Glimpses of India – A Baker from Goa Class 10 English Chapter 7 Part 1 Summary, Explanation, Question Answers

By Ruchika Gupta

Glimpses of India Part 1 A baker from Goa Summary, Explanation with Video, Question Answers from First Flight Book

 

Glimpses of India Part 1 A Baker from Goa Summary

Glimpses of India Part 1 A baker from Goa – Here Detailed explanation of the lesson along with the meanings of difficult words. Also, the explanation is followed by a Summary of the lesson. All the exercises and Questions and Answers given at the back of the lesson have been covered.

 

Class 10 English (First Flight Book) Chapter 7 Glimpses of India Part 1 – A Baker from Goa

By Lucio Rodrigues

Glimpses of India A Baker from Goa Introduction

A Baker from Goa’ revolves around the relevance of a baker in the Goan culture which dates back to the time when the Portuguese ruled over the city of Goa. The Portuguese may have left but the bread-makers continue to have an inevitable stature. In this story, the author recalls his childhood days and their excitement on seeing the baker. They were enthusiastic to the point that they would run to him as soon as they woke up without even brushing their teeth.

 

 

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Theme of the Lesson

The author reminisces the old times that he spent in Goa and the significance of a bakery in his life. The narrative is a nostalgic writing based on the culture of bakery in Goa and it highlights the important social position of bakery goods and bakers in the Goan culture and tradition. The chapter delves deep into the Goan bakery profession which the place gets from the Potugese colonization.
 
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Glimpses of India –  A Baker from Goa Summary

 

A Baker From Goa Summary – The lesson begins with how narrator’s elders often recall the time when Goa was under the rule of the Portuguese. They talk how the importance of bakers is still maintained in their villages even after the Portuguese have left. They are known as ‘Paders’ in Goa. The mixers, moulders and their time-tested furnaces continue to serve the people of Goa with their famous bread loaves. It is possible that the original ones may not exist, but their profession is being continued by their sons. The thud of their bamboo stick can still be heard in some parts of the village. The same jingling thud would wake the narrator and his friends during their childhood days who would go running to him without brushing or washing their mouth properly.  It was the maid-servant of the house who collected the loaves while children sorted out the bread bangles for themselves. Bakery products have importance in the culture and traditions of Goa. Bol or sweet bread is a part of marriage gifts, cakes and Bolinhas or coconut cookies are eaten at every festival and the lady of the house prepares sandwiches at her daughter’s engagement. Earlier bakers wore a unique frock of knee-length known as ‘kabai’ but during the narrator’s childhood days, they wore a shirt and trousers of length slightly shorter than the usual ones. They generally collected their bills at the end of every month. Bakery has continued to be a profitable profession, managing to keep their families joyous and prosperous.

Glimpses of India –  A Baker from Goa Summary in Hindi

 

पाठ की शुरुआत इस बात से होती है कि कैसे बुजुर्ग अक्सर उस समय को याद करते हैं जब गोवा पुर्तगालियों के शासन में था।

वे बात करते हैं कि कैसे पुर्तगालियों के जाने के बाद भी उनके गांवों में बेकर्स का महत्व बरकरार है। उन्हें गोवा में ‘पैडर्स’ के नाम से जाना जाता है। मिक्सर, मोल्डर्स और उनकी समय-परीक्षित भट्टियां गोवा के लोगों को उनकी प्रसिद्ध ब्रेड परोसती रहती हैं।

यह संभव है कि पुराने बेकर्स अब मौजूद ना हो, लेकिन उनका पेशा उनके बेटों द्वारा जारी रखा जा रहा है।

उनके बांस की डंडी की गड़गड़ाहट अभी भी गांव के कुछ हिस्सों में सुनी जा सकती है । वही झनझनाहट कथाकार और उसके दोस्तों को उनके बचपन के दिनों में जगाती थी जो बिना ब्रश किए या अपना मुंह धोए बिना ही उनके पास दौड़ते थे। घर की नौकरानी ही ब्रेड बटोरती थी जबकि बच्चे अपने लिए चूड़ी के आकार की ब्रेड जिसे ‘कंकों’ कहा जाता है वो छाँटते थे।

गोवा की संस्कृति और परंपराओं में बेकरी उत्पादों का महत्व है। बोल या स्वीट ब्रेड शादी के तोहफे का एक हिस्सा है, केक और बोलिन्हा या नारियल कुकीज़ हर त्योहार पर खाई जाती है और घर की महिला अपनी बेटी की सगाई में सैंडविच बनाती है।

पहले बेकर्स घुटने की लंबाई तक का एक अनोखा फ्रॉक पहना करते था जिसे ‘कबाई’ के नाम से जाना जाता था, लेकिन नैरेटर के बचपन के दिनों में, वह शर्ट और पतलून पेहेंते थे जो सामान्य लोगों की तुलना में थोड़ी छोटी थी।

वे आम तौर पर हर महीने के अंत में अपने बिल जमा करते थे। बेकरी एक लाभदायक पेशा बना हुआ है, जो अपने परिवारों को खुशहाल और समृद्ध रखने का प्रबंधन करता है।

Glimpses of India (Part 1) A Baker from Goa Video Explanation

Glimpses of India – A Baker from Goa Lesson Explanation

Passage – A Baker From Goa Explanation – OUR elders are often heard reminiscing 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 furnaces still exist. The fire in the furnaces 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.

