The articles, the opinions, the stories, the poems, the thoughts, the reviews, the photos, the paintings and the cartoons The Ovi covers.
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The articles, the opinions, the stories, the poems, the thoughts, the reviews, the photos, the paintings and the cartoons The Ovi covers.
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The articles, the opinions, the stories, the poems, the thoughts, the reviews, the photos, the paintings and the cartoons Ovi magazine covers for Saturday November 4th, 2023
The emojis say it all by Dr Elsa Lycias Joel
Thanks to my mom who made sure I learnt Bharatanatyam for a decade or so. She gave a damn whether I liked it or enjoyed it. That is why, by looking at my face, people around me decoded the tone of the message I was typing and the one reading it read my mind just the way I wanted them to. My facial expressions never matched the emojis I typed into my phone. Emojis looked dumb beside the list of adjectives I used to express nuances of joy, contempt, disappointment and what not! Not only did I Invent my own jargon by mixing and matching words in the dictionary to express my emotions, I somehow managed to convince and teach the meanings to all those in my close friends list. All the jargon and slang I created stopped seemingly enough once the emojis crept in.
Soon after I mastered the use of emoticons, emojis peeped out from everywhere. These yellow faces look like they pose major challenges to the durability of words as such. Gen Z flaunt their emoji using skills with elan. What a great goal in life! At times, I use emojis just the way I like much to the disappointment of many, especially the Gen Z who pretend to have a thorough knowledge of 3,500 of them. As for me, using emojis seemed effortless because I cared not to read and by heart which one of them conveyed what emotion. That could be one reason behind my friends’ inability to understand my messages that packed so much insight, so much intellect. Over a period of time, my truly masterly analysis on complexities that emerge when words and emojis clash with emotions in the absence of emoji knowledge were ignored. It was arduous to research on why a handful did not take it all so light. Texting a GenZ is somewhat like the girl with the curl-great when the going is good but can sometimes be awful.
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Colours #poem & #painting by Nikos Laios
“We live in colours,
Under a blue sky
And a yellow sun
Warm and bright
That gives life
To the world.”
Continue reading HERE!
Worming #077 #cartoon by Thanos Kalamidas
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The articles, the opinions, the stories, the poems, the thoughts, the reviews, the photos, the paintings and the cartoons Ovi magazine covers for Thursday October 26th, 2023
Life sans social networks by Dr Elsa Lycias Joel
There was a time when there were no social networks to tether people. It was in the absence of texts, emojis, emails and real conversations that people were able to appreciate the depth of love they felt. The outside world remained outside of people’s lives. Knowing people, falling in love, being in a relationship, securing a job, going on a trip were not posted on ‘walls’ for all to scroll through.
Talk about phones. There existed just a landline that rang once in a blue moon because many others didn’t own a phone to call you. No voice mail, no caller ID to help people take note of missed calls and return them. The long wait after booking a trunk call made conversations good enough. We had enough time to travel back and reminisce to make our conversation long enough to express ourselves and short enough to strengthen the bond.
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THE HUMAN PROMISE #poem by David Sparenberg
“When the Human Promise shut her eyes
she saw what was unseen – heart
of the human heart – soul
of the human soul. Light
like the softness of flowers shone
around everyone whose task in
life was truth and within
every deed done for sake of the
goodness of life. Keeping the Possible open.”
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Ghostin’ #75 #cartoon by Thanos Kalamidas
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The articles, the opinions, the stories, the poems, the thoughts, the reviews, the photos, the paintings and the cartoons Ovi magazine covers for Saturday October 21st, 2023
A conversation with Shri Manish Tewari by Dr Elsa Lycias Joel
In a freewheeling conversation with Elsa Lycias Joel, Manish Tewari talks about his early days, memories of travelling, how capable and visionary governance can complement our diversities to bring about unity and prosperity, why the government must honour the role of a free press only to foster a successful and stable democracy, why the last 9 years or so look like a spectre of undeclared emergency, a few fundamental revisits to ensure the freedom of speech and expression and catalyze the role of governors so that their actions do not become the subject of controversy in addition to avoiding allegations of political partisanship, experts recognizing paper ballots as one of the most important security measures India must switch over to and why each one of us must derive strength from the diversities that surround us, be more inclusive and commit to equal opportunity for all.
