I was born and raised in Goa and lived here all my life. My bachelor years were difficult. I could not find the right woman for me and whenever my mother told me about soirigoths I would not agree because the girl I am going to marry should be entirely my choice. It was at the end of August when I saw this young lady at the Panjim fair in 1976. I still remember how she smiled at me. She wore a simple cotton dress with delicate floral lace, the kind that fluttered softly in the breeze. Her hair was golden, neatly tied with a ribbon that matched her dress, and it framed her face with soft curls. She had wide, curious brown eyes. At our first glance itself, I felt like she was the woman of my dreams and if she had to ask me to jump into a well for her, trust me, I would have done it. I could not build up the courage to go and speak to her as she was surrounded by her brothers and so all I could do that evening was to gently admire her. This continued for a few days and on the seventh day of the Novena, I spotted her with her lady friends and that is when I went and spoke to her, she had the sweetest little voice- like that of a bird. On the feast day we met at the fair again, I walked to her and wished her a happy feast and kissed her hand. I could tell she was shy. I asked her to ride the giant wheel with me and when we reached the top, she had shut her eyes, she looked so beautiful that night, Panjim city lights from up there were nothing compared to the beauty I was looking at and that is when I realized I have to marry this girl and build our life together. Up there, I felt like I had everything with me. She taught me what love really is.

So, if you want some simple advice, some cheeky banter, and a few Goan stories to entertain yourself, then I will not disappoint. Whether you are a newlywed or celebrating fifty years of being married; whether you are just starting out in the world of love or have loved so many times that you are practically a human heartbreak-radar – I am here to tell you what this old heart knows.

Grab a glass of feni, slip into your slippers and come along with me as I take you on a journey through love, sex, marriage and everything in between—the Goan way. I will be posting everything I learnt through this page with my grandson's help. He actually suggested this when I was telling him how I had a girlfriend when I was 15! This boy is 19 and still has no Girlfriend. How sad!