NCERT Book Class 10 English First Flight Ch 7 Glimpses of India pdf
Glimpses of India
Part A
A Baker from Goa
This is a pen-portrait of a traditional Goan village baker who still has an important place in his society.
Our elders are often heard recalling nostalgically about those good old Portuguese days, the Portuguese and their famous loaves of bread. Those eaters of loaves might have vanished but the makers are still there. We still have amongst us the mixers, the moulders and those who bake the loaves. Those age-old, time tested oven still exist. The fire in the furnaces(oven) has not yet been extinguished. The thud and jingle of the traditional baker’s bamboo, heralding his arrival in the morning, can still be heard in some places. Maybe the father is not alive but the son still carries on the family profession. These bakers are, even today, known as pader in Goa.
During our childhood in Goa, the baker used to be our friend, companion and guide. He used to come at least twice a day. Once, when he set out in the morning on his selling round, and then again, when he returned after emptying his huge basket. The jingling thud of his bamboo woke us up from sleep and we ran to meet and greet him. Why was it so? Was it for the love of the loaf? Not at all. The loaves were bought by some Paskine or Bastine, the maid-servant of the house! What we longed for were those bread-bangles which we chose carefully. Sometimes it was sweet bread of special make.
The baker made his musical entry on the scene with the ‘jhang, jhang’ sound of his specially made bamboo staff. One hand supported the basket on his head and the other banged the bamboo on the ground. He would greet the lady of the house with “Good morning” and then place his basket on the vertical bamboo. We kids would be pushed aside with a mild rebuke and the loaves would be delivered to the servant. But we would not give up. We would climb a bench or the parapet and peep into the basket, somehow. I can still recall the typical fragrance of those loaves. Loaves for the elders and the bangles for the children. Then we did not even care to brush our teeth or wash our mouths properly. And why should we? Who would take the trouble of plucking the mango-leaf for the toothbrush? And why was it necessary at all? The tiger never brushed his teeth. Hot tea could wash and clean up everything so nicely, after all!
Marriage gifts are meaningless without the sweet bread known as the bol, just as a party or a feast loses its charm without bread. Not enough can be said to show how important a baker can be for a village. The lady of the house must prepare sandwiches on the occasion of her daughter’s engagement. Cakes and bolinhas are a must for Christmas as well as other festivals. Thus, the presence of the baker’s furnace in the village is absolutely essential.
The baker or bread-seller of those days had a peculiar dress known as the kabai. It was a single piece long frock reaching down to the knees. In our childhood we saw bakers wearing a shirt and trousers which were shorter than full-length ones and longer than half pants. Even today, anyone who wears a half pant which reaches just below the knees invites the comment that he is dressed like a pader!
The baker usually collected his bills at the end of the month. Monthly accounts used to be recorded on some wall in pencil. Baking was indeed a profitable profession in the old days. The baker and his family never starved. He, his family and his servants always looked happy and prosperous. Their plump physique was an open testimony to this. Even today any person with a jackfruit-like physical appearance is easily compared to a baker
Words: Nostalgically – remembering old days; Loaves – bread that is shaped and baked in a single piece and can be sliced for eating; Moulders – decomposer; Decaying and staying fresh; thud – bump; jingle – ring; heralding- announcing; mild rebuke- an expression of disapproval, a scolding; parapet- railing in the house; fragrance- scent; plump physique- pleasantly fat body; open testimony- public statement about a character or quality
Question 1: What are the elders in Goa nostalgic about ?
Answer: The elders in Goa are nostalgic about good old Portuguese days. They recall their famous loaves of bread. They also recall the bakers who used to make loaves of bread for them.
Question 2: Is bread making still popular in Goa ? How do you know ?
Answer: Bread making is still popular in Goa. The Portuguese who were eaters of those bread have left. But the makers are still there. The furnaces still exist. The fire in them has not extinguished
Question 3: How did the baker make his musical entry?
Answer: The baker made his musical entry with ‘jhang-jhang’ sound of his bamboo staff. His one hand supported the basket on his head and the other banged the bamboo on the ground. Thus he would make everyone know of his arrival.
Question 4: When did the baker collect his bills? How we’re the accounts maintained ?
Answer: The bakers used to collect their bills at the end of the month. They maintained their accounts on some wall. They we’re written in pencil. It was their way of keeping accounts.
Question 5: How did the baking use to be a profitable profession ?
Answer: Baking was really a profitable profession in the old days. The baker and his family never starved. He, his family and his servants always looked happy and prosperous. Their plump bodies were an open testimony to this.
Question 6: Why does the author call the baker his childhood friend, companion and guide ?
Answer: The baker daily brought bread- Bangles which the author loved to eat. So he called the baker his friend. He was his companion too. The thud and jingle of the baker made the author wake up . He also called the baker his guide because his arrival would mean the wake up time for the author.
Short Question Answers
1. How do the Goan people react to their colonial past?
The Goan people are quite attached to their colonial past under the Portuguese rule. They still remember those days as the good old Portuguese days with the Portuguese people and their famous loaves of bread.