Given his credentials as a grass root public, political activist, lawyer, politician and Union Minister, Manish’s conversation weaves around defending civil liberties, the right to privacy and defending fundamental principles.
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Over the tree whispers turn into screams #poem by Abigail George
“I haven’t fallen in love in eight
hours. I wish I could fly out of this
room to any place that I could call home
and sanctuary away from this cold
winter’s dream, thinking about what
you did not say out of the blue, and I think of
the Parisian-rooftops of Rilke, my sister’s
Prague, Lulu, and I feel lonely”
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Ant-Biotics #26 #cartoon by Thanos Kalamidas
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The articles, the opinions, the stories, the poems, the thoughts, the reviews, the photos, the paintings and the cartoons Ovi magazine covers for Saturday September 16th, 2023
A novelty with an expiry date by Dr Elsa Lycias Joel
That soothing rhythm of typing from an indispensable machine invented by one of the most unselfish, kind-hearted genius Christopher Latham Sholes, lent an endearing enchantment to users and nonusers as well. This piece of his inventive genius we call the typewriter was granted a patent on June 23, 1868. Thenceforward, June 23 is celebrated around the world as Typewriter Day.
Those sounds of clacking keys from the black machine are fresh in my head. It woke me up in a rather nice way far better than the screeching alarm of my analog alarm clock that gave me a jerk. Yet, I loved the clock for its ticking noises that put me to sleep. Everything about this writing machine in my dad’s study was good. Awake or half asleep my toes, fingers and feet moved in sync with the clickety-clack. Dad wrote letters to editors of dailies with so much passion and the sounds coming from the machine made me think he was writing something special in a special way. The precision involved when typing to avoid going back over and over was amazing. Between returning the carriage to its original position and looking at my dancing feet, dad should’ve decided on the right word to type in without the slightest distraction.
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Echoes #poem by Dr. Lawrence Nannery
“Radio bigmouth, and out of that horn
that song.
Back when everything I was was longing
this song exposed it all.
The longing, the loneliness,
the desire to be worthy
if only you would love me,
so strong it was immobilizing,
my whole soul swimming under the feeling.”
Continue reading HERE!
Always something; the family edition #070 #cartoon by Thanos Kalamidas
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The articles, the opinions, the stories, the poems, the thoughts, the reviews, the photos, the paintings and the cartoons Ovi magazine covers for Friday June 23rd, 2023
Elite sportsmen, elite artists and anxiety by Joseph Gatt
Anxiety is part of the sport. First off, being an elite artist or sportsman is a privilege that usually comes with years of hard work and training.
Definition: there are lots of sportsmen or artists playing any sport or dabbling with any art. Elite means you get lots of visibility, usually because you play the sport or the art really, really well. Either because you collect a long series of titles and championships, or because your art work has huge impact.
Being part of the elite is of course not a lifelong title, and you have to keep your elite status for about a decade or two before you can become a so-called “legend” and that’s when you’re in the history books.
