Moments in Geneva

Italian lunch at Christmas

(Fresco painting by Adobe CS2)

My bro at Geneva airport

(Focal Black & White by Picasa)

Meeting Lillian

Dated: 20th November 2007

It was a Greencoat Forum that I was waiting for since the last one I attended on 2nd October 2007 (http://aibz.blogspot.com/2007/10/special-evening-with-gill-hicks.html). The speaker was Dr. Lillian Cingo, manager of the 'miracle train' Phelophepa that delivers basic health care to the rural populace of South Africa. (Website: http://www.mhc.org.za/)

During the height of the Apartheid struggle, Lillian was forced to go into exile and came to London (UK) where she worked as a specialist nurse in neurosurgery, a position she held for 30 years. She was twice nominated Nurse of the Year in London during the 1970’s. In 1975 she was presented to Queen Elizabeth as the best neuro-surgical nurse in London. Lillian is highly qualified with a wide record of experience in professional health care and has acquired skills in healing, counselling and building bridges between people. She returned to South Africa in 1994 and joined as manager of the Phelophepa. Lillian along with Lynette Coetzee, head of the health division of Transet, the company which launched the Phelophepa project in 1994, work together in managing it. Transet contributed 60% of the cost of running the miracle train. Lynette manages the Phelophepa train from the corporate headquarters in Johannesburg’s Carlton Centre while Lilian lives on board, ensuring the smooth running the all day-to-day operations.

Phelophepa means 'good clean health' - a service that has been brought to over 500,000 people since the train was launced. The 16 carriages have so far covered 60,000 miles in order to bring healthcare to areas without access to national health services. Lillian spends nine months annually on the train almost ever since it started and can say "WAKE UP" in as aman as 16 languages! :)

Her voice was calm as she spoke that evening. Hearing her story was inspiring and as she narrated her journey and expereince with Phelophepa, it became clear why Lillian was so successful in running the miracle train - her determination, sincerity and faith in God. During the question and answer session, I stood up and asked her about the difficulties she encountered and how she dealt with them. It was also an opportunty for me to tell her that I had written an email to her last year (7th August 2006) asking if I could volunteer in the Phelophepa. She smiled broadly and she immediately remembered my email while replying to my question. After the session, I went up to meet her and gave her a hug - she is an amazing person of calm - and she in turn gave me words of encouragement. I was extremely glad to have finally met Lillian and I hope one day I will get to meet her again, in South Africa.

More power to you Lillian.

Well....!

Dated: 2nd November 2007

No comments...its just one of those days!!

But it was good fun...!!

My brother could not resist as well... Oh the things one can do with a wig!!

A very fancy head gear.

A special evening with Gill Hicks

Dated: 2nd October 2007

There she was sitting at the other end of the room as she was being introduced by an elderly lady staff of Initiatives of Change, the organization that hosted the Greencoat Forum with Gill Hicks. I listened with absolute attention as words poured from Gill's mouth telling about the day that completely changed her life's direction. It was 7th July 2005, the day when a terrorist suicide bomber detonated his bomb inside the Piccadilly line tube train between Kings Cross and Russell Square stations.

To my great delight and amazement, Gill was a person with such a radiating positive energy that it was hard to believe she was one of those critically injured who lost both her legs due to the explosion. She narrated how she found great inner strength to fight for her life after the horrifying blast.

In her words, "As I lay waiting, trapped in what resembled a train carriage - but was now a blackened, smoke filled indescribable 'room' of destruction and devastation - I was able to think. This period of time, some 40 minutes, was to prove to be the most insightful and blessed gift that I am yet to receive, apart from the ultimate gift of a second chance at life. As the blood poured from my body (despite the scarf I had tied on each leg as a tourniquet to stem the flow) I felt incredibly weak, fighting to hold on, to survive. There were two voices holding a very powerful, conflicting conversation in my head – one voice willing me to hold on, to remember those who love me and need me here, the other calling me softly to let go, to drift away into a peaceful deep and permanent sleep. Both sides were stating their case – asking me to choose between life and death. I thought about all the things that mattered to me –my then partner and now husband Joe, my brother Graham, my family, my dear friends – I wanted to spare them this pain. They gave me the strength to choose life. I made a decision and the conversation ended. I wasn't going to die in the carriage, not there on that day; I had to wait for a light."

