February, in Goa, is pleasant and cold! The mist hangs thick and surreal over the fields most mornings. And the cool sands of the beach are a joy to walk on in the mornings or late evenings.
The tourists continue to pour in. This year the beaches have been suffused with a Russian flavour. But charters have come in from other parts of the world too - from UK, Sweden, Finland and even parts of Asia! Visa rules, as we disussed last month, have undergone some shift. But it's all for the better considering India's sensitive security issues.
February is a great month to be in Goa. Romance is always in the air here. And on Valentine's Day, it peaks! There are parties and contests of love! Dances and romantic cruises. February is also Carnival time. From February 13 to 16, the State erupts in a frenzy of partying and dancing. Float parades will hit the streets in Panaji, Margao, Vasco and Mapusa on the different days. It's a 4-day orgy of colour, song and music before the austerities of Lent begin! Catch a Goan street play or an impromptu - mainly anti-establishment - farce in a village. Attend a black-and-white dance or a costume ball at a Club!! It's all happening in in Goa this month!!
Happy Valentine's Day and Viva Carnaval!!
~ Michael and Tomoko Lobo
With the spiralling growth and population and property explosion in Goa, it's time to think of aesthetics and eco-friendliness in archiecture. The sixth annual conference of the Indian Society of Landscape Architects was held in Goa recently. Issues concerning Goan landscape architecture with a focus on sustainability were discussed. With large areas of open land and a population that is increasingly eco-friendly, Goa has a huge potential for landscaping architecture. Lawns, shrubs, trees, neat pathways and beautiful gardens - now all we need is a fierce instinct to protect our green stretches so we can look forward to living in an eco-friendly environment.
Meanwhile the forest department has prepared the draft forest policy for the State, which takes care of all issues related to forests - what we want to do with our forests, forest dwellers and other stakeholders. It's a document unique to Goa and therefore will be more sensitive to our needs. More positive news comes from the Town and Country Planning Department, which will soon finalise the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations, 2008. The new regulations will sort out anomalies that have arisen out of acts that have been framed and amended over a period of years. It will stop irregularities that occur due to multiplicity of laws. And will try to enforce recommendations that have been shunted into oblivion - such as regulations to build earthquake-resistant structures. Goa falls in a moderate to low seismic activity zone, but it's still wise to take precautions.
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