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Tickled pink (Pink Flamingo Day) #poem by Dr Elsa Lycias Joel
“A new dream is born
In the city of dreams
Honking-grunting-growling, a song
Tickled pink is Bombay, ahem!“
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Ant-Biotics #18 #cartoon by Thanos Kalamidas
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The articles, the opinions, the stories, the poems, the thoughts, the reviews, the photos, the paintings and the cartoons Ovi magazine covers for Friday May 5th, 2023
Religion by Dr Elsa Lycias Joel
We witness, hear and read about religious incompatibilities, tension and violence. Indians fear the outbreak of riots given the way hate speech and insinuations make their way into every nook and corner. India has an enviable religious diversity, which is also the reason for religious conflicts and thousands of deaths. According to a report released by the US think-tank Pew Research Center, India had the highest rate of social tensions along religious lines globally in 2020. If we are to analyze the reasons behind social hostilities and blame people who make sure about religiously inspired nationalist movements gaining prominence, then we will realize we have a prime duty as a parent or teacher. Whatever is our faith or religion, training a kid to seek the truth or God with the tenets of one’s own holy book is most necessary in a multi religious country like ours. All religions profess peace and universal brotherhood which unfortunately is the most ignored when any political resurgence happens on the premise that Indian culture is coterminous with Hindu culture. This is totally fine as long as people belonging to other faiths are not intimidated and assaulted. A political party’s inclination towards one particular religion can be ignored if it isn’t desperate to make laws that are fundamentally discriminatory in nature.
Places of worship and pilgrimage are aplenty here. We need more schools, colleges, factories and hospitals. These places of worship encroaching public lands keep officials busy in demolition operations. So, knocking down and building places of worship seem to take too much of our time and resources. In this world’s most populous country where every other person is a devout, why are we finding it impossible to give lasting peace a chance? When we boast of religious freedom why do we suffer religious violence? The answer must come from individuals like you and me, not from politicians or religious leaders. Peace and harmony are shaped by the forces of individual desire. Our desire for creating sane minds should never wane.
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What will survive us? #poem by Abigail George
“I sit here writing
and the words seem to pour out
of me effortlessly
but as soon as they
leave the vessel that contains
my body I freeze”
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Fika bonding! #57 #cartoon by Thanos Kalamidas
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The articles, the opinions, the stories, the poems and the cartoons Ovi magazine covers for Saturday April 1st, 2023 – Fools’ day
April fool’s day by Dr Elsa Lycias Joel
Neither did I relish the idea of making a fool of someone nor did I appreciate people who tried to do the same with me. So, the very mention of April fool’s day made me anxious and angry.
Even as a kid I have wondered why is there this day that entitles people to fool others without understanding if the person at the other end is really enjoying this foolery. Also, I noticed the intensity of practical jokes and hoaxes increased year after year, in all places. Not all enjoyed childish japes. Some kids laughed, some cried and many excelled in the art. Come March 31st, I was wary about not being pranked by particular persons and I felt great about the control I exercised over myself into not giving in. Yes, I couldn’t bring myself to laugh over a handful of silly boys calling me a fool, be it January, February, March or April. To me, the only girl kid in the household, each one of them who tried to pull my leg looked like a desperate fool whose attempts appeared to be water on a duck’s back. As I grew up, their strategies to fool me grew nastier. Thinking back I’m certain nobody succeeded in cheating me for three reasons:
1. I was stubborn
2. I never trusted anybody readily
3. I mastered the subtle art of giving a damn
Knowing my love for my turtle Peek-a-Boo, they tried making me believe that one of them saw him being thrown into our well. I stayed calm watching their facial expressions because I knew Peek-a-Boo is after all a turtle. Once in six months our water well was cleaned of slit mud sediment by that ‘long man’ whose name I wasn’t capable of pronouncing. I called him so because he was lean and lanky with long limbs.
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Community #poem by Jan Sand
“When politics leaves only a bag of dirty tricks,
And business, more or less inspires crime,
When love resolves into few quick fucks
And kids become a noisy painful waste of time,
Perhaps it’s best to call it quits
And line up all those silly ducks
To realize this life is made for brainless shits,
For sadistic nincompoops to enjoy,
To deploy vast miseries of quizzeries,
Of final disappointments.”
Continue reading HERE!
