He is known as the feni man and has done much to promote it. Despite all the pressures, Mac Vaz however likes to live life on his terms. For the lean and mean looking Mac Vaz, his day usually commences at 6 am. It means it is time for a run on the Miramar beach which is then followed by a strenuous workout at the gym. This routine he admits has in the recent past been more irregular than regular. He then likes to drop his son to school and leave for office.
Despite being in the business of giving Goa’s own feni a unique personality, he does not drink it. From ‘Goan treasure’ and ‘Lembranca’ Mac has marked a niche for this very Goan spirit around the world. With regards to food, he says he is not a foodie. He said “In order of preference I love Konkan, Coorgi and North West Frontier food and yes steaks of course. Actually except for my youngest fellow who loves pizzas and pastas we as a family love experimenting with ethnic food from across India.”
With regards to movies, he enjoys Hindi movies which he likes to watch along with his family. He says “None of my family till date like to accompany me to watch a Tiatr or a Marathi play an interest which I developed during my stint in Nasik.”
Taking holidays and enjoying it is a lot like their love for food. Off the beaten track it is. Mac explains “Travel for us is generally off the beaten track, we don’t mind roughing it out in tents and home stays. Very often our holidays are in the proximity of where we can catch up on horse riding which fortunately all my kids enjoy. I still have to get my wife to mount a horse. In my travels within the country I noticed that we have unsung and unknown places that make you proud of India. We recently visited the Mihir Garh in Jodhpur, which was voted as the finest boutique heritage place in the world. Another place we loved and are going again when we can all take a vocation on is the Golden Chariot. This year in December, in order to do justice to my daughter’s interest in wildlife we will be in Tadoba and Pench for a story she is writing for an in flight magazine.” With regards to music he likes reggae, jazz instrumental, Konkani and Hindi music.
Despite a hectic schedule, he is a voracious reader and is presently reading The complete International Jew by Henry Ford. Man of various interests, his time at a military school has given him a great love for Equestrian sport. Tent pegging was his forte and he represented his school in Maharastra. He felt disappointed that the government’s plan to set up a equestrian facility in Dhargal was not realized but he hopes that with Goa being the host state of the next National Games the planned land for the sport will be allocated so that the horses that have been committed to Goa by different clubs and individual can be moved here.
He said “This will open up a new dimension to Goa Tourism besides youth in Goa getting an opportunity to indulge in a sporting tradition of India which is imbedded in our history.”
His education at a military school has given him an outlook that encompasses the country. He remains a supporter the Palestinian solidarity forum and Panun Kashmir an organization fighting for the Kasmiri Pandits displacement cause and is a staunch supporter of Indo- Pakistani Amity.
He remains enthralled by the armed forces and enjoys participating and contributing to those related to the armed forces. He says “We do our little bit but nothing you do for the forces can match what they do for us as civilians.” In addition he has invited Usha Alburquque a Career Consultant to give a talk on Careers for youth on January 3, 2016.
Firmly convinced that Pakistan is not India’s enemy number one he had planned a trip to Lahore and Pindi which is also a bastion of Polo but sadly for him his wife vetoed the idea.
