5 years ago we opened Sylviander House on 21.12.2012 … Happily we managed to get ready for this universal date, which I explained in a short welcome speech to everybody who had come – relatives, friends, press and TV …
With a small festive ceremony then we lightened the candles together with Amaji, Alexander’s mother, and Annakutty, our grandniece …
In our first year, every morning colorful lotus flowers welcomed the day, until tortoises found this unspoiled pond and decided to settle there … They have eaten up the roots of the lotus flowers, which they appreciate a lot as we were taught by locals later. A pond with tortoises has no lotus flowers!
Some of our friends and guests from Europe started to come and spend their holidays at our new Sylviander House, with some of the guests we’ve become good friends …
… Also our Indian friends came for a visit and stayed with us having interesting conversations together with our European guests …
We are looking back to many gatherings, exhibitions and discussions in our spacious Art Museum …
… Often Dr. Dorjee Rapten gave a lecture about healing and once he demonstrated a pulse diagnose …
For 4 years Lilama helped us with cleaning the house and with cooking – also giving traditional Kerala massage in our house – until she found a full time job somewhere else in beginning of 2017. When we were lucky to get a Jackfruit on the market, she also cut my favorite fruit, which is quite a task.
In October 2013 Ravindra Ranasinha, a drama therapist from Sri Lanka, had come first time to our Sylviander House, giving a lecture about how to live in a conflict world.
Immediately we got friends. We were glad, that he had some time to spend with us for long discussions together with Sethu Das, Kallianpur and Suresh Babu, who are very active with Friends of Tibet and also organizing the Wellbeing Tibetan Medical Camp.
Of course it was exiting to harvest our first bananas from our garden with the help of our brother in law Varghese, who has a teashop nearby, where our guests love to have the best »Chaia« (milk tea) …
… and some time later I got my first pineapple, which grows very very slow, but looks beautiful and tastes delicious.
On Earth Hug Day we created a big heart in our garden, which is even to see on google earth. Our grandniece Annakutty and our grandnephews Nevin and Joyalkuttan helped us.
In the end of October 2013 the shy wildcat Bianca, who got very confident with us, gave birth to 3 kittens under my stitching table. Unfortunately after 4 weeks she decided to bring them to the roof of the neighbor house in fear of a male cat, which was behind her babies. But the neighbor was not happy about these cats and after 4 days only he managed to catch Simba and then threw him out somewhere …
Luckily, after we understood that this little Simba was missing on the neighbor’s roof, we found him many hours later in the surroundings shivering of fear, full of flees and with a broken leg. He recovered soon with a bandage I put and sleeping on my lap and of course fresh made food: small fish from the local market … So he became our first cat darling staying with us …
Since we are artists – Alexander a painter, I am a writer – we need our time to do our creative works. It was never our idea to run a full time guesthouse. The few months season in winter time with our foreign guests and friends makes us happy and helps us to survive. Our philosophy is having joy whatever we do. We never joined travel agencies and booking platforms and our experience proofs us, this is the right way for us. People have to find themselves, through friends or travel guide books, to our Sylviander House. That is why these guests will appreciate our philosophy and our place, living simple and clean, with an anticipation of Kerala of olden times; which concerns not only the ambiance and nature around, but an ecological concept too. Naturally we are having a lot of good conversations with these guests.
Of course olden times of Kerala means also good food, cooked in a healthy way with natural ingredients.
The guests like our kitchen, where we also eat all together. Often it happens, that we forget the time after breakfast or the meals because of hours long conversations. Sometimes it happens, that a guest decides to do the cooking – as here a German guest from our home town Munich, who cooks »Schweinebraten« (roast pork) and «Kartoffelknödel« (potato dumbling) for us. To get all the ingredients he would need, he went with Alexander to the local market. Then he started and we all were watching and helping. No need to mention, that we had lot of fun …
The vegetables for our cooking are organic homegrown from the neighborhood, especially our friend Jose living only few minutes walk away, is a very ambitious bio-farmer.
We also get vegetables and fruits from our garden – sometimes!
In the season of passionfruit I experiment a lot with this tasty fruit, preparing jam and different kind of slightly sweat jellies decorated with leaves of fresh lemon balm from our garden and a spoon of self made yoghurt – made from the milk of a neighbor’s cow, which is eating the gras of our garden. I even make cakes with a thick layer of passionfruit jelly.
When Alexander and me are alone, I often bake a bread with whole-grain flour. What a pleasure to eat it with a fresh passionfruit jam from the own garden … Of course, this is not a recipe from Kerala! The bread in Kerala is made of white flour, it is very soft and sweat. My german bread you have to bite – that is what I miss here once in a while, to bite!
When I am in the right mood, I make mustard, which looks like a real Bavarian mustard – and tastes even better! I use it for the dressing for the salads. This custom comes from the French cuisine!
