February in Toronto

There's something fragile about February. Dried-up vine leaves that cling delicately onto branches, icicles that hang precariously from bare trees, crisp pristine snow that flatten into the shape of our steps, and pervading it all, a snappish grey weather that threatens to shatter our cheerfulness.

I took a walk along one of the ravines that run stealthily under the boisterous belly of Toronto. A deep cleansing breath of cold air while observing the elegant lines of the nature trail, and slowly brittle emotions firm up with resolve. One of the reasons I love this city is its balance of contrasts. Hard concrete masses rise above soft organic forests. Coldness and warmth side by side.

Mauriciens enfants de mille races

I've been reading books about Mauritius. Mauriciens enfants de mille races and Mauriciens enfants de mille combats by Jean-Claude de L'Estrac, show how centuries of history mould our social environment and affect us in ways we are often not aware of.

De L'Estrac's detailed account of the island's beginnings, from colonization, slavery, to migration of indentured labourers, exposes the roots of its inhabitants. I could feel the plight and struggles of all these ancestors, these immigrants who faced tremendous hardships, who toughened it, who dreamt of a better life for themselves and their children, whether they were French, Africans, Indians or Chinese. These people helped to build the island where I grew up.

Reading this book brought much awareness of how the history of Mauritius has shaped the person I am. Even though I call Canada home for over 30 years, a little part of me is still attached to the island, that feeling of being indeed a child of all races, un enfant de mille races .

Lynda Covello at The Reservoir Lounge

A great beginning to the New Year. My dear dear friend, Lynda Covello, the lawyer with the sultry, seductive voice, is singing at The Reservoir Lounge on Wednesday, January 12, 2011, 7:00 to 9:00pm. More details on her website

It will be a wonderful treat to hear Lynda sing, a great way to warm the heart during these cold days. Since I last wrote about her here , Lynda has impressed me with her determination to pursue her dream. She's put in many, many hours of work, as well as her heart and soul in her singing.

The Reservoir Lounge is one of my favourite jazz clubs, warm, cozy, vibrant. You can feel your body absorbing the musical vibes, and you can even shake it all out on its tiny dance floor.

Please join us for a terrific evening which I hope will skyrocket Lynda's career as a professional singer.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season

December's wintry beauty

When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.
Helen Keller

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.
Albert Einstein

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
Mahatma Gandhi

A difficult year is ending and the quotes above reflect my current state of mind. December is here with its wintry beauty. This little drop of ice hanging on a dormant branch with buds waiting to burst into spring blossoms says it all.

A very sad loss

Words cannot express the pain my family and I feel from the tragic loss of my brother's wife. Helene was so sweet, gentle, and kind. My heart is crying out while my mind is trying to come to terms with the senselessness of it all ...

But I know she will always be with us in spirit ...
for my brother and my niece ...


"Say not in grief that she is no more
but say in thankfulness that she was
A death is not the extinguishing of a light,
but the putting out of the lamp
because the dawn has come."

Tagore

The High Road

Terry Fallis has done it again. The High Road, the sequel to his award winning novel, The Best Laid Plans is a compelling read. With enough action to flip the pages fast, enough honest, caring, politicians to regain faith in the system (even though temporarily), enough satire about Canadian politics to inform us about the sad, inner workings of parliament, enough feisty seniors and fine young men in wild outfits to discourage stereotyping, enough wit to feel charmed, enough slapstick humour to laugh out loud, and well ... enough romance to go ooohh ahhhh ...

Terry is a friend, and I can't help seeing little bits of his personality in the fictional character of Daniel Addison, that same wit and humour, that same integrity, but with none of the gaucherie that gives Daniel a propensity to slip and fall on icy porches with no clothes on ...

Now, if that's intrigued you, the book can be purchased at any major bookstores or online. It's a light read and feel-good novel. Well done, Terry. Good luck.

Gandhi on love

I was in Mauritius for a short trip and walked for a long, long stretch along this beach at Flic en Flac. It was so calming to watch the waves swell back and forth and splash their foamy frills along the shore. Such a wonderful way to relieve the stress that had accumulated over the last months ...

While I was there, inspired by a friend's fascination for Gandhi, I finished reading The Essential Gandhi, an anthology on his writings, his life, work and ideas. Here's a man who dared to dream of freedom for his country, a man who held on to his belief in non-violence, and just marched with unshakable conviction towards his goal. We need more visionaries like him to lead this world, visionaries who are not sidetracked by the lure of material gains, visionaries who believe in the inherent good in people, and have the ability to bring it out.

This quote from Gandhi reflects what I've always felt about the far-reaching power of love.