2. Is bread-making still popular in Goa? How?
Bread-making is like a tradition in Goa. Though the old bakers have died but their sons have carried the legacy (inheritance) it forward. The age-old furnaces still exist and are still in use. The process of baking is still the same like it was during the Portuguese rule. It shows that bread-making is still popular in Goa.
3. Why would the baker come everyday? What announced his arrival?
The baker would come everyday to deliver the loaves of bread to the houses. He would carry the traditional bamboo staff and its ‘jhang, jhang’ sound would announce his arrival.
4. What would the baker do after his musical entry?
After his musical entry he would greet the lady of the house with ‘good morning’ and then place his basket on the vertical bamboo.
5. How did he treat the kids who surrounded him?
The pader was very kind and tolerant. When the kids would surround him he would push them aside with a mild rebuke.
6. How did the children get along with the baker?
Or
Why would the children run to meet the baker as soon as he arrived?
The children were attracted to the sweet fragrance of the bread loaves. They liked to eat the bread-bangles or the special sweet breads meant for them. Moreover, they treated the baker as their friend, companion and guide. So they would run to meet him.
7. How do you know the kids were excited about the bread?
They would surround him. When they were not able to see what was inside the basket they would climb on a bench and peep into the basket to get the sweet fragrance. They would eat the bread even before brushing their teeth.
8. The tiger never brushed his teeth.’ Why does the author say so?
The children are as free as the tiger in the jungle. They do not care about brushing their teeth or washing their mouths. They start eating as soon as they wake up. The author presents their carefree attitude by supporting it with the example of a tiger.
9. What are the different varieties of bread? Which occasions are they associated with?
Or
What are bol and bolinhas? Why are they necessary and when?
Different varieties of bread are – bol, cakes and bolinhas. These are traditionally associated with different occasion’s e.g.,
· The sweet bread bol as a marriage gift.
· The sandwiches are essential on engagements.
· The cakes and bolinhas are must on Christmas and other festivals.
10. What did the bakers wear (i) in the Portuguese days (ii) when the author was young?
(i) In the old Portuguese days, the bakers used to wear the traditional ‘Kabai’ dress. It was a single-piece long frock reaching out to the knees.
(ii) When the author was young, the bakers used to wear shirts and trousers which were shorter than full length ones and longer than half-pants.
11. How was baking a profitable profession?
Baking was really a profitable profession as the bread was important part of the food of the Goan people. The bakers earned well and kept servants. They were plump. Their families looked happy and prosperous. They never starved.
12. What image of a baker comes before the eyes on reading ‘A Baker from Goa’?
Or
Describe a Goan baker.
A Goan baker appears to be a plump and healthy man, wearing the traditional Kabai dress. He carries a bamboo staff and a huge basket. He is welcomed and respected everywhere. He is called a ‘pader’.
13. What are the author’s views about a Goan baker?
Or
What importance does a baker enjoy in a Goan village?
A baker is very important and essential for a Goan village. He does not merely represent a profession but a highly admired Portuguese tradition. His breads are essential on each and every occasion. He enjoys respect and love of the people. The children consider him their friend, companion and guide.
14. What does a ‘jackfruit -like appearance’ mean?
A ‘jackfruit-like appearance’ means a plump physique. Such a physique was linked to the bakers because they never starved. Baking was a profitable profession. The baker, his family, and his servants always looked happy and prosperous and had a ‘jackfruit-like appearance’
LONG QUESTIONS
Question 1. Why is the presence of baker’s furnace in the village absolutely necessary? What does this tell you about the social and family life of the Portuguese explaining the in content with the value system of the society.
Answer: The presence of a baker’s furnace in the village is absolutely necessary. The baker with his fragrant and sweet loaves holds a special place in the lives of the Goans. Though the old bakers have died but their offsprings still continue the family profession. The sweet loaves of bread are very popular. Even in the marriage gift, it is of utmost importance to include the sweet bread, sandwiches, bolinhas and other bakery items.
These items are prepared in furnaces that still exist. It throws light on the family and social life of the people. The society has a rich value system. We must also live together with love and follow the rituals passed on to us through generations. Modernity must not be at the cost of forgetting our own traditions. The elders have a wisdom to enrich (improve) the younger generations’ radical(essential) views. There must be a balance between the traditional and social culture and modern views.
Question 2. India is known for its old traditions. There is unity in diversity. It is all because we the Indians never forget our culture and tradition. We always cherish the traditional practices. Do you agree? Give your views with reference to the lesson ‘A Baker from Goa’ where the author is nostalgic about the bakers and the traditional cakes of Goa.
Answer: The author of ‘A Baker from Goa’ appreciate the traditional practices in Goa. He recalls his encounter with the traditional bakers of Goa. It is true that we, Indians, never forget our cultures and traditions. We are known for our traditional food.. It gives us a sense of pride when we think about our practices. The baker in the story represents the class of traditional professionals who are still keeping the old practices alive. Lucio Rodrigues tells us that when he was a child, he had a good companionship with a baker. He tells that the bread was baked in the furnace.
The bakers were called the paders. In Portuguese time, there were eaters of loaves who appreciated traditional bread making. The author does not live in Goa but he still remembers the old days. He might have forgotten so many things but he still remembers everything about the traditions of Goa.