These are terrific moments of a great well feeling, sitting in the late afternoon light on the Westside verandah watching the sunset … and straight in front of me a piece of passionfruit-jelly-cake with a strong black coffee …
End of August 2014 our Moojoo was born. Cat mother Bianca gave birth on the Southside verandah and hided her 3 babies in the empty waste bin. I put them in a big box, placed it under the washing basin and covered it halfway, knowing the dangers for such tiny kittens.
From the first day, Moojoo was my favorite kitten and I often took her to my room, while Bianca was not there … After four days I found the box empty and beside some blood and fleshy pieces … Later we discovered Bianca with Moojoo under the storing roof in front of the house. Then soon she brought her baby girl inside, placing it under my stitching table, where already Simba has spent his baby time. The two other kittens were gone, probably crows took them …
4 weeks long Simba was very jealous. But then both become best friends – till today …
When our friends Silvia and Raj spent their honeymoon at Sylviander House, they fell in love with the cats and with the place. The next year they took care for house and cats while we traveled to Germany.
It is very joyful having friends and guests who love cats …
Also our new Lilama – yes, her name is Lilama too – loves cats, which is not usual among the local people. She also has pets.
Meanwhile some Indian friends who were scared of cats, which is quite usual among Indians, started friendship with our cats and some even dare to touch them :-)
In February 2015 the 1st Wellbeing Tibetan Medical Camp took place in our Sylviander House, organized by Sethu Das with Friends of Tibet …
For the opening many people had come, even some priests from nearby, and with the Tibetan team the famous Tibetan freedom activist and poet Tenzin Tsundue … I welcomed everybody, then we lightened the butter lamps …
Many patients who had consulted the Tibetan doctors during the previous camps in Ernakulam already, now come to Sylviander House as well many new patients too …
Every evening we gathered on the verandah and Tenzin Tsundue showed us a film about Tibet, the screen was simply the wall. Among these films was one very old black&white documentary, which even the Tibetan team hasn't seen before, a rare document …
After 3 days, the Wellbeing Camp was over, everybody left. Before his departure Tenzin Tsundue took some seedlings from our garden – a small cashew tree and a small punna tree beside our pond. He wanted to take the plants to Tibetan communities – especially interested in the punna tree, which only grows in this area and once was planted by buddhist monks living here some hundreds years ago. These buddhists appreciated the oil from the punna tree seeds, which they used for their lamps spreading a golden light …
We all agreed, that we had a good time together. From now on every two months Dr. Dorjee Rapten and his team will come from Bangalore for a 3 days Wellbeing Camp to the Sylviander House, which often will be combined with an exhibitions about Tibetan issues …
Since then the Dalai Lama’s old radio has got a place in the Art Museum of the Sylviander House with a pretty guardian …
Dr. Dorjee is really lucky, two times his birthday was during the Wellbeing Camp. I baked a apple cake for him and we all helped him eating :-)
Once, Eswar was a lucky one and we celebrated his birthday with Brazilian dance and music and Tibetan opera …
Once in a while there are gatherings with discussions about health, healing and environment in our Sylviander Art Museum – also Dr. Dorjee and his team will participate which can give everybody a wider view …
And as usual, afterwards we will have tea and snacks or a meal in front of the house …
On weekends we gave a lot of children classes for the kids of the neighborhood, which was a great fun for all. The program was dance & self-expression and drawing – dance was my part and drawing Alexander’s, but both we assisted each other.
Sometimes it happened, that during these children classes a friend from Germany, who plays guitar, stayed with us and joined the class with a music performance.
Several times teachers with their college students visited Sylviander House for a talk and a discussion – and when lucky they also get a music performance from a German friend and me …
Like that the 5 years passed, every morning blessed with sparkled sunlight – except during rainy season …
Among our friends and guests were yoga groups too. A french group came straight the next year again …
Healthy good food, reflexions about life, singing together, laughter … it is a pleasure for us to have such people around us in our house …
Some of our friends and guests like to contact our astrologer, who comes at home – Alexander will translate then …
In February 2015 cat mother Bianca gave birth to 3 kittens in one of my book boxes in Alexander’s studio …
A month later I found this tiny kitten screaming in the garden. This little boy Leo was around three weeks old and really skinny …
I put him in the box of the other 3 kittens and luckily Bianca accepted and fed him …
But Leo was too hungry, so he got additional food, mashed fish with rice, which he sucked like a hoover.
Like twins, Leo and Rosso, but there are little differences … And Leo was focused only on me as I was his mother. He drank the milk from Bianca, but as soon as I entered the room he started screaming for me and then running behind me … So mostly he had his naps on my lap while I was writing …
Of course Simba and Moojoo were jealous, but after some weeks they cared him like he was their child … and Leo enjoyed it to have a family. He felt much closer to them and us, then to Bianca and her 3 kittens. This behavior really astonished me. It is said, cats choose their human family …
During this last 5 years we could observe a lot of wild animals in our garden …
Often owls try to find shelter under our roof, because crows don’t like them and they chase them …
… one owl even came next to me on the verandah and seemingly understood, that I protect it. With a long stick I had to chase away the attacking crows until they left finally.
