GoSocial

Not again

2009-02-01T21:21:00.001+05:30

My interest is not in running this blog but to get some relief from my daily headaches.
Was sitting on net for quite some time now searching the causes of headache. But my headache is so bad that i dont even feel like looking at it. Am so fed up of life!

Dear friend,

2009-01-16T17:21:00.001+05:30

Dear friend,
How I wish I had never met you,
Never had spent those beautiful moments with you.
For now I curse myself for being so nice.

What I did wrong oh my dear?
That you found me dead in bundle of tears.
I cried and cried but you didn’t hear.

I searched for you everywhere.
But you were to be seen no where.
How am I to see you when you are so far?
No distance between us but only clouds.

We always appreciated for what we have been
But still this distance had to come in between.
If I had guts I would jump in the well.
Why would I jump when anyways I am in hell?

Medium beyond words

2009-01-15T21:28:00.001+05:30

Art is not natural. It is made and developed by man. We have to learn and understand art if we want to appreciate it. Cinema is a modern art as it cannot be made without the help of machine, Science, and Technology, said Shri Sudhir Nandgaonkar, General Secretary of Film Societies of India, Mumbai (FFSI). He was speaking as a resourse person on the occasion of a film appreciation workshop conducted by the Department of French and Francophone studies, Goa University on 14th of January. Shri Nandagaonkar further said that it took 30 years for cinema to develop as an art form. Initially it was called ‘marvel of the century’. Cinema is the medium beyond words. Cinema is based on images. The monopoly of words was taken over by the monopoly of images. After the discovery of moving images the tyranny of words was over. The language of images is the language beyond words and to understand the language of images is film appreciation.

I was very happy to have attended this workshop. I would say that instead of me attending this workshop I was somehow made to attend it. First of all even when the notice was put weeks ago, I just happened to read it while going for the class on the same day. In the class I was thinking whether I should bunk the lecture. Fortunately sir came late that day. On coming to class he said that both the lectures for the day were cancelled on an account of singing competition organized by Goa University and a 2 day seminar to be organized by the department of Sociology. I was still wondering whether I should go for the workshop as the last date of application was over long back. I decided to take a chance. Just then a friend of mine exclaimed “hey Preeti, don’t go ya we’ll go for singing competition…”After hearing that I came to the conference hall where the workshop was being conducted.

The workshop concluded after watching a film “Children of heaven” and discussion on it.

Jaipur fun cont.

2009-01-15T19:21:00.011+05:30

I am sorry. As told in the earlier post, I could not keep up my
promise of writing on the blog. But now I am in a mood of writing
so let me go on.

One thing I noticed in Jaipur especially in the University of Rajasthan was there are lots of pigeons and squirrels. I have been hearing since my childhood that if you see a squirrel your day goes well. I dont know how far it is true but my days were quite okay.

I liked Rajasthani music and food. One speciality about Rajasthani music I would like to say is that it just keeps its audience awake. Unlike lectures which are boring and often put you to sleep (atleast I find lectures boring and I learn that people of my age generally do) the music is traditional as well as gets its younger generation interested in it.

What shall I say about food. It is just awesome. Only for your information, the ghee which was used in food for one day could have been used throughout a year in a Goan household.I just wished I could have a photo of one food item to put on the blog. But unfortunately the battery used to go off just when I found a good shot. May be the camera has its own wish and can get lazy when I think it can't.

Fun and fun in pink city Jaipur

2009-01-12T22:46:00.018+05:30

Its been more then a week now since we returned from Jaipur and I am thinking how lazy I am to put up all the exciting things we did in Jaipur on this blog. You must be wondering what I am talking about. Let me explain you a bit.

We, a group of 10 Goa University students from the department of Sociology accompanied by our 4 seniors had recently been to a Sociological conference held in Jaipur, Rajasthan. We were not accompanied by any professors. The entire responsibility of us (though we are adults and all that stuff...) was taken by Shoaib.

The journey began on 25th of December, 2008. I thought I will write something about the preparations of going for the Conference on 25th. This time I was not lazy , but net frequently got disconnected.

We began from Madgaon railway station at around 9:30 p.m. after which we had great dinner in the railway. Next day we reached Bandra station. From there we caught a train to Jaipur. We reached Jaipur on the day of the Conference i.e on the 27th. We came to the University by hiring a rickshaw. 2 days of travel in the train and no accomodation on reaching there. We managed to attend the inaugural session with the stink in a posh hall with posh people.

