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Sunday, March 21, 2021

Light shining through the pandemic

Light is shining its way through the pandemic.

We will soon enjoy some freedom with the help of vaccines but the cautionary measures will remain as we battle the third wave. 

I'm thrilled that spring is here and brings with it many positive changes. There will be challenges but with love, kindness, and resilience, light will keep shining through.

Still working on my short stories. Looking forward to writing in café patios again. and to dance to live music in gardens, patios, streets... 

Wishing you all a beautiful spring.

Light and love shine through

the blur, madness of rough times 

sprout hope and solace



Thursday, January 28, 2021

Toronto's Winter Wonderland


Love our winter wonderland
a precious gift from nature
in the heart of the city




Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and all the best in 2021

 



a tough year is gone
new challenges await us
with love we'll survive





Saturday, December 05, 2020

Creativity during the pandemic


With the pandemic confinement, many of us have taken the opportunity to focus on projects 
we never had enough time for.  A surge of productivity is brewing among those
 who are keeping busy and creative at home to beat Covid,
and I'm eager to see and feel it all when
we're over these rough times.

I'm hopeful that scientists and health care workers will help us overcome this virus, 
but we all have to do our share to contain it. When we go crazy indoors, 
the outdoors is always there to welcome us.

No matter how cold it is, if we're dressed warm, and wear our masks, 
we can go for walks to connect with family and friends 
and let nature soothe us and inspire us 
to be better and kinder.




winter sunset warms
up hearts filled with fear and doom
so love will prevail

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

The Coral Heart and Coeur de Corail at University of Mauritius

I am very honoured that Sachita R Samboo, Senior Lecturer at University of Mauritiuschose The Coral Heart and its French translation, Coeur de Corail for her 3rd year students to study as part of the BA (Hons) French with Translation Studies.

Thank you Sachita, and congratulations to you and all your students who graduated on November 17, 2020 in the BA (Hons) French with Translation Studies.

I hope my books as well as the other books they studied, inspired them, and I wish them the very best in their future careers.






Sunday, October 25, 2020

Fall at Guild Park and Gardens


It was so uplifting and magical to stroll through Guild Park this fall.
The dazzling colours and earthy scents were intoxicating
as we stepped on the crisp carpet of leaves
the sun sparkling through the trees.

I'm so grateful that we have large parks in Greater Toronto  
where we can socialize safely and enjoy nature.
despite Covid restrictions.







It was also a precious treat to see Toronto's history scattered throughout the garden
in the remains of old buildings with exquisite sculptural details.


For more information on Guild Park 
check this trip guide and the Guild Park site


Friday, October 16, 2020

Écrits sur Maurice 1708-2019

I'm so thrilled and honoured that an excerpt from my book is included in Écrits sur Maurice 1708-2019, an anthology of 105 authors who wrote about Mauritius. The book's aim is to highlight and preserve the rich cultural history of Mauritius and the literary legacy of the island.

Thank you to Barlen Pyamootoo for the conception of this book, and thanks also to his amazing team of editors who worked on this anthology and made it happen.

Unfortunately, I can't be in Mauritius for the launch on November 5th. I hope that friends in Mauritius will be there in great numbers. Looking forward to reading the other authors in the anthology.

C'est un grand honneur pour moi d'être inclus dans Écrits sur Maurice 1708-2019, et d'être parmi les 105 auteurs dont les écrits sur Maurice sont dans cette anthologie. "Ce livre a pour but de mettre en lumière, de faire connaître et d'aider à sauvegarder notre riche et unique patrimoine culturel."

Merci à Barlen Pyamootoo pour avoir conçu ce livre et merci à son équipe d'éditeurs pour leur soutien et collaboration  sur cette anthologie.

Je suis navrée que je ne pourrai pas être à Maurice pour le lancement le 5 novembre. J'espère que les amis à Maurice y seront en grand nombre. J'ai hâte de lire les écrits des autres auteurs dans cette anthologie.




Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Live Music


I love the magic of live music, the thrill of connecting with

the musicians' creative energy and emotive flow.

I miss dancing to the blissful rhythm,

and forgetting everything else. 


I'm grateful for the few safe venues where musicians can play.

I was thrilled to be at my first backyard concert this summer

at The Canopy Music Theatre run by Josh Piché,

a talented singer and guitarist who welcomes

artists to perform there.


Even though we were all sitting far apart and could not dance,

it was such an amazing treat to be at a live performance

under the cool shade of the canopy of trees.


Sharing the enchantment of live music in this photo montage





Let your heart's rhythm
dance wild and free, chords swirling  
in rapt melody




Monday, September 21, 2020

Keeping safe in nature during Covid

It's frustrating that we have a new wave of Covid from large indoor gatherings 
when there is so much we can do outdoors in summer.

Toronto has so many parks where we can socialize and keep our distance safely.
I was at the Evergreen Brickworks the other day with a very dear friend
and it felt so wonderful to immerse ourselves in nature, and
enjoy the peacefulness of the pond and the greenery.

Let's dress warmly and extend these nature walks in fall and winter 
and do our best to beat that darn virus.

Photos taken at Evergreen Brickworks on Bayview





Nature's offerings
soothing, healing, protect us 
from persistent plague

 







Friday, September 04, 2020

Reflections on layers

It's therapeutic to put my creative energy into photo collages 
when I'm emotionally distracted and can't get the unruly mind to focus on writing.

I enjoy the playfulness of overlaying images and love the serendipitous surprises.
Shapes and colours of underlying images meld and appear through each tier 
to form a coherent and visually pleasing, yet intangible whole
and only the person who creates it sees all the layers.

Similar to the multiple layers of experiences that mould us into who we are.
Past shades and lights are within us and seem intangible to others.
Each of us is the only one who can peel the layers 
to perceive the facets of his or her real self.


Let go of your fears
Look deep into the layers
untangle yourself



Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Toronto at dawn


Sometimes I wake up early and for a few precious minutes, I'm under the spell of nature
as I watch these breathtaking colours painting their way across the sky.

I love the peaceful lull, the quiet hush before cars and trucks start spilling onto the street 
and Toronto suddenly roars, hisses and clatters into a demented traffic rush.



Dawn in the city
sweeps away the grey slumber
stirs a new day's fire

Friday, August 14, 2020

Summer chaos and blooms


Feeling optimistic despite all the horrible things happening in this world.
No matter how bad things are, human kindness and solidarity
pop up in heartening ways to renew hope.

Expressing the feeling in the photo collage and the haiku below.

Blooms above chaos
pour over pandemic gloom 
scents of summer bliss 



Tuesday, July 21, 2020

The Power of Kindness

I'm grateful that most of us are doing our share to help Canada reopen
and we're keeping the social distance, wearing masks
and staying home as much as possible.

The long days on our own have been challenging but also an opportunity
to slow down, reflect on our needs, become resourceful,
and be kind to ourselves and to others.


It's been wonderful to gradually reconnect with good friends 
in backyards, parks, ravines, and with dear ones at home.
Sharing some photos taken on a nature walk.


Kindness of nature
lush, enchanting, mystical
 reflections of love












Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Rainbow of hope over Toronto

On the day Toronto goes into stage 2 reopening, a rainbow of hope appears on the skyline.


Hope in all colours
hard times softened with rainbows
love and compassion


Saturday, June 20, 2020

The true voyage of discovery



The only true voyage of discovery would be not to visit strange lands but to possess other eyes.

Le seul véritable voyage, ce ne serait pas d'aller vers de nouveaux paysages, mais d'avoir d'autres yeux.

This insightful quote of Marcel Proust has so many layers of meaning. 
If we look at nature with new eyes, we can discover art in unexpected places, as in this photo.