"We are bound by the ties of love … Scientists tell us that without the presence of the cohesive force amongst the atoms that comprise this globe of ours it would crumble to pieces and we would cease to exist, and even as there is cohesive force in blind matter so much must there be in all things animate and the name for that cohesive force among animate beings is love … where there is love, there is life, hatred leads to destruction …"

Moving on with love

Time is flying. I feel as if I'm riding on summer 's overheated and restless wings. Going through major changes in my life right now. I'm moving on towards new creative horizons ... Hope to write more regularly in the fall when things settle down.

Finished reading Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil. His conviction that "All living thing desires above all to vent its strength ..." and that self-preservation is only a consequence of this will to power, gave me much food for thought, casting a different light in the current way I see relationships, its struggles, and the reason why some marriages don't work and others do.

However, Nietzsche's claim that men have more depth than women shows that even a deep-thinking man like him can be shallow. His condescending view of women as superficial creatures who want to be possessed, is sexist, and lacks true knowledge of the complicated feminine nature.

He seems to take pleasure in challenging preconceptions by pushing thoughts to the extreme, thoughts that repel, yet intrigue and tend to divert comfortable thoughts towards unnerving directions. For example when he writes, " ... woman would like to believe that love can do everything – it is her characteristic faith. Alas, he who knows the heart divines how poor, stupid, helpless, arrogant, blundering, more prone to destroy than save is the best and deepest love."

We have all experienced at some point or other the destructive aspects of "falling in love". But love is so much broader than the raw feelings of couples. It encompasses friendships and kind feelings for others that bring a spiritual and emotional level of connection that is uplifting ... perhaps the will to love is the feminine version of the will to power.

A sad day for Toronto

I expected peaceful demonstrations and was shocked by the violence on Toronto Streets. It is sad to see so much energy spent on destruction. Here are some quotes that reflect best my thoughts on this matter.


"La violence, sous quelque forme qu'elle se manifeste, est un échec." Jean-Paul Sartre
Violence, no matter in what form it shows itself, is a failure.

"An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” Mahatma Gandhi

“When liberty comes with hands dabbled in blood it is hard to shake hands with her.” Oscar Wilde

"Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages." Thomas A. Edison

"At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love." Martin Luther King, Jr.

World cup fever in Toronto

Toronto is effervescent. Flags of countries participating in the world cup are flapping on top of cars. Some vehicles even sport flags of three different countries. The city feels so international, so warm and expressive. FIFA world cup is just another opportunity for Canadians to celebrate their country of origin. When cars honk at passers by on the street, waving the flag of the country that just won, it's so natural to wave back and share the excitement. It doesn't matter who won. I cheer for all of them. I love this city.

The G20 summit is making the core of the city inaccessible ... a nightmare for car drivers. Full coverage in the papers range from Toronto being on the world stage to fashion tips about how women should dress for a demonstration ...!

Spring has bloomed into summer. I feel as if I'm floating now that I can walk around in sandals and cotton dresses. Hope has bubbled into enlightenment. There is so much positive energy around ... so much love to be shared.

Wishing you all a glorious summer ...
















Clear Lake on a peaceful, soul-searching weekend

Nietzsche on morality of "the herd"

When going through challenging times, I tend to read whatever helps to clear my confused mind and heart. Usually, some psychology or self-help book. But this time, just because it was lying around for future reading, I threw myself into Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil.

It is perhaps odd that I would choose to struggle through such complicated thoughts when my mind is in a state of chaos. But a perverse will that ignores soothing meditation, and craves knowledge pushed past any protest. I charged through the book like a desperate person hacking away at dense jungle vegetation. With the blind faith of finding light. And a few rays of clarity did peek through.

In spite of the arrogance with which Nietzsche tears apart other philosophers, I do admire his deep insight.

The chapter On the Natural History of Morals did not offer solutions to my confusion, but strengthened my own beliefs. Here's Nietzsche's observation on the moral perspective of the community in the 19th century, that I find very pertinent, "... everything that raises the individual above the herd and makes his neighbour quail is henceforth called evil; the fair, modest, obedient, self-effacing disposition, the mean and average in desires acquires moral names and honours."

As an artist, I tend to stay away from the repressive morality of what Nietzsche describes disparagingly as "the herd". I often sadly see reason used as a manipulative tool to conform to moral standards that tend to kill the creative soul. Societal guidelines are of course conducive to peace and order, but we're all individuals and find fulfillment and happiness in different ways.

In the end, it is more important to be true to ourselves while respecting the morality of others without having to conform to them. And I'm glad I'm not living during Nietzsche's era. Things have really loosened up since then...

