Impressions of 49th Wellbeing Tibetan Medical Camp with the exhibition »A Long Look Homeward« March 3 – 5, 2016 at Sylviander House

For the 8th Wellbeing Camp at Sylviander House, which takes place here since 1 year, there is a special program:  

The Tibet Museum, Dharamshala in association with Friends of Tibet will start the travelling exhibition titled »A Long Look Homeward« from CSPA, Sylviander House, Alappuzha.

Friendsoftibet founder Sethu Das and campaigner Eswar Anandan arrive a day before with Kunga Phuntsok from Tibet Museum, Dharamshala. As always, they bring organic rice and organic vegetables for our meals, which will be cooked by Lilama. 

Until evening they are busy with the preparation for the exhibition »A Long Look Homeward«. The radio of the Dalai Lama as part of the exhibition is carefully protected by our catgirl Moojoo.

Early morning on March 3, the tibetan team reaches at Sylviander House picked up from the railway station of Alappuzha by 2 auto rikshaws organized by our rikshaw driver Elias. 

Punctually at 9 am we start with the opening of the exhibition »A Long Look Homeward« …

… as usually I welcome the guests …

Then Dr. Dorjee Rapten speaks about the tibean issue … 

Only few days before the 16 year tibetan school boy Dorjee Tsering immolated himself and is still in critical condition at an indian hospital – for his recovery we stand in silence for one minute. 

Later we will get to know, that he has died. This exhibition is dedicated to him.

A  patient of the Wellbeing Camp shares a touching report of his journey to Tibet, when he traveled to the Kailash …

Traditionally we will light the tibetan butter lamps, starting with Dr. Dorjee … 

Finally Eswar Anandan recites one of his poems »Flames of truth«, which he wrote a year before inspired by the self immolation of a 20 year young tibetan woman … 

Flames of truth

All over me

Burning my flesh

Rangzen in my lips

Charred, minute by minute

I see them, the hundreds

I am not alone

I will not be the last

Rangzen in the air

Chanted by the hundreds

Slowly I am welcomed

Joining the hundreds

I was a 20 year old

Hoping one day

We will be free...

Just minutes before

I was a daughter

To my loving parents

For whom I was life...

There I lie

My body in flames

Seized within moments

By the dragon squad

My parents detained

To where, no one knows

Reality silenced

News filtered...

Hundreds before

I am not alone

Nor the last

Flames of truth

Cannot be silenced...

(Dedicated to 20 year old Tsephel, who self-immolated on 22 Dec 2014)

To conclude the exhibition‘s opening, Dr. Dorjee, his team from Bangalore and Kunga from Tibet Museum, Dharamshala are doing a prayer …

The exhibition »A Long Look Homeward« is inaugurated …

Now we have tea with tiffins made and brought by our brother in law Varghese from his nearby tea shop, assisted by our rikshaw driver Elias … 

Before the Medical Camp will start, we have to take some photographs of the tibetan team with the exhibition …

Also the press has come …

The team from Men-Tsee-Khang, the Tibetan Medical Centre at Bangalore: 

Dr. Dorjee Rapten Neshar

Dr. Tamdin Sangmo

Sonam Wangmo 

Yeshi Chodon

Tenzin Dhonden …

… and Kunga Phuntsok from Tibet Museum, Dharamshala.

When ever Sethu finds time during the 3 days Medical Camp, he will be engaged with harvesting his favorite cashew manga in front of the Sylviander House …

And of course, nobody misses the pleasure to eat some of the juicy fruits of the cashew nut tree …

Time passes fast, again 3 days are over … 3 days long around 150 patients had come with all kind of sufferings … 3 days visitors of the exhibition in the museum could get to know about Tibetans and their struggle for freedom …

… 3 days joy between sad stories and sad news … life goes on … we are its joyful servants …

Online Registration: www.friendsoftibet.org/wellbeing/ SMS: +91.9400354354 

Fax: +91.11.47615142 Email: wellbeing@friendsoftibet.org 

Impressions of 48th Wellbeing Tibetan Medical Camp January 28 – 29, 2016 at Sylviander House

It is the 7th Wellbeing Camp at Sylviander House, which takes place here since almost 1 year, starting in February 2015. 

As mostly, beautiful morning light welcomes the tibetan team, the campaigners and the patients … 

This time the team is:

Dr. Dorjee Rapten Neshar

Dr. Lhundup Dorjee

Yeshi Chodon

Tenzin Nangsel

Tenzin Dhonden

Always they arrive with heavy suitcases filled with medicine, tea, massage oil, balm … 

This time Victoria can join as a campaigner again, but Sethu couldn‘t come – we will manage without him. 

Victoria, Alexander and others help whatever is needed, also with translations between the doctors and the patients, who do not speak english.

Eswar is the chief of coordination! He informs the patients, hands them the application forms and tries to keep the timing. Also he will tell to Dr. Dorjee, how long he can take a nap after lunch, and then wakes him up in the right time. 

As always, Tenzin Nangsel writes the bills, Yeshi Chodon and Tenzin Dhonden distribute the medicines.

Everything goes smooth. Even so many patients come to see the tibetan doctors there is no hectic.

Families come for consultation, old and young people, meanwhile some foreigners consult the doctors regularly and take the medicine for 2 months. 

Among them my very good old friend Chandrakala from Germany, I haven‘t seen her for 18 years. In 1985 we met first time at Varkala Beach, which was not yet discovered by the tourists that time and so quite lonely – we were the only 2 foreigners there. She became the protagonist in a chapter of one of my books. 

Of course, there are always some patients who come without registration, which causes a delay every evening. But nobody complaints, it is convenient here to sit and wait and watch the cats playing.

Because the tibetan team will visit an ayurveda museum near Thrissur on Saturday, the January Wellbeing Camp has 2 days only. 

Normally on the last day of the camp, the tibetan team has to rush, packing their suit cases fastly to reach the train on early evening at Aleppey station to return to Bangarore. But on this Friday evening we can relax together and enjoy the tibetan food, Tenzin Nangsel and Yeshi Chodon are preparing for us …

Expecting his favorite meal, potatoes and milk-cheese-soup, Dr. Dorjee is happily playing some music and gives a short dance performance for our entertainment.

Then Dr. Dorjee carefully distributes to each one a bowl of soup … milk-cheese-soup! I couldn‘t imagine before, but it really tastes good … 

… and the potatoes are a perfect combination.

Since 1 year now we host this tibetan team, and as more I get to know these friendly people, it surprises me gladly, what a peaceful happy atmosphere they create when we sit together for our meals or in the evenings under the stars on the verandah. 

Thanks to Dorjee la for that homely evening with a simple warm food from Tibet … 

Thanks to mother nature for all the wellbeing given to us … thanks for these precious moments when spirits of plants appear in front of my eyes – in our garden …

Online Registration: www.friendsoftibet.org/wellbeing/ SMS: +91.9400354354 

Fax: +91.11.47615142 Email: wellbeing@friendsoftibet.org