PANAJI: Alfredo Lobato de Faria, who completed 100 years on July 6, says that even though the salaries were low in the earlier days, everyone was happy and content and could even make savings.
Hailing from the village of Ribandar, Alfredo spent his entire life in Panaji on the banks of Ourem de Creek along the St Tome lane. He has two daughters Fatima and Filomena while his son had died a couple of years ago. He also has four grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. He was born on July 6, 1917.
After pursuing studies in science, Alfredo joined Santa Casa de Misericordia in Ribandar and worked there for nearly 13 years. He says, “After retirement I worked as accountant with Anand Keni for 20 long years.”
“During my childhood days, there were no buildings, no cars and Panaji was thinly populated with only small houses. Most people used to walk long distances and ride bicycles,” Alfredo, who has diverse interests, recollects adding now a lot of progress has been achieved.
“I have seen Panaji transforming into a modern city and mud houses making way for concrete buildings. There is a sea change in Panaji, with so many skyscrapers, cement concrete houses, so many good roads. In the earlier days, there was no entertainment except football and people used to live on Goan staple food, fish, curry and rice and locally grown vegetables,” Alfredo recollects.
“Except Hotel Mandovi, there was no other hotel in Panaji and Goans by nature were averse to eating out as they felt it was below their dignity to go to a hotel for dinner,” he recollects.
Refusing to divulge any details on Portuguese politics, Alfredo replied that the era is history now adding, “I do not want to speak about it but one thing I can tell you is that although we used to earn pittance, we were happy and content and could even save for posterity.’’
Alfredo, who is an avid reader of newspapers, revealed that he started acting in tiatr at the very tender age of 12 and penned poetry and converted his thoughts into paintings on vases and other things which are still well preserved. He says that writers and researchers still approach him for information adding, “I am losing my memory slowly.”
Alfredo though still has a sharp memory, good eyesight and health without diabetes, deformity or diseases but one has to assist him to walk. There is slight pain in the knees and it turns stiff if he sits for long.
Alfredo was greeted by the Mayor of the Corporation of City of Panaji Surendra Furtado, Minister for Art and Culture Govind Gawade, director of Art and Culture Prasad Lolienkar and deputy director Ashok Parab on completing 100 years.