Spring is here and the trees are showing their sexy lingerie, as my friend Judy loves to describe the lacy pattern of budding leaves. It is time to leave behind the "winter of our discontent" and embrace the new hopes of spring ...

Thanks

Thanks to all who came to the show opening of Canadian Women Revealed yesterday. It was so wonderful to reconnect with friends I haven't seen in a while, to see familiar faces as well as new ones. Your support is so heart-warming. Thanks Tony, Kieran, and Liz for being such wonderful hosts and for serving the delicious appetizers.

To all those who took part in the contest, good luck. For those who haven't had a chance to drop by De Sotos, the exhibition runs until May 30th. Contest closes on last day and results will be announced by June 4th. I will be there every Thursday evening from 6 pm as well as Sunday morning from 11 am to 2 pm. Looking forward to seeing you there ...

Canadian Women Revealed

An invitation to my photography show for Contact Photography Festival. Hope to see you there.























Photography Exhibition: Canadian Women Revealed
Date: May 1-31, 2010
Location: De Sotos, 1079 St. Clair Ave West at Lauder, Toronto
Hours: Tues-Sat 5-11 pm Sunday 11am-11pm
Opening Reception: Saturday, May 1st, 4-6 pm

What defines the Canadian woman? Without the trappings that mark her station in life, can you tell the lawyer from the artist? Is ethnicity skin deep? This exhibition presents portraits of women without their clothes on. The viewer is invited to guess the profession and ethnic background of the women in this suggestive documentary project that challenges personal, social, and cultural preconceptions.

Conquer ... with love

"Toutes les batailles de la vie nous enseignent quelque chose, même celles que nous perdons."
Paulo Coelho

All the battles in life teach us something, even those we lost.


Coming back brought many sad issues to deal with. The passing away of my mother-in-law. The plight of Haitians, after the devastating effect of the earthquake, is still with us. Looking at the brighter side, the effervescence of the Winter Olympics, because it's on Canadian soil, has spread its positive vibes over the city, over our snow-filled country.

And yes, I believe that love does resolve a lot of problems.

"Whenever you are confronted with an opponent, conquer him with love."
Mahatma Gandhi

Wishing you all lots of love for Valentine's day ...

Venus d'ailleurs - The story of Chinese immigration in Mauritius

A bonus to my photo exhibition trip: the documentary on Chinese Immigration in Mauritius, the last one in a series of four was launched a few days before I left.

Here's a preview, and an article on the film by Alain Gordon-Gentil and David Constantin.

I contributed to the documentary while I was visiting China to retrace my father's footsteps. Watching the finished product on a giant screen, in a theatre packed with 300 people was awesome. The music, words, and images seemed as if they were magically put together in this dramatic production that recounts the life of Chinese immigrants, among them my father.

Thanks to Alain Gordon-Gentil's vision, his desire to share with the world the richness of his beloved island's history and culture, we now have a series of four documentaries to better understand Mauritius, its people, and what makes it thrive as a nation.

The documentaries can be purchased from Pamplemousses Production.
Tel: 230-247-1093
E-mail: pamprod@intnet.mu

What a wonderful world ...

I've come back to earth when I landed in Toronto on Sunday. The photo exhibition in Mauritius was such an overwhelmingly positive experience that I felt as if I was floating in another reality, a warm, seductive, tropical one.

The Photography Museum is an amazing little treasure nestled in the heart of Port-Louis, the island's capital. It was such a privilege to exhibit in this old stone house built centuries ago by French colonials. The museum was created by Tristan Bréville and his wife, Marie-Noëlle. Their dedication to photography, and Mauritian history and culture is truly inspiring. They seem to be at the hub of a larger community of talented Mauritians. Through the Brévilles, I've met artists, photographers, musicians, writers, and could finally sense the creative pulse of the island. And love it so much that I'd like to go back there every few years to mingle with those artists and exchange ideas and perhaps work on projects together.

It was also wonderful to renew contact with friends from high school. And so neat to recognize them after three decades. It was always the eyes that brought back memories of them as teenagers, that brought back that instant connection of having shared many special moments together. The eyes, truly the windows of the soul.

We got together for dinner, and my dear friend Angèle brought a guitar. Such a thrill to strum along as we all sang french ballads of Françoise Hardy, Barbara and Georges Moustaki. It's amazing how music brings back memories, and have a way of flooding one's senses with the melancholy of that time.

Friends and relatives were so warm and supportive, making the show a memorable experience. Mahen Bujun, a talented cameraman and a terrific friend, filmed the opening reception but I have yet to learn how to put it online.

