Goodbye 2020

 LAST SUNSET OF 2020. Clouds of Hope.

View from my window. Mississauga. ON.

“Clouds come floating into my life,

no longer to carry rain or usher storm,

 but to add color to my sunset sky.”

― Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds.

   

The Global Goan

https://online.fliphtml5.com/kdhdu/rczn/?fbclid=IwAR221lvkZkQ9uumo7EGLPn-Oqwz8w7P7VD5Edgbfkmbo9nbGKzkgsz7xQUc#p=27

The Boat House That We Built

'D E N I Z A L I A'

Cold Moon - or Wolf Moon.

 

MOONWHILE, in Mississauga tonight it was a Cold Moon through the haze, making it the last Full Moon of 2020, and the 13th Full Moon of the year. Also called Wolf Moon, Ice Moon, the Yule Moon, the Long Night Moon, the Datta Jayanti Moon, Unduvap Poya, and the Chang’e Moon. The month of October of this year had the very rare occurrence of 2 Full Moons in a month, due to the 29.5 days of the moon's cycle. The phrase’once in a blue moon’ is derived from this type of celestial event.

Trucial States

During my early days in this region, seven Sheikdoms formed what was then known as the Trucial States of Oman – a British protectorate until 1971. After that a beautiful nation known as the United Arab Emirates was born. Pic 1: Ruler's Palace, Abu Dhabi, 1969.  Pic.2: Left: Sheikha Latifa Bldg, on Bani Yas Street, Deira, 1969. Dubai Petroleum Co. had its offices in this bldg. Right: Hassani Supermarket bldg. Background: Jashanmal & Sons. Pic 3. Deira  Corniche 1969. Music Centre: Sole agents for the famous B&O (Bang & Olufsen of Denmark) next to Riviera Restaurant. Background: Carlton Hotel. #

MAKE GOA COOL, NOT COAL

59 Years ago today

 Till today, I remember running along with other boys, 59 years ago. on the winding path through our ward of Cumbiem Morod, leading to the red mud road that passed through our village of Guirim, in Bardez, Goa, to see the Indian Army proceeding slowly, heading for the capital, Panjim. I saw young boys, accompanied by older folks of our village, waving out to the Indian soldiers sitting on top of their tanks in full battle gear. And I waved out as well! The boys shouted "Jai Hind" and I followed doing the same. I was fourteen years young.

I was fascinated by the artillery comprising of huge tanks,armoured cars, jeeps and trailers, gun carriages with canons of

different shapes and sizes towed by trucks, proceeding towards Panjim. They created clouds of dust as they rumbled along.

Most of the soldiers had moustaches, beards and turbans. All were smiling. The military procession continued long after dusk and trickled into the night. Here's my depiction in a drawing of Indian Troops driving through Guirim in Bardez on the evening of 18th December 1961, on their way via Betim to the capital, Panjim, ending Portuguese rule in Goa of over 450 years.

The Global Goan E-Magazine

 

https://online.fliphtml5.com/kdhdu/cums/#p=1

The Global Goan November 2020

 

Link for the Complete Magazine

http://online.fliphtml5.com/kdhdu/zyla/#p=1

link for my Article : 

Major Days for the Morris Minor, the Doctor, My Bicycle & Me

https://online.fliphtml5.com/kdhdu/zyla/#p=41

Halloween Blue Moon

 

MOONWHILE in Mississauga this evening I had the once in a blue moon chance to photograph the very rare Blue Moon. The phrase 'once in a blue moon' is derived from this type of a celestial event - i.e. 2 full moons in a single month - specialty here today being granted the extra spookiness on a Halloween night.. This October had the very rare occurrence of 2 Full Moons in a month - the last one being on 1 October 2020.

Moon's First Quarter in Autumn 2020

 

Meanwhile, in Mississauga, photographed tonight on a clear night sky through my window, it was the first quarter of the silvery moon in autumn. Sep. 23, 8:55 p.m.  Altitude: 17° - Direction: 206°SSW

Cloudy Encounter

'Cloudy Encounter' - 1996.

Photographed by Tony Fernandes

from the terrace of Tax Free Center bldg.near Indian High School. In the foreground of the picture on left is Pakistani High School and on the right is St. Mary's Church.