Feeling lazy and tired again. Will write about more exciting and crazy things and about how we got our accomodation tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Futi Filmistani

2009-01-08T10:54:00.002+05:30

Night had fallen. The street lamps glowed lazily over Ayeshaa theatre where the ‘Jade Buddha’ and ‘Ramu’ waited in silence. They were a decoy for the person most unwanted by friends.

The guy came riding his Honda Eterno. It was a rare coffee night out with friends. “Hi guys!” and then he spoke his signature sentence “Hey Ramu, u got the movie named….?”

Movies, parties and backing off from risky things at last moment. That’s ‘Futi Filmistani’ in a nutshell. With his electronic beggar’s bowl-an eight GB Kingston pen drive, he frequents the residence of anyone who can give him a movie, a computer game or a good software application. This man is officially rejected by friends. He is not a part of our group. Unable to find a different group, he pressurizes some of us to accompany him to multiplexes for a movie or two. The tolerant, calm Jade Buddha, a stressed out Ramu and me are his main victims.

One night, we had planned a trip to some place and were counting on Futi’s presence. When he learnt that it would take until 2 am to return home, he was mad. Still we took him with us. All was well until Futi got a call from his home and suddenly started screaming “Ab meri futi…baba meri futi (now I am busted….I am so busted!). He took his bike and frantically rushed home alone in the middle of the night. From that day on, he bears the nickname Futi.

Futi is actually a guy with a golden heart. Having tried his luck enough in education, he joined his dad in their hotel and catering business. It is difficult to assess him because he seldom talks about serious things. I have already mentioned the three things on top of his agenda. He is seen helping his dad in his work but is known to leave it halfway. Pure of heart and deeply emotional, I see him everyday dying to recruit friends. Not us, friends in general. His generosity provides a glimpse of his high end lifestyle. Very few people know that Futi is a man with a full wallet and a pro at handling business. He has cooked and fed the customers at his restaurant without anyone’s help.

Sometimes I think he is a child who has forgotten to grow up. Let me get this clear. At some point of our life, we are all influenced by movies. Again, all of us have understood where fantasy stops and reality begins. Futi is a young adult caught up in the mentality of a teenager. He knows about business, cash management, he has the capability to take risks and get through. The only thing he has always feared- yes I am using the correct word- feared, is taking responsibility. People have hinted time and again but the hints have failed to reach him. His parents taunt him all the time and he finds solace in movies.

Warm at first, friends started avoiding him as they got busy in their careers. A distressed Futi then turned to our official spiritual guru the Jade Buddha. Not for a way out of his immaturity but because he thought he could easily subdue JB into wandering with him. I had just left MA and was pondering over my future. A cunning JB directed Futi to me and got himself out. Being Futi’s next door neighbor, I couldn’t get rid of him. I told him I had my audio studio to run. Futi however found that I entertained friends better then I treated him. To control his discontent, I agreed to give him a treat at a local ice cream parlor. The party was full of surprises. Not for him, for me. There, Futi gave me an offer to invest Rs. 5000 in the share market. A movie addict talking of share market? I was shocked.

Then came another shock. While his dad ran the restaurant, Futi had expanded their business into dealership in cashew nuts. He did not hang out with friends because they were nocturnal creatures and he had a shop to open every morning.

He knew that his well doing restaurant might go to his brother currently pursuing commerce in higher secondary school. The cashew business was his alternative. A third shock. He knew! The movie-talk was a deception. He left his restaurant neglected to secure his cashew deals. His brother would have to deal with the turmoil in the restaurant. He was quietly testing the share market for capital. Global economic downturn meant availability of shares at cheaper prices. Bleed now, gain later.

He was not a bumbling movie addict; he was a brilliant market analyst.

The guy I thought was a cat, is actually a tiger.
.

Go Create meeting

2008-10-25T23:36:00.002+05:30

As it is done every week, a meeting of Go create club was held at the International Center Goa in Donapaul on October 22, 2008. The ambience of richly decorated ‘Sal’ hall was giving us an illusion of a high-level diplomatic meeting. Today’s goal was to learn about Windows Movie Maker. Before we began, we watched a DST by Venisha Fernandes. The film highlighted the divide between and the problems faced by the rich and the poor.

