About Local Goan
Welcome to localgoan.com for the ultimate Goan vibe!
A local Goan holiday should span the entire State to discover the true essence of Goa. This website hopes to reveal a Goa that is beyond…
The Custom Blue Building and a Museum on the Block
The Indian Customs and Central Excise Museum opened its doors in June 2022, after getting a fresh lease of life and paint literally and is able to offer some delightful surprises to its visitors. The building itself is an attractive heritage structure built around 1600, enough for some Instagramable shots and would beat the buildings in the Latin Quarter of the city of Panjim. Now known as The Blue Building, it is an attempt to have its indigo outdoors as a reminder of the colour indigo that used to be one of the commodities that was traded during the colonial era. The original set of keys that would open the main door of the building have also been preserved and displayed.
Also known as Dharohar, ithouses the first museum of its kind, highlighting the work of Department of Customs and Central Excise. Spaced at two floors, there is a treasure-trove of history and of course seized goods. Tickets are priced very reasonably and on payment an audio guide is also available. Open from 10 a.m. to 5p.m., Tuesdays to Sundays, it is closed on Mondays.
Learn to speak Konkani, like a Local Goan
Goa like the rest of the country is quite multilingual. With the influx of people coming in from all over the country to either settle permanently or temporarily thanks to the Work from Home trend, one is bound to hear all types of regional languages. In addition, the state relies on a huge labour workforce coming in from the rest of the country.The need for outside labour peaks during the fishing or holiday season when extra hands are required at the beach shacks or hotels.
While English is widely spoken, Konkani is the primary and official language that shares its space with Marathi. However, if one actually goes to the market areas, due to the influx of vegetable and fruit vendors coming in from outside the state, chances are you may bargain in Hindi. To actually hear the local Goan banter in Konkani and the manner of speaking, I suggest it is best to head to the fish market.
Learn to speak Portuguese…when in Goa!
Goa, unlike the rest of the country was a Portuguese colony for around 450 years, until it was liberated in 1961 and became an integral part of India. Though it has been a couple of decades since its liberation, the influence of its culture still persists very much and can be experienced daily through the architecture, food, music and of course the Portuguese language. The Portuguese language is not widely spoken as it used to be at one time, however there are pockets in the state where families still speak Portuguese like it is their primary language.This could also be due to the fact, that it was common in yesteryears for many Goans go to Africa for work and hence some of them would end up in the Portuguese colonies there like Angola and Mozambique. And so practically, Portuguese would be their working language, more than English or Konkani. These language skills were passed on to the new generation in the family, though it has been on the decline of late. English replaced it gradually, post liberation and now of course there is an emphasis to speak Konkani at least in the local dialect.
One may find at times, older people at social occasions shifting their language and conversation once they realise that they have company in the Portuguese language. It may seem inappropriate and a bit cliquish in that given moment, but it can be fun when you ‘secretly’ do understand if not speak the language. Going around, one will find some Portuguese signage that have been there since preliberation. Partly, the attraction to Goa is a confluence of the very European Portuguese refinement and Indian hospitality. I think that what makes Goa very different from the rest of the country, the nature of local people and that unique Goan hospitality.
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