 

Word Meaning:

Reminiscing nostalgically– thinking fondly of the past
Loaves- (plural form of loaf) bread that is shaped and baked in a single piece and can be sliced for eating
Vanished– disappear suddenly and completely
Moulders– a person who moulds dough into a shape
Furnaces– an enclosed structure in which materials can be heated to very high temperatures
Extinguished– cause a fire to cease to burn
Heralding- announcing
Pader– word for baker in Portuguese language

Explanation of the Above Passage – The story takes us back to the time when Portuguese ruled Goa. They were immensely famous for their breads. The narrator often finds his elders thinking about ‘those good old days’ and telling them that the famous breads date back to the time when the Portuguese ruled over Goa. They ponder over the past and tell them that though the Portuguese have left Goa but the bakers of bread still exist, if not the original ones, their legacy is being continued by their sons. The bakers are still being referred to as ‘Paders’. Everything about baking is still the same; ranging from those who mould the bread loaves, to the furnaces which have survived the ravages of time. The sound of their arrival and the thud of their bamboo stick can still be heard just like the olden times.

Glimpses of India

Passage – 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.

Word Meaning:

Companion– a person with whom one spends a lot of time
Jingling– make or cause to make a light metallic ringing sound

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Explanation of the Above Passage – The narrator recalls that the baker acted as their friend and companion during their childhood days in Goa. The baker used to visit twice a day; once, while he was on the round to sell his loaves and the other time, while returning back with his empty basket, having sold all the loaves. It was the sound of his bamboo stick that woke the children up. The children were so excited to meet him and choose from the bread bangles or Kankon he made especially for them. While the bangles were for children, loaves were for the adults that were generally collected by the maid-servant of the household.

 

A Baker from Goa

 

Passage – 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!

Word Meaning:

staff – stick
Rebuke– an expression of disapproval; a scolding
Fragrance– a pleasant, sweet smell
Parapet– railing, a low protective wall
bangles- here, refers to the bread in the shape of a bangle called ‘Kankon’

Explanation of the Above Passage – The baker often made a musical entry with his bamboo stick. His one hand supported the basket on his head while the other banged the bamboo on the ground. He would go house to house and greet the ladies before handing them over the loaves. The parents would scold the children and make them stand aside. But as eager as they were, they would climb a bench or the wall to peep into the basket. They did not even bother to brush their teeth before having those bread bangles because it seemed an unnecessary effort for them to pluck mango leaves from the branches to use them for brushing their teeth. They considered brushing unnecessary because the hot tea could effortlessly wash their mouth and they thought that animals like the tiger never brushed their teeth.

Passage – 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.

Word Meaning:

Feast- a large meal, typically a celebratory one
bolinhas – another name for coconut cookies

Explanation of the Above Passage – Bread is an important part of the Goan culture and it is evident from its presence at every important occasion. From sweet bread at marriages to sandwiches at engagement parties and cakes and coconut cookies at Christmas as well as other occasions, makes the presence of a baker in every village, very essential.

Passage – The baker or bread-seller of those days had a peculiar dress known as the kabai. It was a singlepiece 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!

Explanation of the Above Passage – Bakers were known to have worn unique knee-length frock dresses typically known as ‘kabai’. In the narrator’s childhood days, he had seen them wearing shirts and pants whose length was shorter than the usual ones. It was a part of their identity so much so that even if someone wears that trouser length now, he is said to have dressed like a baker, or ‘pader’ as was said in olden times.

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Passage – 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.

Word Meaning:
Plump physique– pleasantly fat body
Open testimony– public statement about a character or quality

A Baker from Goa Summary

Explanation of the Above Passage – The baker had a way of making a monthly record of bills on a wall using a pencil and then, collecting the money at the end of the month. Baking has always been a profitable profession. The baker’s family and workers have always been happy and joyous. The baker was usually fat which was proof that he had a lot to eat and hence, was proof of his richness. Even to this day, someone with a well-built body is compared to a baker.

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Glimpses of India Part 1 – A Baker from Goa Question Answers

 

Q1. What are the elders in Goa nostalgic about?
A. The narrator often finds his elders thinking about ‘those good old days’ and telling them about the famous breads that date back to the time when Portuguese ruled over Goa. They ponder over the past and tell them that though the Portuguese have left Goa but the bakers still exist, if not the original ones, their legacy is being continued by their sons.

Q2. Is bread-making still popular in Goa? How do you know?
A. Yes, bread-making is still popular in the city of Goa. It is evident from the existence of time-tested furnaces, mixers and moulders. The legacy of bakers is being continued by their sons. You will find a bakery in every Goan village as bread is an important part of the Goan culture.

Q3. What is the baker called?
A. The baker is referred to as ‘Pader’ in the city of Goa.