We divided ourselves into four teams of two each and started meddling with the four laptops that we had. In spite of a skillful instructor, each team was troubled with different problems. The difference of style between Windows Vista and Windows XP confused several people, others battled with technical problems and faulty equipment. In this session, we acquainted ourselves with Windows Movie Maker. Even though we used ready-made story and pics, our experiment was quite successful. During this meeting, we also discussed some opportunities the field of film making offered us and decided to take into consideration how we could avail of those opportunities.

The meeting was a delightful experience for all the participants apart for those waiting for a tea break. The session ended without one.

GoSocial Welcomes Nara students.

2008-08-26T23:02:00.025+05:30

The one day program titled "Hallo Goa Nara" will be held on September 6th at the International Centre Goa . It is a day long event starting from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. where Goan students will get an opportunity to interact with Japanese students.The program is challenging as we do not share common language with our Japanese collegues and thus its focus will be nonverbal communication which will give us a glimpse of the other person and culture.

GoSocial team takes great pleasure in Welcoming Nara students.

Shanti Morajkar
Interests:reading, listening to music.

Avita Gonsalves
Interests: listening to music, dancing, drawing.

Priyanka Velip
Interests: listening to music, cooking

Venisha Fernandes
Interests: reading, writing poems, interacting with people, travelling, history, badminton.

Prajyoti Khorjuvekar
Interests: travelling, listening to music.

Anita Barreto
Interests: reading, cooking, singing.

Stacy Mascarenhas
Interests: reading, cooking, listening to music

Navrishka Seebaluk
Interests: reading, travelling, writing, listening to music, socialisiing with friends.

Melisa Fernandes
Interests: singing, dancing and cooking.

Munira Ursula Desouza
Interests: reading, travelling, listening to music,

cooking, making new friends.

Preeti Padgaonkar
Interests: surfing the net, watching the movies, eating, meeting new people, touring.

Fun trip to Vasco

2008-08-14T00:55:00.002+05:30

On 12th August we decided to go for "Vasco Saptah". Since it was Tuesday, it was difficult for us to leave early. Lectures get over at 2:15 p.m. and we do not have guts to ask ma'm to leave us early. So what to do? Vasco is atleast at 1 hr. distance from Goa University and we had to return back soon.

We have 2 continuous lectures on Tuesdays with half hour break in between. As soon as first lecture got over we began digging into each others tiffin. (No time to eat after 2:15. Remember?)

To our surprise ma'm left us 15 mins. early and we began running as fast as possible to catch the first bus from University. But to our dissappointment the bus had just left. Another bus takes atleast 20 -30 mins. to come. So did we loose hope?............ Not at all.

We began stopping the cars. After some time one car stopped and we just got into it. I bet he will never stop for us again..............coz...........imagine eight of us in one car sitting on each others lap. From Bambolim we got lift till Cortalim. We managed to reach Vasco by 3:10 p.m. Our seniors were already there waiting for us.

We had Vasco special "Pav bhaji" and "Shev puri". Then we began shopping and you can imagine girls shopping. They never finish fast and those who do not like shopping feel hungry soon. We got lost and had to contact each other through cell phones (half of the time we were advertising for it).

After three hours of shopping, we realized how much shopping is left. But with no choice we had to return home and this time by bus.

Learning to blog

2008-07-25T01:15:00.004+05:30

We returned from our workshop to usual lectures feeling happy to be young film- makers.Today as we were having a session on blogging, the net got disconnected.
Disappointed we began watching our films and all we could get was enthusiasm that was lost a few seconds ago.We saw a small dst "Encountering Mario" by Ms. Pamela D'Mello. It was a great learning experience.

Day 5: Curtain Call

2008-07-23T01:07:00.004+05:30

Over the past 5 days, participants of the Digital Storytelling Workshop have been pouring over their scripts, painstakingly drawing storyboards and visuals, recording voiceovers, visualising transitions and all the while grappling with the intricacies of the software. And boy, did they come through tops! The enthusiasm with which they began the workshop was just as palpable on the 5th and final day, with each participant seeking to give their best for their first-time efforts.

While the process was exciting enough, the highlight for all was the screening of the 8 films from each participant. Some members of the faculty of Goa University and artist/arts teacher, Apurva Kulkarni too were in attendence. The efforts of our young storytellers and DST as a whole were highly appreciated by the audience. The participants it seems, will now go on to submitting their class assignments in this format. That's a good beginning!