 

Dubai

Yesterday, the 2nd of September, was the 53rd anniversary of my first sea voyage aboard s.s.Sirdhana to Dubai which took 5 days calling on ports of Karachi and Muscat en route. I lived in the building on the left of this photograph for a few months after my arrival on the 7th September 1967. 

If you wish to read about my journey then please click the following link to my blog.

Part 1

http://tonferns.blogspot.ca/2009/04/beyond-arabian-sea.html

Part 2

http://tonferns.blogspot.ca/2009/04/beyond-arabian-sea-partt-2.html

Part 3

http://tonferns.blogspot.ca/2009/04/beyond-arabian-sea-part-3.html

Corn Full Moon

 

Meanwhile, in Mississauga, it was Full Corn Moon in full glow on the night of 2nd September 2020. The reason why this September's full moon is called as the 'Corn Moon' is because it comes before the autumnal equinox. Following this, the full moon on October 1 will be called the 'Harvest Moon' instead of 'Hunter Moon' which will now be on October 31. According to folklore, the next Blue Moon will come on October 31, 2020. It is called a Blue Moon because it'll be the 2nd of 2 full moons in a single calendar month. Hence the timeless phrase of yore “once in a blue moon” which is rare. Photo by Tony Fernandes.

Hyatt Regency - Dubai

Hyatt Regency Hotel, Deira Corniche, Dubai 1980.

Imposing building of that era on the Dubai Waterfront area

 - clear blue skies on a sunny day.

Camera: Nikon. Lens 35mm.

Kodak 35mm Negative film.

Photo by Tony Fernandes 

“Don't worry, there’s no hurry, no rush.

For all of us there’s a lot of brush.” 

- Grazing Quartet: Harmony in the Desert Sands -

Al Quoz area, Dubai.

 

Dubai by Night

 

First Quarter Moon in Mississauga

 

MEANWHILE in Mississauga, from my window on a clear sky last night, I was able to photograph the Moon in its First Quarter phase. This phase occurs roughly 7 days after the New Moon when the moon is one quarter of the way through its orbit around the earth. Exactly half the moon will be illuminated and half dark. On the day of the First Quarter phase the moon is visible until mid-night when it sets in the west. The First Quarter phase is a one day event and in the following days enters a Waxing Gibbous phase becoming more illuminated each day until the Full Moon. Time: 21.30
25th August 2020

 Memories I will forever cherish,

My host brethren never will I forget,

Their pride and hospitality I will always admire,

And having sighed a modest praise I shall retire.

First published in Gulf News Magazine, 25th October 1996

Nostalgic Reflections - Dubai

 

Off to the Races - Nad Al Sheba, Dubai. 1997.

Nostalgic Reflections.

Photo by Tony Fernandes.

Camera: Nikon 401X - 

Lens: Nikkor Telephoto 70-210mm f4.5 - Kodak 35mm Neg. film

Tonferns Violin

When you play a violin piece,

you are a storyteller,

and you're telling a story.'- Joshua Bell.

Miniature Violin 

hand-made by Tony Fernandes

 - 1/6 Scale - 1/4" thick wood.

Hollow body. Nylon strings.

Stands upright.

Lilies Against the Setting Sun

AGAINST THE SETTING SUN BY THE PATIO.

Photographs by Tony Fernandes.

Consider the lilies of the field

Whose bloom is brief:

We are as they;

Like them we fade away

As doth a leaf.

     

- Christina Rossetti.

BUCK MOON

Meanwhile, in Mississauga, it was a Full Moon last night. In the photo planet Jupiter is on the left as a tiny dot. Traditionally, a full Moon in July is called the Buck Moon because a buck’s antlers are in full growth mode at this time. This full Moon is also known as the Thunder Moon because thunderstorms are so frequent during this month.

Leaves against sunset

"Each leaf tells us a story. the story of its struggle. the struggle against the storms that it faces in life.”  ― Avijeet Das

Leaves over the garden fence against the setting sun.

WHO SAID

DAHLIA @ MUSIC TOGETHER

My daughter Dahlia

will be performing live

on Instagram

on May 17 at 7 pm EST.

