i got a seat as a "MARINE ENGINEERING APPRENTICE" in Mazagon Docks in 1978.I am a firm believer in destiny besides hard work and personal interest.