After reading Lango's comments it's not a bad idea to go to the Ex Pats and Owners Abroad Forum and look up the Goans are Friendly but don't leave your brain on the runway thread.

In case you can't find said thread:
http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=89373

How people can be so niave is beyond belief IMO. As Goandentist says you need to go thru many procedures to be able to buy property in Goa, so what exactly was going on.
Its just another negative thread about Goa, and I appreciate everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I know Goa is far from perfect, but quite frankly I am getting fed up with some people seeing the bad side and being negative at every opportunity. What will 1st time visitors thinking reading all this stuff I dread to think!

Well said Gemma,although people are entitled to an opinion its a bit disheartening.
I think we all secretly know what goes on behind the smiles.

Personally it gives me as much pleasure to give to my friends as they get from receiving gifts. I have been friends with a couple of families who work on the beach for years - I have known them for years since the children were small - they are now adults. Do they see me as a soft touch, probably. They never ask me for anything or tell me sob stories etc.They are working hard to make a better life for their children to ensure they don't have to live the same life as they have had. I am more fortunate than them so happy to help.
They have very little but invite you into their homes for a meal. I am invited to their weddings. They have phoned twice since I have been home (not yet two weeks) - they are my friends.
I too wish people would stop being so negative, there is good and bad in every walk of life - can't we concentrate on what we love about Goa instead of knocking it at every opportunity.

How many of the lowly paid workers do you know ie, shack lads ,taxi drivers ,waiters, pool attendants ect, DONT have mobile phones i will bet it's not many........KJF

They have mobile phones ..because us kind people brought them to them as a gift.... better to give them to someone than the phones in a drawer ...SO WHAT ...if we give tips and gifts to people less fortunate than we are it makes me feel better when I give anything to anyone .....words could not express how it made me feel to give the beach shack lads footie tops my son no longer wants ......give street kids shoes that are too small for my kids .....and a few bob to room boys and bar staff .......when you give you get back in other ways .... :its not as if the things we give to people cost anything they are things we no longer want ...as for the money they need it more than I do......colleen

Horror of horrors I gave my lads a couple of phones, they were well chuffed. Even worse they had just got electricity in their little home so I and my two friends bought them a little TV. The one phone call was to tell me that there were 12 little kids crammed into their house watching cartoons - could hear them all excitedly laughing and talking away in the background - was lovely

This thread is obviously a Minefeild so I will tread carefully!
I just want to say that the one time I stayed in Candolim, the Taxi drivers and shacks didn't seem too happy with the quite generous tips I left. It's obvious now they were expecting to be showered with expensive gifts. I am not tight and always tip service personel having been in that business.
But I have not made special friends with the taxi drivers or shack people so dont feel the need to hand out gifts, surely there must be others who are the same as me?
,

I dont just give out willy nilly and guess I tip around same as anyone else - I think the lads in the shack I use thought I was a bit mean as I only tipped apart from a few odd rupees on the last day of my holiday.
The people we bought the TV for, I have known them ever since my first trip to Goa, a bunch of little tiny ragamuffins selling peanuts and the like, we adopted each other. I fed them and looked after their little bags of stuff whilst they had a play in the sea like normal kids. They made me laugh with their chatter and smiling little faces. I have watched them grow up over the years, they are just like family to me.
I think quite a few of us have formed special friendships with people out in Goa - its just that kind of place. I don't think I'm a soft touch but then again

I'm not so sure that what has been said is so shocking. If I lived and worked there I think I would target the Brits as well. Why not? They may have mobiles but I'm sure enough of you have seen the conditions they live in to understand why they would behave as they do. I don't think that makes them bad people. As long as you are not forced to give- then it is not a problem really.
Only my opinion of course- you lot know better than I do what is going on in Goa

Personally it gives me as much pleasure to give to my friends as they get from receiving gifts

Thats the thing - it's not about being 'taken for a ride', as suggested by SOME cynical .

Service charges apart, I'll give a little extra if I feel its deserved. If I don't - I won't, regardless of how 'friendly' it's presented.

I agree Fiona I don't think its too bad. I would definately do the same.
I don't kid myself to think im any more 'Special' to the 'friends' I make out there, than the previous fortnights 'victims' or the next that step off the plane. Isnt it the same the World over though? Not just Goa.

The point i was trying to make re. mobiles was are these a nessecity? how in a country were every rupee counts do they afford the top up, one of the pool lads at the M/D was given 4 in a space of 2 days and that was just from 4 couples that i know. When they found out they were so annoyed because they would have given them to someone else because surely one is enough, also when we were in Candolim we came across a used mobile phone shop and when we asked about a phone we were asked if we were buying or selling , if we were buying it cost £60 if we were selling £50. We decided that next year we will take the phones there sell them and probably give the money to Rob at CWT and that way the money will go to those that need it most.Regarding the shack lads we always bought them drinks or something to eat as a personal thank you and put a tip in the box that they share out at the end of the season as i am sure most of us do,and there are some genuine people in Goa but how many, only you can decide.Whether we like it or not Goa is changing and some people are begining to question is it for better or worse, a lot of people we spoke to (people who had been going for years)were thinking of giving Thailand,Malaysia ect a try next year but we all seem to get drawn back to Goa in the end, and maybe it's because we love it so much we all worry about what Goa is is going to become in the near future..KJF

Isnt it the same the World over though? Not just Goa.

think your right elliebee. it, s not the people its the person. how many life long friends in the u.k. have gone into business together and one has robbed the other blind. dose that mean don, t go in to business with a friend in the u.k.? andy

I like the idea of selling the mobiles and giving the money to Rob!

Thanks for the thought Fiona... - Although I presume you meant give the money to the charity!! :D, although I'm happy to receive any also!

Well if the money is going to you Rob you will be on the bell all night at Lazy Days in April Looking forward to it already!