The Rainbow Catcher

I would like to introduce you to my friend Chrisly Cheung, and her collection of short stories titled The Rainbow Catcher. Chris and I have dreamt together about writing and I was thrilled for her that her dream finally came true. She asked me to write a blurb on the back cover, and I gladly did. Her stories are very touching. Vivid details about life in Mauritius act as backdrop to the deeper meaning of each story.

"I met Chris in secondary school and was charmed by her fresh, childlike way of seeing things. Our lives took divergent paths, but our friendship survived through our shared passion for writing. Chrisly's depth of thoughts and feelings, and empathy for others are very much present in her collection of short stories. Her narratives explore relationships, innocent at times, yet complicated, with fate and spirituality weaving in their mystery, shaking our common beliefs, and challenging us to open up to another dimension where illusion and truth have no boundaries."

You can purchase the book at locations mentioned on her website and online at Amazon.com

Summertime

Summertime and the livin' is easy
...
One of these mornings
You're gonna rise up singing
Then you'll spread your wings
And take to the sky

Lyrics by George Gershwin

This song's tune has a sad lingering mood that seems to cling to me this summer, yet its lyrics are so hopeful, with tremendous potential and promises in the air. There's so much sunshine out there in the city, casting its light on people chatting happily in restaurant patios, children running in playgrounds, blooming flowers ...

Wishing you all a wonderful summer.

The Silence of Writing

I was in the country to work on my novel. Croaking frogs, twittering birds, and buzzing insects kept me company. This communion with nature swept away the bombardment of city noise and stimulations, and instilled much-needed peacefulness.

Writing in such silence by the lake is bliss to the creative soul.
















“We cannot see our reflection in running water.” Taoist quote

Forgiveness

When times are tough, I often find solace in quotes that remind me of our universal need for love, kindness and compassion. Forgiving those who have hurt us is not easy but it is part of our continuous efforts at improving relationships and creating a more pleasant world to live in.

Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit. ~ Peter Ustinov

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~ Dalai Lama

By swallowing evil words unsaid, no one has ever harmed his stomach. ~ Winston Churchill

Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair but manifestations of strength and resolution. ~ Kahlil Gibran

A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives roses. ~ Chinese Proverb















Contemplation
Le Grand Palais, Paris.

Art in Paris

Ah, a week in Paris. Reading and writing in cafés and bistros, wandering on cobblestoned streets, checking photography galleries, discovering new inspirations. Here are two shows that impressed me most during my visit.

Femmes Éternelles, a collection of 80 photos by Olivier Martel right on the fence of the Luxembourg gardens, is a celebration of women from diverse cultures. The photographer has captured with marvelous insight and sensitivity the depth of these women's souls. At a moment in my life when I feel the weight of women's difficult journeys in a world that seems more favourable to men, it was refreshing and such a relief to see this acknowledgement of women's fortitude, their resilience, their eternal inner beauty. I felt an immediate connection with this photographer and it was wonderful to meet him during his book signing.

Femmes Éternelles, une collection de 80 photos par Olivier Martel, sur les grilles du jardin Luxembourg, est une célébration de femmes de divers cultures. Ce photographe a capturé la profondeur d'âme de ces femmes avec une sensibilité et une compréhension qui me touchent beaucoup. En ce moment, le parcours difficile des femmes dans un monde qui me semble plus propice aux hommes, pèse beaucoup sur moi, et j'ai ressenti un allègement et une affinité immédiate envers ce photographe qui reconnaît le courage, la dignité, et la beauté intérieure de ces femmes éternelles. C'était merveilleux de le rencontrer pendant la dédicace de son livre.




































I love that this show is outdoors and available to a larger audience. This woman who was passing by while doing her errands, contemplates another eternal woman.

J'aime que cette exposition est en plein air et visible au grand public. Cette femme qui passait par là pendant ses courses, admire une autre femme éternelle.
















Enfants des rues, Madagascar, par Olivier Martel


Another show that impressed me was Leviathan, a sculpture by Anish Kapoor. This giant three-sphered balloon inflated up to the ceiling of the Grand Palais is compelling just through its sheer size.

Une autre exposition qui m'a beaucoup impressionnée est Leviathan, une sculpture de Anish Kapoor. Ce ballon géant de trois sphères qui atteint le plafond du Grand Palais nous subjuge par sa dimension gigantesque.















