Sao Joao parties and World Cup fixtures ensure that the working class has much to look forward to mid-week
Crunch fixtures will see fans stay up to watch matches at odd hours and partake in Goa’s biggest party
Did yesterday feel like a normal Monday with its regular dose of the morning blues? If you’ve voted no, then you are probably one of those glued to your TV catching the action of the FIFA World Cup at all odd hours, or weaving your kopel for Sao Joao today (and the continuing celebrations over the week) or just soaking up on the plethora of energetic events on offer. Beating the blues never seems easier this
season indeed!
“It’s been one continuous merry party ever since the FIFA World Cup began and with plans to watch the traditional Sao Joao celebrations in Siolim today, there’s no time to feel blue on Monday,” avers Goa’s ex-national footballer turned artist, Yolanda Sousa Kammermeier. But the general feeling of ennui on Monday, she confesses, has not been her bane. “I am not a person on a regular job nor do I party late, so Monday morning blues are not really my lot; I could feel blue on any other day. Monday
morning blues are more the lot of those working regular jobs, who party hard on weekends,” she states. To add to her fun quotient this football season, Yolanda also spends
considerable time at her easel painting several themes based on the world cup as it unfolds and shares her art on Facebook every
single day.
Bursting with pure energy every morning, young Felly Gomes who
infuses his students with the same
energy doing yoga, dancing or other
activities through his ‘Live Happy’
concept, says there’s no time for the Monday blues. Over the weekend, his students have been enthusiastically working on their garbage awareness programme/float for the Sao Joao
traditional boat
festival. “Monday has been more than energetic with all the preparations for the feast,”
enthuses Felly, who has managed to squeeze in some time to
compose a song for the occasion.
“It’s been a blue Monday and likely to be so for the rest of the football season,” laments
Maendra Alvares. The ‘blues’ are apparently brought on by his staff who troop in for work late, especially after a late night football game. “There are more absentees or
late-comers than usual, so I am compelled to fill in for them,” explains Maendra, who is ‘game’ about the whole ‘tardy season’ as he terms it. With festivities and special activities planned for Sao Joao today, the energy and enthusiasm levels are at an all time high at the Big Foot, Loutolim.
Helping to boost the traditional fervour of Sao Joao with their ‘click a kopel’
contest, Henry and Fenesy Nazareth of O My Goa agree there’s no time this week to feel the ‘Monday blues’ which generally hit them after a long lazy weekend. “Goa is the place to party, so partying is inevitable as is the Monday morning blues, but then
the show must go on,” says this
business couple.
So while the show goes on with a host
of happening events especially this season,
the Monday blues are not likely to come visiting… for a while at least!