Manish’s Zodiac Signs Predictions for April 2023 – by Manish Kumar Arora
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Mika Toxica #51 #cartoon by Thanos Kalamidas
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The articles, the opinions, the stories, the poems and the cartoons Ovi magazine covers for Saturday November 19th, 2022
Fabien Poes by Dr Elsa Lycias Joel
Fabien Poes painting the walls of Alliance Française (AF) Chennai was a sight to watch. Standing on the ascent stool, his hand held and swayed the spray paint just as a kabuki dancer would sway the fan. In spite of me standing next to him and asking too many questions, his graffiti strokes seemed admirable just as his answers. I found his work and story impressive. At times when Fabien got sentimental about what led him to his destinations, he drifted to his mother tongue and I relied on Saanchi Agarwal, translator at AF. Born in 1983, Fabien grew up in Paris in the La Defense district. Growing up without a television was a blessing for he developed a love for novels and spent most of the time playing with his friends in his neighbourhood, a concrete maze to be precise. Somewhere between creating his own imaginary world, going to school and coming back home he began to do graffiti on the walls when he was sweet sixteen. It started off as a game.
A couple of times Fabien got arrested for painting private walls and that didn’t deter him from doing what he enjoyed the most. Instead it gave him an adrenalin rush helping him realize graffiti was his calling. Yes, the writing on the wall was clear. Walls spoke through colours and Fabien laboured in freedom after dark to throw some light. Darker the nights, better his imaginations. Some days, he waited for his parents to go to bed to run to his hideouts from where he communicated to the society. Nothing could stop Fabien. An insatiable quest for stories and encounters took him to the four corners of the new borderless Europe that cherished his works for more than 20 years.
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The woman that was a starling #poem by Abigail George
“Put the lion in his magnificent cell and
worship him there. In my dream leaves
turn into milk quietly. Daylight crushed
my dreams. Birthed the telephone-poet
with her flaming debt-free-volcano-lips.”
Continue reading HERE
A fistful of cactus #41 #cartoon by Thanos Kalamidas
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The articles, the opinions, the stories, the poems and the cartoons Ovi magazine covers for Friday September 23rd, 2022- International Day of Sign Languages
The International Day of Sign Languages is a unique opportunity to support and protect the linguistic identity and cultural diversity of all deaf people and other sign language users. During the 2022 celebration of the International Day of Sign Languages, the world will once again highlight the unity generated by our sign languages. Deaf communities, governments and civil society organisations maintain their collective efforts – hand in hand – in fostering, promoting and recognising national sign languages as part of their countries’ vibrant and diverse linguistic landscapes.
The laid-back charm of Meycode by Dr Elsa Lycias Joel
In that remote village called Meycode, animals and birds seem to read human minds, especially my mother’s and vice versa. Crows either wake her up if she sleeps through or wait for her at her door step and caw in different intonations when they do and don’t get what they expect. Seven sisters go a step ahead; fly into the house to eat mixture and chips spread out for them in newspapers. As they eat, they chirp loudly, taking their turns or sometimes in unison. My mother listens to them as if her schedule is part of their itinerary. I won’t be surprised if my mom turns out to be another Aileen Fisher. Mynas and squirrels join the seven sisters often to outwit them in eating and chatting. How beautifully they coexist, wait patiently for their turns is a sight to watch! It’s only during rainy or stormy days their schedule is a bit off that they fly in together, act erratically, peck away squirrels and pretend like they completely lost it. Another animal in the scene is the cat that acts like a watchdog, always in the vicinity of my mom. At times it tries to act nasty or funny with the birds. That’s when the cane comes out of my mom’s kitchen. An obligate carnivore surviving on human food will definitely have a fascination for meat. While in her garden, my mother just doesn’t get the fact that food chain and food web is essentially a part of life. Watering her small garden that has all the herbs, creepers and shrubs she can think of is what my mom enjoys the most, more than teaching English, counseling or managing the church library. It’s while watering she counts the number of newborn fishes and water lilies in her mini pond and realizes her small garden is haven for glowworms, snails, butterflies, bird nests, dragonflies, humming birds and birds of prey which she manages to scare away.