And here are the final films for your viewing pleasure...

Meri Life Meri Hai! by Jay Joshi

Mango Moods by Munira de Souza

Tongue in Ice by Venisha Fernandes

Memories Sweet & Sour by Carol D'Souza

View from Above by Navrishka Seebaluk

Lost Love by Vernul Sequeira

Avita's Anger by Avita Gonsalves

Pending by Janet Sam

Day 4: Making My Film

2008-07-21T18:25:00.012+05:30

Everyone returned after a Sunday busy finalising their stories and collecting pictures. Today was the day marked for starting one's own story. Sharing story boards, discussing motion and transition, backgound music and above all geting our voice just right while telling our stories.

In the midst of this the University Grants Commission XI Plan Committee visited the Laboratry we were working in. Their purpose is to evaluate the University and propose additional funding for the University.

Professor Dahiya, MD University Rohtak and Professor Prithvi Yadav (IIM Indore) stopped by the Social Science Computer Lab, acquainted themselves with the facility and took keen interest in the Digital Story Telling Workshop.

To showcase this initiative we showed them Jay Joshi's film from day 2 titled 'The Journey of Man'. They had a word with participants and the facilitators. We do wish that DST gets a shot in the arm at Goa University.

At the end of an exciting and tiring day, we have complete the rough cuts. We shall work on fine-tuning tomorrow and create the final cuts and the end of the workshop.

Watch this blog tomorow for the final output - our very own digitial stories.

A Film in 60 minutes

2008-07-19T23:45:00.004+05:30

So how do you react when told you must complete your first digital story and you have just 60 minutes? Panic? Zapped? Laid-back? Can-do-will-do? We had all of that and more on the second day of the Digital Storytelling workshop at the Goa University.

Why 60 minutes? The GoCreat DST workshops believe in learning using a hands-on method. And so, as part of teaching MS PhotoStory on day 2, participants are given a set of 20 images and 10 audio tracks. From these, they go on to script a story using no more than 6 images, their own voiceover and the available audio tracks as background music. And yes, there are just 60 minutes to do this in. There's no better way to learn a new skill than under pressure! Is there? Well ok, they did get some extra minutes, but hey, you get the drift, right?

And here are the films that came out of day 2...

The Big Question Mark by Avita Gonsalves

The Journey of Man by Jay Joshi

Life is Beautiful by Venisha Fernandes

A New Beginning by Munira de Souza

Dreamland by Navrishka Seebaluk

Success by Janet Sam

Its my Dream House by Carol D'Souza

The participants now work on their story draft, storyboard and collect visuals tomorrow, and get back on day 4 to create their very own movies. Stay tuned.

Digital Storytelling Workshop July 2008

2008-07-18T16:45:00.004+05:30

On July 18th, 2008, the Department of Sociology, Goa University began a four day workshop conducted by GoCreat for students who wanted to learn digital story telling (DST). Students who signed up for the workshop began by sharing why they joined the workshop:

I have watched the movies in class and I was amazed by the power that the movies had. The impact of storytelling on ones life is very impressionable and I do believe that everyone has a story to tell.
- Navrishka Seebaluk

Digital story telling will certainly give me a better platform to put my views across. Through this workshop I will be learning the techniques of writing interesting and powerful stories.
-Carol Dsouza

Today, youngsters shy away from reading, but a new medium like this will surely attract them and give opportunity to get exposed to thoughts of various writers more effectively.
- Venisha Fernandes

The main purpose of joining this course is to relive memorable moments of my life, I would like to make movies for my friends and add it to my list of life and live it forever.
-Avita Gonsalves

I found it interesting and I would like to learn how to make digital stories

-Munira Ursula de Souza

After I complete this course I can even share my ideas with others which will also help them to develop their interest in this workshop.
- Janet Sam

After spending several years in our education system I have come to feel that my liking for stories and my imagination have been suppressed. Digital story telling will provide me with a rare opportunity to open up and reinvent myself as a story teller.

- Jay Joshi (Political Science)

I am interested in this workshop because it will help me express myself the way I want to.

- Vernul Sequeira (English)

Welcome to GoSocial

2008-07-18T16:45:00.000+05:30

Welcome to the GoSocial site, home of the students of the Department of Sociology, Goa University (India) who have chosen to explore multimedia expression.