Q4. When would the baker come everyday? Why did the children run to meet him?
A. The baker would come twice every day during the narrator’s childhood days. Once in the morning to deliver the loaves of bread and secondly, in the evening on his return after selling his stock. The children would go running to him to take the special bread bangles he had made for them.

Q5. Match the following. What is a must

  1. as marriage gifts?                             – cakes and bolinhas
  2. for a party or a feast?                      – sweet bread called bol
  3. for a daughter’s engagement?       – bread
  4. for Christmas?                                   – sandwiches

Answer:-

As marriage gifts
Sweet bread called bol
For a party or a feast
Bread
For daughter’s engagement
Sandwiches
For Christmas
Cakes and bolinhas

Q6. What did the bakers wear:

  1. In the Portuguese days?
  2. When the author was young?

A.
(i) In the Portuguese days, the bakers wore a unique knee-length frock dress typically known as ‘kabai’.
(ii) In the narrator’s childhood days, he had seen them wearing shirts and shorter than usual pants.

Q7. Who invites the comment — “he is dressed like a pader”? Why?
A. During the narrator’s childhood days, the bakers had a peculiar dress. They wore shirts and shorter than usual pants. Thus, if someone is seen wearing pants of this much length, they invite the comment – “he is dressed like a pader”.

Q8. Where were the monthly accounts of the baker recorded?
A. The monthly accounts of the baker were recorded on some wall with a pencil.

Q9. What does a ‘jackfruit-like appearance’ mean?
A. ‘Jackfruit-like appearance’ means a well-built or plump physique, similar to a jackfruit. In those days, bakers had plump physique because baking was a profitable profession. His family and servants never starved and were prosperous.

Q. Which of these statements are correct?

    1. The pader was an important person in the village in old times. True
    1. Paders still exist in Goan villages. True
    1. The paders went away with the Portuguese. False, they still exist in Goan villages.
    1. The paders continue to wear a single-piece long frock. False, they wear shirts and trousers that are shorter than the usual ones and longer than the half-pants.
    1. Bread and cakes were an integral part of Goan life in the old days. False, they are still an integral part of Goan culture.
    1. Traditional bread-baking is still a very profitable business. True
  1. Paders and their families starve in the present times. False, it is still a very profitable business and their families are happy and prosperous.

Q. Is bread an important part of Goan life? How do you know this?
A. Bread is an important part of the Goan culture and it is evident from its presence at every important occasion. From sweet breads at marriages to sandwiches at engagement parties and cakes and Bolinhas at Christmas as well as other occasions, makes the presence of a baker in every village, very essential.

Tick the right answer. What is the tone of the author when he says the following?

  1. The thud and the jingle of the traditional baker’s bamboo can still be heard in some places. (nostalgic, hopeful, sad)
  2. Maybe the father is not alive but the son still carries on the family profession. (nostalgic, hopeful, sad)
  3. I still recall the typical fragrance of those loaves. (nostalgic, hopeful, naughty)
  4. The tiger never brushed his teeth. Hot tea could wash and clean up everything so nicely, after all. (naughty, angry, funny)
  5. Cakes and bolinhas are a must for Christmas as well as other festivals. (sad, hopeful, matter-of-fact)
  6. The baker and his family never starved. They always looked happy and prosperous. (matter-of-fact, hopeful, sad)

Answers-

  1. Nostalgic
  2. Nostalgic
  3. Nostalgic
  4. Funny
  5. Matter-of-fact
  6. Matter-of-fact

Glimpses of India Part 1 – A Baker from Goa Extract based questions

We still have amongst us the mixers, the moulders and those who bake the loaves. Those age-old, timetested furnaces still exist. The fire in the furnaces 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.

1. “The fire in the furnaces has not yet been extinguished.” means –
a. They are still in use
b. The furnace remains on all the time
c. The furnace is on fire.
d. They are not able to extinguish the fire
A. a

2. Synonym of baker from the extract is _______
A. Pader

3. What are mixers and moulders?
a. Machines
b. People
c. both a and b
d. Can’t say
A. a

4. Find a synonym of announcing
A. Heralding

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

1. What does the writer mean by ‘musical entry’?
a. The baker sang
b. The sound made by the bamboo stick
c. he carried a radio
d. All of these
A. b

2. Find a synonym of stick
A. Staff

3. What does rebuke mean?
a. Push with hand
b. Scold
c. laugh
d. Call

A. b

4. Which of the following in the image best represents a parapet?

parapet

A. a

5. ‘Bangles’ here means-
a. Bread in the shape of a bangle
b. Ornament
c. a sweet bun
d. A doughnut
A. a

The baker or bread-seller of those days had a peculiar dress known as the kabai. It was a singlepiece 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!

1. What was the dress of a baker called?
a. Tunic
b. Midi
c. kabai
d. Frock
A. c

2. Which image best represents a kabai?

kabai

A. a

3. Who is said to be dressed like a pader?
a. One who wears a frock
b. One who wears apron
c. one who wears half pant
d. All of these
A. c

4. Which image best represents a half pant?

half pant

A. c

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