Wednesday, May 30, 2012

MY DAUGHTER DAHLIA AT TORONTO'S TALENT ON ROGERS TV



Please watch out for my daughter Dahlia's performance tonight on
Rogers Cable Network - Channel 10 and 63. Wednesday, May 30, 10:00
PM - Toronto's Talent highlights the city's hottest up and coming talent.
This week: Dahlia Fernandes, Lil JZ, Erik Jorgenson, Valerie Shearman 
and the Dreamcatcher.

http://www.rogerstv.com/page.aspx?lid=12&rid=16&sid=292
3&dat=5%2F30%2F2012

www.rogerstv.com


Toronto's Talent highlights the city's hottest budding


performers shot at the fabulous Hard Rock Café on Yonge 


Street in Downtown Toronto. This show features a variety of 


entertainers such as musicians, dancers, magicians and other 


unusual mind-blowing acts. Let your host, Quinn C. Martin 


guide you ...





Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Tonferns Vintage Cars

Ford 'Fordor' 1930
Classic Car of Yesteryear
Hand-crafted from 1/8" plywood Scale1:16

Monday, May 28, 2012

Mercedes-Benz SSK 1928


1/16 Scale Model 
Mercedes-Benz SSK 1928
Hand-crafted from 1/8" thick plywood
by Tony Fernandes

Rolls Royce


Rolls Royce
Hand-crafted from recycled 1/8" plywood
by Tony Fernandes

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Diamond Anniversary of Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California, USA




GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE
DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY
75 YEARS
A marvellous and awesome engineering wonder.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

A RIDE THROUGH THE CANADIAN COUNTRYSIDE

Woodburning Drawing (Pyrography)
by Tony Fernandes
4 ft. x 6 in.
Please click on the picture for an enlarged view. 

DOVORNEM - A PLACE TO REST

DOVORNEM





In the old days our Goan folks walked long distances from villages to the towns and vice versa. They also walked great distances to visit their relatives and friends. But some of the folks who grew vegetables, fruits and other produce carried them to the market place in huge baskets placed upon their heads.

Very often these folks could be seen waiting at one of these purpose built innovative structures called 'Dovornem' by the side of the road. These were constructed in laterite stone that enabled these hard-working folks to place the load they carried on their heads on these stone platforms and take a breather before proceeding on their journey either to or from the market.

The height of the 'dovornem' was purposely finished off at an average person's height so that there wasn't any need of another person to lift the load up back on their heads and proceed on their journey. What they merely had to do was slide the basket on the top flat surface of the 'Dovornem' onto their heads.

Often, people also waited for others to join them at such spots so that they would have company to travel in a group, thereby risking a lesser chance of getting themselves mugged or robbed of their jewelry or cash as they walked through lonely forests and hills.

When I was a young lad I have, on many occasions, accompanied my mother on such walking marathons, visiting my grandmother from Guirim to Siolim, and have comes across people who took some rest at such places, after from carrying the heavy load on their head for hours, so that they could cool themselves off from the over-powering heat, especially in the summer. 

These trips were often scary as people tried to hurry home through the hills before nightfall, specially through a very scary and sinister area called 'Sonar Khett' - apparently a well-known area in the old days for thieves hiding in the forest and preying on people making their journey through these hills and robbing them of cash or jewellery.

Such structures are now abandoned and some are still hidden among the overgrowth of bushes along the sides of some roads. 

Friday, May 18, 2012

'LIFE SUPPORT'
The Banyan Tree - The National Tree of India
'A tree growing out of the ground
 is as wonderful today as it ever was.
 It does not need to adopt new
and startling methods'.
 - Robert Henri

The National Tree of India is The Banyan Tree. This huge tree towers over its neighbors and has the widest reaching roots of all known trees, easily covering several acres. It sends off new shoots from its roots, so that one tree is really a tangle of branches, roots, and trunks. The banyan tree regenerates and lives for an incredible length of time--thus it is thought of as the immortal tree. 


Its size and leafy shelter are valued in India as a place of rest and reflection, and also as protection from the hot sun! It is still the focal point and gathering place for local councils and meetings. India has a long history of honoring this tree; it figures prominently in many of the oldest stories of the nation.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

GOENCHI MATHI (GOA EARTH) - A poem.

GOENCHI MATHI

Adeus korcho vell paulo laguim,
Goeam vochon urlele diss moje sartolom munn aum chintim,
Punn kitem sangoum chintunk zavem asslem avem hem adim,
Atam chintun kaim faido nam, zanntti pirai moji,
Oxem dista, diss moje mista paulea laguim.

Burgeaponnailea dissancho eta maka chodd ugddass
Viva Carnaval munnon jinsanvar cantaram kortale
Vaddeantlea lokak bhou khuxealkai ami addtale;
Diss te atam bodolleat, ‘Deu boro diss dhium” porian munnonk dista bhirant,
Kiteak konnui athie munnis goddiek marith munn amkam jivexim, eta akant.

Pascamchea kallar, Sovea Aitarak, Paixao-acho Aitar munn,
Lan and voddil bhou man ditale tea kallar,
Burge lan asslet amim, jednam fanthear utton,
Voddleantlo voddlo ram nettoun,
Igorje chollon vochot, akkem miss aikotale ube ravon;
Punn diss tea tam bodolleat,
Atamchea burgeanchi “style” zaun guelea veglli,
Loz dista munn Igorje gheun voitat
Lipoun bolsant ek daddtixi chutti
Ani vordhem miss aikon gara etat pollounk TV.