There were so many positive reviews and coverage on the exhibition that I felt really spoiled, like a kid wallowing with delight in the warm welcome: radio & TV interviews, numerous newspaper articles.

After the show was over, it was fun to trek around the island, take photos in villages along the coast, and meet Mauritians going about their daily tasks along the breathtaking backdrop of mountains, sugarcane fields, and shimmering sea. I hope to tell their stories in pictures in an exhibition in Toronto next year. Thanks to all who drove me around to show me the Mauritius they love. Harold, Ahfee, Monique, Ahlien, Angèle, Ahlan, Patrick, Eric, Robert, Bernard, Tristan, Alain, it wouldn't have been the same without you.

Thanks also to Christiane and Dominique for introducing me to Rodrigues, an unspoiled island that is part of Mauritius but did not develop as fast. It has retained its natural charm with cows and goats grazing freely near streets, people walking about, their contours outlined against an endless sky, and a constant, ever-present sea.

And thanks to everybody who came to the show, I hope you were inspired by photos of le Canada que j'aime, and will visit some time.
















Guests listening to the opening comments by the mayor of Port-Louis.
Photo by Tristan Bréville

Photography Exhibition in Mauritius

Wishing you all a Happy New Year. Hope we all get one step closer in achieving our dreams ...

I'm starting the year 2010 with a photography exhibition that opens on January 12th. For those who live in Mauritius or will be there in January, please do drop by. I'm looking forward to meeting you all. It will be such a treat to reconnect with friends I have lost touch with since I left over 30 years ago for Canada.

I was so thrilled when the museum director, Tristan Bréville invited me to exhibit my work at the museum. Such a wonderful opportunity to share what I love about Canada, while going back to my roots. It comes at a time when I've been doing a lot of soul searching ... growing up on the island seems so distant and yet it's still so much part of who I am.

I wish I could bring all my Canadian friends with me ...

Wishing you joy ...

As December descends upon us with all its shopping madness, exuberant parties, family gatherings, I would like to wish you a happy holiday with all your loved ones.

I've been preparing for a photography show and coping with many other challenges that left me no time to write on this blog. I would like to quote a friend who has guided me through many difficult times: Find the joy in the moment. No matter how difficult things are, there are precious moments to be enjoyed ... it could be the smile of a stranger, the glistening droplets of melting snow, the uplifting beat of music, the comfort of friendships ...

I'm looking forward to a new year filled with creative projects. All the best for 2010.

Insularitudes de Paul Comarmond

"Près d’une personne sur dix sur la planète habite une île soit près de 600 millions d’individus. Peuplées au fil des siècles par des migrations maritimes et la réalité des exigences du moment, ces îles et ces archipels forment aujourd’hui près d’un quart des états souverains du monde. Un sixième de l’espace habitable et leurs zones économiques est composé d’îles. Elles sont les points chauds de la biodiversité mais aussi de tensions politiques; elles offrent des sociétés et des espaces distincts dans un monde de plus en plus homogène et sans géographie particulière.

Cependant, les sciences humaines et sociales ne semblent pas s’être intéressées à la dimension artistique de la réalité îlienne. Or, Paul Comarmond est né dans une île; ses ancêtres sont venus d’autres régions en cabotant d’île en île. Et finalement, là où il se sent bien, où il puise son inspiration, c’est surtout dans une île. Insularitudes, concept créé par l’artiste il y a près d’un an, est le fruit d’un périple allant de l’Océan Indien à Terre Neuve jusqu’au Labrador. Une trentaine d’aquarelles pour voyager et tâter le pouls de ces régions, tantôt tropicales tantôt glacées mais toujours intenses."


Paul Comarmond, a talented Toronto artist and friend, is showing his watercolours at the Francophone Centre, 20 Lower Spadina from October 5th to 31st.

Paul paints islands, their lopsided houses, their expressive people, their fishing boats, and the ever-present sea with simplicity, yet with details that show his sensitivity to their uniqueness. From the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, from tropical Seychelles, Madagascar, to freezing Newfoundland and Labrador, he takes us on a pleasant and engaging adventure with his confident brushstrokes.

Paul's love of islands goes deeper. He was born on one. Mauritius. But he also sees islands from a global perspective. In his invitation above, we are told islands occupy one sixth of habitable land, that one out of ten people in this world lives on an island, that they are hot spots for biodiversity, and offer distinct societies ...

Food for thought. So, let's embark on this journey and discover these islands with Paul. The Francophone centre is only steps away from Harbourfront. After you feast your eyes and perhaps buy one of his paintings, and you still haven't had enough of islands, you can take the ferry and head off to Centre Island, our own Toronto one ... yeah!