Blessed with a green thumb, supposedly a matrilineal genetic disposition, my mom has an unusual yearning to grow all that Margaret, her grandmother, had in her garden. Even if the garden doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing due to a lot of plants growing here and there, it’s a near carbon-copy of her Margaret’s. Anybody else watering or tending to her plants will feel unsatisfied as she points out an unwatered newly sprouted monocotyledon in some corner or beside a philodendron or elephant ears. I like to believe it’s none other than Margaret Stephen’s soul that’s acting as a bird whisperer.
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2:00 AM #poem by Bohdan Yuri
“It’s 2:00 AM,
And I don’t want to go to sleep.
I’m not done with the day,
I’m still wired,
I don’t want to rest,
Only to start over again tomorrow.”
Continue reading HERE!
John Boyd Orr: Action for a Comprehensive World Food Policy by Rene Wadlow
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2030) aims by 2030 to “Double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets , and non-farm resources.”
John Boyd Orr, whose birth anniversary we mark on 23 September, was a medical doctor and biologist from Scotland concerned with the impact of poverty and malnutrition on health. He worked on food issues with the League of Nations and during the Second World War was deeply involved in food issues in Britain, especially focused on the needs of children and youth. From his experience with the League of Nations he saw the need for as large a group as possible to think of themselves as Citizens of the World. He wrote “Our civilization is now in the transition stage between the age of warring empires and a new age of world unity and peace…When the fabric of society is so rigid that it cannot change quickly enough, adjustments are achieved by social unrest and revolutions.”
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Sceptic feathers #046 #cartoon by Thanos Kalamidas
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The articles, the opinions, the stories, the poems and the cartoons Ovi magazine covers for Sunday August 14th, 2022 – World Lizard Day
World Lizard Day seeks to celebrate reptiles, specifically lizards. Lizards are both predators and prey, making them critical to the ecosystem. They eat insects and rodents, while being food for birds. Lizards have been around for more than 250 million years. They typically live in deserts, forests, and rocky warm areas.
When the Goddess made Dilip to dance her praise by Dr Elsa Lycias Joel
InsideNarada Gana Sabha, soon after the curtain went up on that rainy July evening, my eyes were glued to the dancer who presented himself in such tandem with the music, rhythm, footwork, abhinaya and what not! Being an amateur Kuchipudi dancer I could understand the story the dancer told by effectively directing his movements and emotions. As I was trying to understand words that had many other connotations, I very much wanted to know the story behind this dancer’s passion and presentations.
This guy came across as a successful story teller with his expressions and presentation of movements. He was clear about how he wanted his idea to come across to the audience, his strengths fully illuminated.
Dilip’s love for dance blossomed at a very young and he has been dancing and loving Kuchipudi for the last 10 years. After 8 years he was inclined to explore various themes that can possibly be adapted to Kuchipudi.
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Tecuauhtlacuepeuh #poem by Virginia Maria Romero
“She who comes flying from the “Region of Light” like an “Eagle of Fire”
Your words, now unspoken,
linger…
they tell a story of desert landscapes…
of loves,
dreams,
fate”
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Always something; the family edition #040 #Cartoon by Thanos Kalamidas
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The articles, the opinions, the stories, the poems and the cartoons Ovi magazine covers for Friday July 1st, 2022 – Canada Day
Canada Day celebrates that day in history when the British North America Act (Now called the Constitution Act of 1867) was put into place. This was an important end to a long struggle to get Canada recognized as a separate country from its British parents. Three colonies were bound together to create what is now recognized as one of the best countries in the world to live in. For a long time it had some issues with its currency not performing well on the world stage, but recently it has risen to prominence and held its own amongst first world countries.