Adim diss ani rath ugttim astalim daram Goenchim
Bhirant munn matui dissonasli konnachi
Dis tem atam bodolleat, porke munis Goeam heile bireanim
Ani businessam suru kelim sogleani,
Khorem baba hem, boroinam fotti,
Soth mandunk kottin lagta zalear, polloi uggte korun tujeanch doeanim,
Bhaile munis heun geetlim tannim battam-bessam jinsanvar,
Gaum soddun guele zaitexe Goenkar,
Aminch tankam Goeam khali korun dhiun puri vatt keli toear.

Hea fuddem konneim tuka “Baba tum khuincho” munn vincharlear,
Tor zabab dhi apunn munn ek khoro Goenkar,
Neketr ani Roma Xhar Udentichem
Tin letranim sounsaran pacharlelem,
Supurlem, nazunk, sobit ani apurbaiechem
Bhangarachem amchem Goem.

Verse he tum vachtanam, dolleatlem ek tori dukh vavon
Poddoth tor pollear, ugdass moro kor,
Vissornakaim korunk niall,
Kiteak dhar Goenchem ugttench assam,
Porto heo khuincheai vellar.


Tony Fernandes                                                        December 1996

Monday, May 14, 2012

MOTHERS ARE FOR LIFE



When your become a mother,
you are a mother for life -
not only just for yesterday,
but for tomorrow and thereafter.
Let there be happy days for mothers
everyday...
everywhere.



Sunday, May 13, 2012

A ROSE FOR MOTHER on Mother's Day


My favourite quotes dedicated to Mothers

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.
Tenneva Jordan

If you have mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go where a prayer has not already been.
 Robert Bault.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Beyond the Rainbow's End
~~~~~~~~


Friday, May 11, 2012

Cobourg, Ontario


Cobourg is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario 95 kilometres (59 mi) east of Toronto. It is the largest town in Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, 7 km (4 mi) to the west. It is located along Highway 401 (exits 472 and 474) and the former Highway 2 (now Northumberland County Road 2). To the south, Cobourg borders Lake Ontario. To the north, east and west, it is surrounded by Hamilton Township. - Wikipedia

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Beaver Lake, Tamworth, Ontario, Canada


Beaver Lake, Ontario, Canada
View from Tamworth, looking south
Calm, serene, refreshing.

Tuesday, May 08, 2012


Church of
THE ASSUMPTION of the
BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Erinsville, Ontario, Canada

Monday, May 07, 2012

Beaver Lake, Tamworth, Ontario


Beaver Lake, Tamworth, Ontario

Tamworth is a small community in Lennox and Addington County, Ontario, Canada. Tamworth is located due North of Napanee, Ontario and Northeast of Belleville, Ontario, near Kingston, Ontario, and is on Beaver Lake.

Saturday, May 05, 2012

FULL MOON AT TAMWORTH, Ontario



'Cinco de Mayo' 
Blue Skies, Green Fields and Golden Moon:
'Keep on Shining'
Tamworth, Ontario, Canada

Full Moon Over The Ridge
Tamworth, Ontario


By the Countryside

TAMWORTH, Ontario, Canada

THE CHARM OF QUAINT CABBAGETOWN, Toronto, ON

Cabbagetown is located in downtown Toronto, bounded by Wellesley, Parliament, and Gerrard streets and the Don Valley Expressway. In fact it should be correctly called Dona Vale but the name 'Cabbagetown' somehow stuck from the habit of its first residents growing cabbages on their front lawns. It is a heritage neighbourhood where many famous Canadians in the arts live.It remains as a popular tourist attraction, Victorian style homes lining the streets.

The well-known Cabbagetown Art & Crafts Sale is held in Riverdale Park, right beside Riverdale Farm in the centre of Cabbagetown. The farm consists of a small family farm with a farmhouse, barn, and a variety of heritage breed farm animals. Each year over 150 artists and craftspeople exhibit in the juried high quality arts and crafts sale. And Edna's Pickles has been one of them for the last 6 years.










Wednesday, May 02, 2012

PICTURESQUE GOA

Assagao - Goa
'Three Siblings'

Miramar - Goa


Floating Casinos - Mandovi River, Panjim, Goa



The Magnificent Church of 'Mae de Deus' 
 Saligao, Bardez, Goa

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

WINDOWS OF ANOTHER ERA - Goa, India


These windows of a bygone era are unique to Goa. Many of such windows are making a comeback, both in appreciation and preservation. In the past they adorned the houses of the rich, the 'battkars' (landlords) and the affluent.

Basically, the window is set into the main wooden framework that is embedded into the wall that holds a full length latchable double doors on the inside. The main useful features of this type of double leaf window is to let the light pass through while the window is shut while keeping the elements and insects out.

The window itself is quite an intricate pattern mastered and perfected by Goan carpenters over the centuries.
It consists of vertical wooden strips into a timber framework, slotted to accept square pieces from the nacre of the mother-of-pearl shell which are inserted into these slots.

The transoms over such kinds of a windows are permanently fixed to the top portion  of the window frames which are made in a variety of sizes, shapes and patterns.

In each of the window leaves pictured above are small square clear glass openings, each one set into the lower middle part of window. These openings are actually at an average human standing eye level on the inside. They serve a clever purpose for the inhabitants to have an unobtrusive look of the outside, but  inhibits anyone looking in because of the sheer height of the plinth level of such houses in addition to the height at which the clear glass openings are made. Hinged to the main frame, these windows are provided with latches on the inside and metal hooks to keep them open and at the same time to prevent them from slamming shut due to a sudden gust of breeze. There is a solid wooden door on the inside of this window.

Invariably though one may notice, for some reason these are mostly found to be painted in blue, visible in the villages, cities and towns in Goa.