Neighbourhood portraits: Winston Ho Sang of Ellington's

Here's an article I wrote for the online magazine, Living Toronto. It is the first one in a series of neighbourhood portraits. This one is on Winston Ho Sang of Ellington's

Winston at Ellington's

One of the highlights of Ellington's: the jazz jam every weekday morning from 10 am to noon.

Fireworks over Toronto on Victoria Day 2014

Contact Photography Festival at Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art

I love spring, that smell of renewal in the air. In Toronto, the Contact Photography Festival breathes freshness and creative flair into our busy city life. While checking the photo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, I was thrilled to be greeted in the courtyard by this gigantic 17-meter long mural by Jim Naughten.

The Coral Heart at Toronto's Ellington's Café

My novel is also available in Toronto at Ellington's Café at 805 St. Clair Avenue West, near Winona. I will be there on Monday mornings from 10 am - 1 pm during the month of May.

The Coral Heart at Toronto's Stella's Lunch Box

My novel is now also available for sale at Stella's Lunch Box, a café at 145 Lauder Avenue, just south of St. Clair. If you want to pick up a book, and have it signed, I will be there on Saturday afternoons from 1 to 4 pm and on Wednesday mornings from 10 to 1 pm in the next month.

And if you want me to sign the book at a more convenient time for you, email me at peggylampotang@yahoo.ca and I will see whether we can arrange a different time.

The Coral Heart at Toronto's Book City, Yonge & St. Clair

My novel is now available at Book City Yonge & St. Clair. 

Book City Yonge & St. Clair

One block south of St. Clair St. on the west side of Yonge Street.

Address: 1430 Yonge Street

Phone #: (416) 926-0749

Email: stclair@bookcity.ca

Parking: Municipal lot just east of Yonge across from store (on Pleasant Blvd.)

TTC: Moments walk from St. Clair Subway Station on the Yonge Line
Hours of Operation: Monday to Saturday 9:30am to 9:00pm;Sunday 11:00am to 6:00pm

Book Launch of The Coral Heart in Toronto

March has flashed by with action-packed days revolving around my book launch at Confluences, the international book fair in Mauritius.

The Coral Heart, A shopkeeper's journey is my first novel, and I was thrilled by the positive response, especially when I was invited to discuss my work with students at University of Mauritius, one of the highlights of my visit.

I'm now preparing for my book launch in Toronto on April 22nd at Desotos. You can email me at peggylampotang@yahoo.ca if you want to come to the launch as space is limited.

If you're interested in buying the book in Canada, you email me at address above to buy a copy. For those in Mauritius, you can purchase the book from the publisher L'Atelier d'écriture or at Bookcourt stores and Librairie Le Cygne. If you live in a country other than Mauritius or Canada, you can order from the publisher or the stores above or from me, whichever is more convenient for you.

Great start to 2014: My novel will be out in March

I'm so thrilled that my book is being published by L'Atelier d'écriture in Mauritius.

The launch will take place at Confluences, the island's international book fair from March 6th to 9th. I will be there and I'm very excited about meeting Mauritian friends, readers, writers and publishers at the fair.

For my Canadian friends, I'm having another book launch in Toronto at Desotos on Tuesday April 22nd. Invitations and details will follow.

Synopsis of the novel:

In 1911, impoverished Hakka Chinese immigrants arrive on the tropical island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. Among the newcomers, a hungry child. The hard-working boy helps his father, a shopkeeper and surrenders his earnings to him according to Chinese tradition. While he serves the islanders, the young man ingeniously builds the business, negotiates his way through racial divisiveness, and falls in love. But his trust in the old system is put to test … This work of fiction unfolds during the overthrow of the Chinese Emperor, the rise of communism, the Japanese invasion of China, and the First and Second World Wars.

Happy New Year 2014

A family of elks

Spent a few days in the country. It was so invigorating to breathe the clean air, relax and work on my novel. But the best part was discovering a family of elks on a vast field on our way back to Toronto. Contented in their natural surrounding, they stared at us, strangers, gaging whether we were a threat while keeping their elegant and poised stance.

Nuit Blanche 2013

Creative minds on display and a huge enthusiastic crowd on the streets of our good old Toronto. Loved it all. The shared adventures of discovering art at night, the wonder in people's eyes, the revelry ... it was so much fun.

Ai Weiwei's Bicycles Forever

Balls? Look closer. It's an optical illusion created from the balance of shadow and light and the angle from which I took the photo. These are carton tubes stacked on a truck. Can't remember the artist or title of the project and can't find it on Nuit Blanche site but love the visual effect. It reinforces the fact that art is everywhere around us if we attune our eyes and imagination to see beyond the mundane.

Stratford, Ontario

Let music sound while he doth make his choice; 
Then, if he lose, he makes a swan-like end, 
Fading in music ...
Shakespeare: The Merchant of Venice 

Creole Documentary & Mauritian Sega Band at Island Soul Festival, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto

I went to Harbourfront Centre on Sunday August 4th to see the Creole segment of my friend Christene Browne's documentary Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language during Island Soul Festival. Christene is a talented film producer and director, and you can read more about her accomplishments on her website. Since Mauritius is mentioned in the documentary and I say a few words of Creole in it, I was thrilled to be at Harbourfront that day to see it, and have a chat with Christene.

But as I rushed to the Studio Theatre,  I was pleasantly surprised to hear a familiar sound ... sega music from Mauritius blaring from the speakers. And of course, on stage was a Mauritian band and dancers rolling their hips and flipping their colourful ruffled skirts in rhythm to their gyrations. I was ecstatic. I had not expected my little island would be represented at Harbourfront in the Island Soul Festival. I thought it was mostly a Caribbean celebration since it was happening in conjunction with the Caribana Carnival Parade 

After  the 20 minutes documentary, which was very incisive and relevant, definitely worth watching for anybody interested in languages, its history and influence on our lives, I literally ran towards the stage to catch the last few sega songs. It was a gorgeous summer day, with spectators sprawled on the fake grass. Everybody seemed so relaxed and totally enjoying the music and dancing ... that it felt like  a bit of Mauritius had been transplanted to Toronto.

After the show I met the band, and had a chance to speak Creole, a bit rusty but nevertheless the familiar sounds, and the spontaneous warmth of  the performers brought back the heartfelt connection to an island I left ages ago.

Mew Lake, Algonquin Park

By the lake

we walked by the lake holding hands

precious minutes soon to vanish in the dusk

I wanted to flap my wings like the seagulls and fly

spread my love to the world in the never-ending sky

A misty evening in Toronto

"Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way."

E. L. Doctorow

Spring ... a carpet of scattered blossoms

Still Blooming ...

Tony Paglia at Desotos Open Mic

Tony Paglia is a very dear friend and talented guitar player who sings with great emotional depth. His music ranges from rock, reggae, R & B, soul, funk and much more. He plays solo, duos and also with his band The Nomads. He's jamming here at Desotos' Thursdays Open Mic. Desotos is one of my favourite restaurants and a friendly venue for musicians.

Dusk in the countryside