Thursday 14 March 2013

For the Wellbeing


Report by: Nisha Poulose, March 11, 2013 

for 

FRIENDS OF TIBET FOUNDATION FOR THE WELLBEING
Friends of Tibet
Friends of Tibet Foundation for the Wellbeing, PO Box 16674, Bombay 400050, India.
Email: wellbeing@friendsoftibet.org Web: www.friendsoftibet.org/wellbeing


The whole report you find here: 
http://www.friendsoftibet.org/wellbeing/reports/wellbeing_mar_2013.html

Alexander Devasia and Sylvie Bantle of Sylviander House Art Museum, Alleppey who created an image identity

The Wellbeing image identity was created by Alexander Devasia whose relationship with nature and his own spirit is holistic and untainted. He connects to his soul and has a deep respect for nature and hence proved to be the perfect person to create the image identity of the Wellbeing programme.

We asked Alexander Devasia and Sylvie Bantle, long-time supporters of Tibet cause for a statement and these were the beautiful words they had to share:

"Wellbeing means a healthy nature! When I am sitting on my veranda surrounded by nature drawing everything that surrounds me — in the East the two blossoming cashew nut trees with yellow and red fruits, in the West the garden with the lotus pond and biotope — I forget myself and become one with this beauty. Humans can hunt and go fishing, harvest the fields and control the world. As more modern life goes on, we forget about keeping a space alone for the nature as our ancestors in Kerala did with a "kavu" near the house or the village. Everything could co-exist there — creatures and plants which were not of much use for the people, trees and creepers without tasty fruits or animals like snakes, beetles and mosquitoes … The Kavu was the spiritual corner of the place where people lived. They must have understood that their life without nature would not be possible.
I cannot think to live without nature around me, without all this variety of beings — I am a part of it. I share my life with these birds, butterflies, fish, frogs and turtles in the pond, the two squirrels on the roof, three wild cats in the garden and all the different trees — I am not getting tired of drawing the character of their leaves and blossoms … And every morning when I see everything in the light of sunrise again and again, I receive my first medicine of the day by inhaling the power of nature. She is the mother of all life, in health I will enjoy wellbeing for soul and body."

<B>Alexander Devasia, one of the prominent contemporary Indian artists draws out the Image Identity for the Friends of Tibet Wellbeing Programme from Sylviander House, an Art Museum and Gallery he runs at Alappuzha in Kerala with his wife Sylvie Bantle. (Photo: Sylviander Art Museum)

Alexander Devasia, one of the prominent contemporary Indian artists draws out the Image Identity for the Friends of Tibet Wellbeing Programme from Sylviander House, an Art Museum and Gallery he runs at Alappuzha in Kerala with his wife Sylvie Bantle.
Alexander Devasia, one of the prominent contemporary Indian artists draws out the Image Identity for the Friends of Tibet Wellbeing Programme from Sylviander House, an Art Museum and Gallery he runs at Alappuzha in Kerala with his wife Sylvie Bantle. (Photo: Sylviander Art Museum)

Nisha Mary Poulose is a Bangalore-based researcher and architect who specialises on Urban Development and Planning. She is also a part of the Design & People network of volunteer architects. Nisha Poulose can be reached at: nisha.poulose@designandpeople.org

Sunday 3 March 2013

Geckoes – sun bathing & beer drinking!


Yes, here comes the story about sun bathing and beer drinking geckoes in the Sylviander House! 


I knew, geckoes live in trees and in houses beside the people. 
How many of them do live in the Sylviander House we couldn‘t manage yet to count. But we observed while sitting on the veranda, that each one has its own area strictly prohibited to others. Sometimes we can watch their fights, then they are chasing away another one trying to catch beetles and flies in an occupied place on the wall. 


To live with geckoes surprises with quite some unexpected sceneries. 
Did you know, that geckoes like sun bathing? 
I didn‘t, until I saw a tiny baby geckoe on the window-ledge beside my writing table laying there for more than one hour without any movement. 
After taking photographs and then enlarged in my computer I was really amazed about the surface of the skin, which I never saw with my eyes. 


For shure you didn‘t know, how much geckoes love beer! 
I came to know because of our lazyness to wash the glasses right after having a beer in the evening. We just had put them on the washing place with the plan to clean next morning. When I came back before going to bed I saw two geckoes sucking the beer drops from our glasses. 


That happened every evening after having had a beer, why we deliberately went on keeping our glasses unwashed beside the washing place, happy for having now a good reason: sharing our pleasure with the geckoes. 



One evening, I just opened a beer bottle when I got the compassionate impulse to pour a sip into the lit for the little beer lovers. Later then I carefully creeped with the camera in my hand to the spot and there he was! Of course the beer drinking gecko was to busy to run away – just had a short look at me and then went on to enjoy the beer. 
Cheers! 

(written by Sylvie Bantle)