Check it out!

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=3328423350502448&set=a.355512364460243

Early Morning Greeting Down by the Village Well

'DEU BORO DIS DHiUM'

(Konkani)

English Translation: Good Morning

I remember when I was very young, the village community well near our house did not have a pulley and it had been difficult to draw water, but in later years, it was much easier – fun, exuberance and pleasure combined. This had been possible after two laterite posts were constructed, with a wooden beam across them and a pulley system installed over the well, through labour and money contributed by those who used water from the well.

In Goa, the most common and memorable, classic and timeless, first greeting of the early morning in Konkani : ‘Deu Boro Dis Dhium’ (Lit. trans: May God give you a good day or Good Morning) were the first words of the day that were said to one’s neighbours, who also came to fetch water......down by the village well.

Some of the good old days of yore have now given way to overhead tanks, municipal water pipelines and electric water-pumps providing the village folks with tap water, in addition to the benefit and ease of sprinkling their gardens with rubber hose pipes. 

Picturesque Goa Framed

Recent watercolour paintings framed today.

Size: 16”x13”.

Picturesque Goa.

By Tony Fernandes.

Fishing Boat at Baga, Bardez, Goa

Back in the days of my childhood in the 1960’s, Baga, a beach town in state of Goa, India, was one of my favourite places that I visited with my grandma on her annual 8-day sojourn, staying in a rented place near the sea. It lies 2 km north of Calangute, popular with tourists and locals alike with a coastline of pristine golden-brown sands and the meandering and scenic Baga Creek, summed up in the excerpt below from my book ‘GOA - Memories of my Homeland’ (Poems & Stories).

Grandma's annual dip
In the Arabian Seas
For her aging knees
She thought was good indeed;
She took me along on a trip
To a idyllic place called Baga
On the eight o'clock "Carreira".

Dotted along Goa’s scenic beaches, boats fitted with an outrigger was a common sight, but nowadays motorboats are used. Fisher folk live along the coastline and cast their nets on a regular basis. Many families combine their efforts in going out to sea and a whole community helps in pulling in the nets. A familiar sight at times is strolling tourists lending a helping hand. All this and much much more in my new illustrated line-art book with descriptions, namely ‘A Line in Time’.

BAGA BEACH - Line-Art/Water Colours Drawing by Tony Fernandes. Size 12” x 9”.

Rishi Kapoor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmeMg-gm1Us

TonFerns Face Masks

Happy Easter

May this Easter bring us

peace, joy and happiness,

with hope for a better tomorrow,

free from all illnesses.

Good Friday

THE FIRST RAINS - From Line Art to Water Colours

GOA AFTER THE FIRST RAINS.

This scene is from the days of my growing up in the late 1950’s/early 1960’s in Goa. View of Bastora hills seen from Guirim, Cumbiem Morod, Bardez, Goa, India. On the left is my cycle leaning on the coconut tree. On the roadside nearby is a cross where we sang litanies and prayed for rain. Sitting on the bridge parapet are my buddies having an idle chat. One of them has a cycle. On the right is the Portuguese Primary school “Escola Primaria”, flanked by houses of my friends. In the foreground donning a red shirt and grey shorts is me with my selection of boats while my buddy has just arrived  with his. In the distance from left to right  is the main road from Mapusa to Betim ferry crossing, at the time when the bridge over the River Mandovi was not even on the drawing board. The boys from different wards met at the junction before proceeding to school at Monte de Guirim. The small rivulet from the hills of Parra runs through Guirim and joins the Mapusa river tributary that lies little beyond the main road.

Water Colours from Line Drawing. Size 12" x 9"  by Tony Fernandes.

Fishing Boats at Pomburpa,

Goa - India.

by Tony Fernandes

3-layered Art in Water Colours

Size 20 in.x 16 in.

Pomburpa/Chorão Ferry Crossing.

Back in the day while on an annual vacation

to Goa during the 1970's,

visiting relatives and friends

around various places in Goa was the norm,

 and a visit to the scenic island of

Chorão was no exception.

DIY Small project by Tonferns Creations.

                         DIY Small project by Tonferns Creations.
                                Custom stand for a hot glue gun.