Once a young eagle was sitting on a palm leave for hours, screaming for his mother I guess, because it didn’t dare to fly …
This is really rare, that a Krishna Eagle will walk on our wall, unnoticed by the crows – they also chase a much bigger Krishna Eagle …
… and what a luck to see such a splendid specimen sitting on the branch of this old tree »Kashampuli« next to the pond …
All kind of heron visit Sylvianderland daily …
… taking their breakfast from the pond in the morning light …
… and different kind of other birds come every day …
… the kingfisher is a famous one, catching fish from our pond …
… and butterfly here and there …
… and dragonfly …
… in all colors and shapes …
Not to forget the regular guests, the squirrels, eating the fruits of the two cashew nut trees in front of our the Sylviander House …
… Squirrels live in the surroundings, some under our roof – and they like to eat soap too!
Sometimes a squirrel baby runs curiously over our verandah …
… once a fresh born fell down from the nest under the roof. I tried to save it, but unfortunately Moojoo found it later and considered it as a snack.
Rare and very shy tree dogs living in the trees around, only active in the night, why we never could see one in the daylight. One morning I discovered a dead one laying on the tin roof of the neighbor. Soon later ants and crows had their meal …
Different kind of lizards we can see on the verandah or around the house …
… and geckoes live in the house doing a good job by eating little insects, then having a sunbath or drinking beer in the night!
Once in the night I saw a strange beetle sitting on the mirror seemingly to stare at its own mirror image …
One evening a praying mantis was meditating on the wall …
While gardening I often meet fantastic creatures with amazing designs …
… as painted by a great artist.
Extraordinary spiders spinning extraordinary webs …
On the first day of 2016 early in the morning 3 hungry skinny kittens – around 3 weeks old – came to our garden and were desperately screaming for food: Sylvester, Eisbär, Lissy …
After one months feeding and caring them, playing with them with lots of love and laughter, a rickshaw driver and a carpenter wished to have them for their children – it broke my heart to say good-bye. But we saw, all 3 got a good home.
Somewhen during these last 5 years, I started to inscribe old glass bottles with strong affirmations: Gratefulness, Joy, Love … This inspiration came from the Japanese water scientist Masuru Emoto, who found out, that water will receive such positive informations and improve its crystal structure, which he made visible by a special photo technic.
Since then I fill the double filtered rainwater from our catching tank into these bottles for drinking …
The new year 2016/2017 we celebrated with delicious food together with some European guests along with a lot of fun …
The days of the young year rushes with friends and guests coming again, also having a traditional Kerala massage from our Lilama …
Laughter and fun are guaranteed with our french yoga group …
… enjoying Alexander’s delicious breakfast: Iddly with Jamandi …
… or Idiyappam with egg curry …
… our meals with fresh salads …
Sometimes for the Wellbeing Camp Alexander’s sister Amini helped us in the kitchen – with all the campaigners and volunteers together with the Tibetan team around 12 to 15 people have to eat.
In August, Ravindra Ranasinha – the drama therapist from Sri Lanka – visited us a 2nd time, giving a discussion about communication in our Art Museum. He stayed some days, so we had plenty of time to talk – beside he was working on his new book.
There are a plenty of good memories … homely being together with our friends and guests …
… laughters with the colorful Australian girls practicing yoga on our verandah every morning …
Life contents joy and sadness. On Simba’s 4th birthday end of October 2017 his and Moojoo’s mother Bianca died …
Simba and Moojoo keep on going being a real love couple …
… while our pretty baby Leo has us to hug and talk …
The year 2017 is going to end … on Christmas Day traditionally I’ll bake »Vanillekipferl«, a south-german Christmas cookie, which our mothers and our grandmothers once baked for that occasion.
After 5 years Sylviander House, our rooms have seen many different kind of wonderful people …
… we are looking forward, some promised to come again …
… and when waking up in the morning, we all will witness the magic beauty of the two tree goddesses – the »Kashampuli« trees – and the biotope behind the pond in the morning light …
All pictures and more you will find on my blog (http://sylvianderhouse.blogspot.in) together with the stories!
Also see:
Our Youtube channel »Sylviander House«, where you’ll find our documentary films and buddhist prayers by the Tibetan team
And:
For German speaking people a list of my books:
Bücher von Sylvie Bantle:
Das Glück der Narren – eine indische Milieustudie
(1997 Melina Verlag)
“One Minute!“ – kurze Geschichten aus Indien mit Bildern des südindischen Malers Alexander Devasia
(2000 Melina Verlag)
Die Suche nach dem tanzenden Gott – Keralas letzter Schamane
(2006 Ullstein Verlag)
Nichts los in Punnapra (Ein südindisches Dorf und sein Kosmos)
(2008 Shaker Media Verlag)
Das Brandloch-Projekt (Hrsg., Anthologie)
(Mai 2013 Andreas Mascha Verlag)
Indien, wie wir es sehen (Anthologie)
(August 2013 Drachenmond Verlag)