Fete de la musique 2022 by Dr Elsa Lycias Joel
The ambience at Edouard Michelin Auditorium, Alliance Francaise (AF), Chennai was just so right that evening. It was pouring outside, so the fog and specified haze on stage helped me merge with the outdoor mood as well. With a cup of hot lemon tea specially prepared by the famous Yosuf who runs the ‘La Cantine’ at AFand two friends to update me on what’s happening in the music circles by and large, time flew by. Meanwhile, Dr. Adam J. Greig, academic coordinator of KM Music Conservatory, walked in to regale us about why June 21st is considered a special day to celebrate music, why fête de la musiquecreated in 1982 in France is globally known and how enthusiastically the neighbouring countries adopted and adapted to the idea of appreciating music professionals and promoting amateur music. Dr.Adam is a human book. Given his credentials as a musicologist, director, researcher, actor and composer, Dr. Adam can hold anybody’s attention for any amount of time. I was so engrossed listening and talking that I didn’t notice the auditorium getting filled up.
Mr. Bruno Plasse, Director, AF Chennai welcomed the gathering in his usual charming demeanor, encouraged everyone to dance or sing along and introduced the bands in the best possible way, which indeed pepped us all up. Both professional and hobbyist photographers went about clicking. SushilPanicker stood out among them with his Nikon d5500.
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Have You Seen My Integrity? #poem by George Cassidy Payne
“It was wearing a crimson
fedora and a gun metal black
v neck t-shirt”
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Manish’s Zodiac Signs Predictions for July 2022
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Sceptic feathers #39 #cartoon by Thanos Kalamidas
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The articles, the opinions, the stories, the poems and the cartoons Ovi magazine covers for Tuesday June 21st, 2022 – World Humanist Day
World Humanist Day is a Humanist holiday celebrated annually around the world on the June solstice, which usually falls on June 21. According to Humanists International, the day is a way of spreading awareness of Humanism as a philosophical life stance and means to effect change in the world. It is also seen as a time for Humanists to gather socially and promote the positive values of Humanism.
World music day by Dr Elsa Lycias Joel
Inspite of knowing that world music day is celebrated on June 21 since 1982 I happened to think over it for the first time today. One of my favourite childhood memories include waking up and going to bedlistening to one particular Tamil song named that goes as ‘ Deva pidhaenthanmeipanallo’ . This was not only my most loved song but the one that rang in my ears all the time. I consider this my all-time special due to the following reasons
1- This is the first Tamil song I learnt as a kid
2- If not in our house, this song was still heard from some part of my hometown Neyyoor.
3- Soon after I began to decipher the lyrics, I understood the song was not just honey to my ears but it also encouraged my soul.
4- It was nothing but Psalm 23rd taking the shape of a song only to offer me a peace that passeth all understanding.
5 – I could tell between music lovers and others from the way they sang this particular song.
Continue reading HERE!
The Surfer #poem & #photo by Nikos Laios
“It’s cold and the wind
Is howling along the coast,
The smell of the ocean
Hangs in the air
And the sound of
Rustling eucalyptus trees
Bending in the breeze.”
Continue reading HERE!
A Day of Balance and Harmony by Rene Wadlow
The 21st of June, the Summer Solstice, is in many cultures the cosmic symbol of balance and harmony: balance between light and dark, between the universal and the local, between giving and receiving, between women and men, and between our inner and outer worlds. History records humanity’s preoccupation with the sun’s annual cycle. Sites such as Stonehenge in England are thought to have been erected specifically to trace the path of the sun through the heavens.
The sun has always had symbolic meaning. As that most ancient Sanskrit prayer, the Gayatri tells us, the sun is a disc of golden light giving sustenance to the universe. Plato used the image of the sun to represent the idea of the One, the Good. In the age of the Old Kingdom in ancient Egypt, the concept of harmony, order, and balance were personified by the goddess Ma’at, the winged woman who replicated on earth, the celestial balance of order and beauty.
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Mika Toxica #28 #cartoon by Thanos Kalamidas
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