Viewed from inside, it feels as if one has entered a womb ... perhaps a woman's, or the interior of an eye, but it is up to the viewer to experience at a personal level the claustrophobic yet enlightening redness of the balloon whose fabric reflects light coming through the glass dome of the Grand Palais.

Vu de l'intérieur, on se sent dans le ventre ... d'une femme peut-être, ou à l'intérieur d'un oeil, mais c'est au spectateur de vivre personnellement l'expérience de ce ballon rouge claustrophobique et pourtant illuminé dont le tissu reflète la lumière qui passe à travers le dome vitré du Grand Palais.






















Viewed from outside, the sensual curves tower over us, making us feel tiny, insignificant against this somehow grotesque monstrosity that brings out our vulnerability and prompts us to find a deeper meaning in our reactions.

Vu de l'exterieur, les courbes sensuelles sont à une échelle qui nous rendent tout petits et insignifiants à coté de cette sculpture grotesque qui nous rend vulnérable et nous incite à trouver un sens plus profond à nos réactions.

I was intrigued by Anish Kapoor's work, and read interviews about how he enables expression rather than expresses any message in his sculptures. I totally get what he says about artists making mythologies when they inspire people to look beyond the art. Anish Kapoor projects great intimacy in the way he breathes and lives in his work. This artist's preoccupation with space and the way it relates to our soul keeps me wanting to read more about him.

J'étais intriguée par l'oeuvre d'Anish Kapoor et j'ai lu dans ses interviews qu'il veut rendre possible l'expression de la personne envers sa sculpture, et non exprimer un message. J'aime beaucoup ce qu'il dit sur les artistes qui créent une mythologie quand ils inspirent les gens à voir plus loin que l'objet d'art. Anish Kapoor projette une intimité dans la façon dont il respire et vit son art. Cet artiste parle de l'espace et sa relation avec notre état d'âme avec tant de conviction que je voudrais en lire plus sur lui.

Celebrating architecture and successful friends

One of the good things about getting older is to see hard-working friends who shared modest beginnings (like living in warehouses, driving beat-up Beatles, going to repertory theatres ...) achieve success in their careers. Two dear friends, Diarmuid Nash, and Daniel Teramura are now partners in the internationally renowned architectural firm of Moriyama and Teshima Architects and have worked on many impressive projects such as these:
















Canadian War Museum
















Bata Shoe Museum

















The National Museum in Saudi Arabia

Bravo to Diarmuid and Dan for their inspiring designs. The philosophy of their architectural firm truly expresses who they are, kind and caring people with a passion for design:
"In the midst of our increasingly complex lives, we all yearn for simple reminders of our place in the world. We want our senses to be stimulated. We want to experience nature daily. We want to share spaces with our friends and neighbours. We want healthy workplaces. We want honour and respect. These are the kinds of values that inform our work."

About the unforeseen in art

"The unforeseen is the most beautiful gift life can give us. That is what we must think of multiplying in our domain. … Art is inconceivable without risk, without inner sacrifice; freedom and boldness of imagination can be won only in the process of work, and it is there that the unforeseen I spoke of a moment ago must intervene, and there no directives can help."
Boris Pasternak

This quote from the author of Dr. Zhivago expresses so clearly one of the deepest truths about art whether it's painting, writing, music, etc.


















Spring is here, its crisp light peeking through a dried up leaf that sat gracefully on this branch all winter.

Music at De Sotos

Since I last wrote about the open mike that my talented friend Anthony Abbatangeli hosts at De Sotos, singers, guitarists, drummers, saxophonists, bassists, key board players, violinists, percussionists have been dropping by to create their own magic on Thursday evenings.

Music is such a visceral form of expression. It sweeps musicians into a rhythm that acquires a life of its own, and transports us into a state in which nothing else matters but the sounds and sensations that are pulsating through our bodies. It brings out spontaneity, creativity and a sense of camaraderie and warmth that is cathartic.

If you sing, play a musical instrument or just love listening to music to unwind from a hard day’s work, join Anthony and friends for a fun Thursday evening at De Sotos on St. Clair West and Lauder.















My dear friend Lynda Covello, jazz vocalist, sings a duet with Jim Fabro. Budi on bass, Noah on guitar and Bernie on saxophone.

















Tony, our rock star sings Hot Legs. Anthony Abbatangeli, host extraordinaire, on guitar

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 ...