On a more profound level, to view from others' eyes not only opens up new perspectives in seeing the world, 
but also enlightens us about others' values, lifestyles, cultures, 
which fosters open-mindedness and acceptance. 

Seeing with other's eyes opens our hearts so we can empathize with others' hardships 
and pain, as well as discover the wonders in each of us. 

It's not easy to possess other eyes, as we all tend to think of our views as best, or we get stuck 
in one way of thinking, but it's a worthwhile endeavour to bring more humanity within us.



Close up of a tree bark spattered with lichens and moss
Abstract art in nature

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Spring into summer


A photo collage to celebrate summer's exuberance. 

What a wonderful surprise to enjoy this glorious weather in May.
Much needed cheer from the stress of the pandemic
to give us strength to keep going.
Keep safe everybody.




Spring into summer
Sunshine blasting its brilliance
warms the air with joy




Monday, April 20, 2020

Love through the pandemic

Spring is here
hovering with fear, anxiety 
but love is in the air, in the fresh blooms 
in the sunlight, in the exuberance of unfurling leaves
In the caring and courage of frontline heroes
the warmth of strangers offering their help
the renewed closeness of our dear ones
all who stay home to stop the spread.

Love seeps into our confinement 
 the strained beats of our hearts
deep into our reflective state
it embraces our aloneness
bolsters our togetherness
 to heal our brokenness.

Love weaves past physical distance
it whispers across wavelengths
attentive, patient, hopeful, 
lingers through all seasons
survives any pestilence
it is timeless.


It's fun superimposing images and letting them flow into each other for this photo collage.
I love the random melding of colours and their magical effects.

Friday, March 27, 2020

Low-cost ventilator to help patients suffering from Covid-19

My brother, a biomedical engineer, and the director of University of Florida's Centre for Safety, Simulation & Advanced Learning Technologies, designed with the help of his colleagues, a low-cost ventilator that can be assembled from parts bought in a hardware store.
Please pass this around if you know any person, preferably with engineering background, who can volunteer to build it in any part of the world that is running out of ventilators. It will save many lives.
Please be aware that this product is not fully tested. It's being shared because of the current state of emergency due to Covid-19, and the predicted ventilator shortage worldwide. Updates are available on the site:

https://simulation.health.ufl.edu/technology-development/open-source-ventilator-project/
More info about this DIY ventilator in his interview here:
Let's all do our share in helping to stop the spread of this virus. 
Keep safe with social-distancing and self-isolation. 

A video of Sem speaking on behalf of University of Florida Health faculty to explain the concept.


New update on the ventilator on April 8, 2020





Sunday, March 22, 2020

Spring hope, renewal and love

On a walk by the ravine, 
keeping six feet apart from others,
reflecting on the horrors of the pandemic flu,
the long weeks of social distancing and self-isolation,
I saw hope in this constellation of white buds
eager to sprout from the chaos of dead leaves.
I saw life renewed in spring sunshine,
felt the warmth of those dear to me,
their silent presence 
in my heart.






Tuesday, March 03, 2020

Lin Fengmian: the uncle I wish I had met

In the last week, I saw a few documentaries about the life of Lin Fengmian, a cousin of my father. He is hailed internationally as the artist who started modern art in China by blending western techniques and traditional Chinese art.

I wish I had met this incredibly talented uncle whose work and life fascinate me. But we lived in different countries, and a generation gap, and cultural differences separated us.

He had already passed away by the time relatives showed me the wide range of his work. I was sad that I never had a chance to meet him. As an artist, I felt an immediate affinity for his watercolours, and the moods he created with the harmonious movements of his brush.

I learned from the documentaries that traumatic events marked his life. I imagine painting was a healing force that helped him express his pain, and make life bearable, and even enjoyable.

These documentaries are in French. For those not familiar with French, and interested in his art, you can see samples of his work in those films.

Lin Fengmian: Combattre pour l'art

Lin Fenmian: S'approcher de l'art pur

Lin Fengmian: Hanté par calvaires