Ans. The elders in Goa are nostalgic about the Portuguese who used to live there. They think of those good old dyas. They recall their famous loaves of bread. They recall the baker who used to make delicious loaves of bread for them.
Q2. Is bread-making still popular in Goa? How do you know?
Ans. Yes, bread-making is still popular in Goa. Cakes and breads are still a part of their food on special occasions. Ladies prepare special sandwiches on the occasion of their daughter's marriage or engagement. We can see the mixers, the moulders and those who bakes loaves in Goa even today.
Q3. What is the baker called?
Ans. In Goa the baker is called Pader.
Q4. When would the baker come everyday? Why did the children run to meet him?
Ans. The baker used to come twice a day. Once, when he set out in the morning on his selling round, and again, when he returned after emptying his basket. When the children hear the jhang jhang' sound of his specially made bamboo, they ran to meet him because they would get their favourite sweet bread.
Q5. What did the bakers wear: (i) in the Portuguese days? (ii) When the author was young?
Ans. In the Portuguese days the bakers used to wear a peculiar dress called ‘kaba. It was a single-piece long frock reaching down to the knees. When the author was young he saw them wearing a shirt and trouser which were shorter than full-length ones and longer than half pants.
Q6. Who invites the comment—"he is dressed like a pader"? Why?
Ans. Anyone who wears a half pant which reaches just below the knees invites the comment that he is dressed like a Pader. It was the traditional dress of the bakers who were called Pader.
Q7. When did the baker collect his bills? Where were the monthly accounts of the baker recorded?
Ans. The baker usually collected his bill at the end of the month. The monthly accounts of the bakers were recorded on some wall. They were written in pencil.
Q8. What does a 'jackfruit-like appearance' mean?
Ans. A jackfruit is plump. Anybody who is fat and healthy is compared to a jackfruit. This term was used for the bakers who were fat, plump and healthy because of their prosperity.
Q.9. Is bread an important part of Goan life? How do you know this?
Ans. Yes, bread is an important part of Goan life. It is an integral part of their food.. their festivals, marriages and engagements are meaningless without sweet bread. Their marriage gifts are incomplete if they do not contain sweet bread. On the engagement ceremony of daughters, every mother prepares sandwiches.
1. Where is Coeerg situated? Why is it famous for?
Ans. Coorg is the smallest district of Karnataka. It is situated between Mysore and Mangalore. It is famous for its coffee gardens, spices, and rainforests.
2. What is the story about the Kodavu people's descent ?
Ans. There are two stories about the Coorgi descent. One story says that they are descended from the Greeks. Their martial traditions and their religious rites are like those of the Greeks. The other story says that they are descended from the Arabs. Their coat called kuppia resembles the kuffia worn by the Arabs.
3. What does the writer say about the bravery of the Coorgi people?
Ans. The Coorgis are very brave people. There are many tales about their bravery. The Coorg Regiment is one of the most decorated regiments of the Indian Army. The Coorgis are the only ones in India who are allowed to carry firearms without a licence. These people are very fond of adventure sports.
4. What is the Greek theory about the descent of the Kodavu people?
Ans. It is believed that a part of Alexander's army moved south and settled in Coorg. It was not possible for them to go back. They married among the locals. It is clear from the martial traditions and the religious rites of the Coorgis. They are the same as those of Greeks.
5. What is the Arab theory about the descent of the Kodavu people?
Ans. The Coorgis wear a coat called the kuppia. It has an embroidered waist-belt. This kuppia resembles the kuffia worn by the Arabs. Thus it is believed that the Coorgis are descended from the Arabs.
6. Write how you can get to Coorg from Bangalore.
Ans. We can get to Coorg from Bangalore by road. There are two routes from Bangalore. One route is via Mysore. The other is via Neelamangal. Both are almost the same distance. It is around 250-260 km. The route via Mysore is the more frequented one.
7. What is the best season to visit Coorg? How is the weather during this season?
Ans. The best season to visit Coorg is from September to March. It is the time of the season of joy. The weather is perfect. It is very pleasant. The air breathes of refreshing coffee.
Ans. Pranjol and Rajvir were classmates. Pranjol's father was the manager of a tea garden in upper Assam. The two boys were going there to spend their summer vacation. They were going by train.
2. What happened when the train stopped at the first station in Assam?
Ans. A vendor came selling hot tea. Pranjol and Rajvir got from him two cups of tea. They began to sip the hot tea. Soon they saw that almost everyone in the compartment was drinking tea.
3. What did Rajvir and Pranjol do after the train pulled out of the station?
Ans. Pranjol became busy in reading a detective book. But Rajvir wanted to look at the beautiful scenery outside. It was green and green everywhere. Rajvir had never seen so much greenery before.
4. What did Pranjol do while sitting in the train and why?
Ans. Pranjol remained lost in reading a detective book. He was not keen to watch the scenery outside. He was born and brought up on a plantation. So he didn't have Rajvir's excitement to look at the greenery outside.
5. What Chinese story did Rajvir tell about the discovery of tea?
Ans. There was a Chinese emperor. He always boiled water before drinking it. One day, some twigs were burning under the pot. A few leaves from the twigs fell into the pot. They gave the water a delicious flavour. It is said that those were tea leaves.
6. What is the Indian legend about the discovery of tea?
Ans. There was a Buddhist ascetic named Bodhidharma. He often felt sleepy during his meditations. To stop this, he cut off his eyelids. It is said that ten tea plants grew out of the eyelids. The leaves of these plants when put in hot water and drunk banished sleep.
7. Where was tea first drunk? When did it come to Europe?
Ans. Tea was first drunk in China about 5000 years ago. In fact, words such as tea, ‘chai’ and ‘chini’ are from China. Tea came to Europe only 400 years ago. In Europe it was drunk more as medicine than as beverage.
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