If not for the subtle rise and fall of their vocal sacs, I would have thought them statues.18 The Heart of the Story Is the Wisdom and Magic The pond before me held eight fabled toads, each biting on a coin. Ma-ma had placed one near the stairs leading to the front door. Statues of him graced every Chinese home I had ever been in, for fortune was a visitor always in demand. Jin Chan's three legs represented heave, earth, and humanity. The feng shui symbol of prosperity, Jin Chan was transformed into a golden toad for stealing the peaches of immortality. I knew these creatures from my childhood. The night garden was bursting with a palette of muted greens, starlit ivories, and sparkling golds: the verdant lichen and waxy lily pads in the pond, the snowy white peonies and jasmine flowers, and the metallic tones of the fireflies suspended in the air, the square-holed coins lining the floor of the pond, and the special golden three-legged creatures resting on the floating fronds. Beneath my feet, a path of moss-covered stones led to a circular platform surrounded by a large, shallow pond. The rustle of the night breeze joined the familiar voice of Teresa Teng echoing from invisible speakers. The tension building in my neck and shoulders melted away as I entered a fairyland. The path opened into a courtyard, a tangle of peonies and jasmine framing the entrance, blooming in spectacular fashion. The scent was from the fresh flowers of a lush garden. I inhaled deeply to draw in the lovely bouquet. “As I walked, I became aware of the strong odor of peonies and jasmine. Growing up in a household where Chinese superstition mingled with Filipino Catholicism, she devoured books about mythology, which shaped the fantasies in her novels.Īn artist by nature, she considers writing as "painting with words.". She found her love of writing by listening to her lola (paternal grandmother's) stories about Filipino folktales. She lived in north Scarborough in a diverse, Asian neighbourhood. An artist by nature, she considers writing as "painting with words." Roselle Lim was born in the Philippines and immigrated to Canada as a child. Growing up in a household where Chinese superstition mingled with Filipino Catholicism, she devoured books about mythology, which shaped the fantasies in her novels. Roselle Lim was born in the Philippines and immigrated to Canada as a child.
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