An Australian, Gill was formerly the Head of Curation at the Design Council. Now she is the Ambassador for Peace Direct, a UK based charity supporting local peace builders in conflict zones around the world.

Gill's book, "One Unknown" is sure to touch the hearts and minds of many. She is a person with so much love in her despite of what happened and it is this uncontrolled amazing love inside her that keeps her going. She says “The cycle has to stop – I cannot hate the person who has done this to me".

I went to attend the forum with a hungry stomach and did not know who Gill Hicks was. By the time she started talking, the evening rolled on and I didn't quite want it to end. I left the place after shaking her hand (of love and peace) feeling full...full of strenght in my belief that good things of great magnitude still exits in this world. Things that will shape this world for the better.

Thank you Gill.


Initiatives of Change (IofC) [http://www.uk.initiativesofchange.org/home/] is a diverse, global network committed to building trust across the world's divides. The London office is at 24 Greencoat Place, SW1P 1RD. It was formerly known as Moral Re-armament (MRA) having its branches worldwide, and one in Shillong as well. I got involved with MRA Shillong way back in 1994. The people and personalities I have known in MRA, now IofC, have enriched my experience.

In London

Dated: 20th September 2007

The famous London Bridge by night. To me lighting is an art that redefines the way we perceive things. I have seen the bridge by day and it was not even half as beautiful as it was by night.





The Tower Bridge, another monumental landmark of London. This one however did look quite impressive by day too, though it looks more grand at night. I love the night...

Dated: 2nd Oct 2007

Westminister Abbey, a grand structure standing seemingly almost aloof.

Dated: 9th October 2007

The Millenium Bridge spanning across the Thames.

A boat speeds away along the Thames and the castle in the backdrop presents a good view.

A view of the Thames in the evening.

Modern architecture.

A pretty flower basket hanging on the wall.

Buckingham palace.

Dated: 2nd November 2007

The magnificient Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner beautifully lit up by lights at night.

Dated: 19th December 2007

Picadilly Circus at night wears a dazzling look. A favourite meeting place for us.

In Berlin

Berlin, Germany

26 Aug-7 Sept 2007

The combined group consisted of students coming from 29 different countries and comprising 29 Erasmus Mundus, 14 tropEd and 3 DAAD students, including the facilitators of the International Health Summer School. We had our classes at the Humboldt University, Berlin and it was an exciting and interesting experience.

The TV Tower is an impressive structure standing 368.03 metres tall and situated in the centre of the city near the Alexanderplatz train station. The lift took us up to a height of 203.78 metres which gave us a bird's eye view of the city. It was great being up there and surveying the beautiful city. Towers around the world has always been associated with pride and achievement and this will always remain so.

Albert Einstein's house is located in a quite and serene hill overlooking the pretty town of Caputh. Simple in design and perfect as a getaway resort for the great man of science.

In front of the Studentendorf Schlachtensee, the student hostel where some of the Erasmus Mundus students were accommodated during the Summer School period. It was pretty far from the city centre but has its own charm. I remember the breakfast time before rushing to catch the bus to Wansee and then the train to Freidrichstrasse station which is near the Humboldt University. I also remember Sebastian and I taking a 15 minutes walk to Schlachtensee station and then taking another train to Freidrichstrasse. Good moments well spent.

My dear friend Sebastian, a medical doctor from Chile with a good sense of humour, seen here reading a Spanish novel on our was to Freidrichstrasse. He's pretty good with his Nikon camera and some of his shots are worth putting on display. I wish him the best in his track (health policy and management).

The Argentinian beverage Mate. Sebastian offered me a drink and I like it instantly. The shapely carved wooded cup and ornamental steel straw added to the charm. It tasted like herbal tea and is actually an infusion based on the herb Yerba Mate. Mate is usually taken with hot water. The drink is also common in other parts of South America.

This is a Turkish meal and it was definitely one of the most fulfilling meals I had in berlin. Each item on the plate has a distinctive flavour that tickles the taste buds resulting in an expression "Hmmmm,ummmmm.." each time the food is chewed upon.

.

And finally after a hard day's work, time for bliss.

School Drawings

My school drawings at the time when I was in Class 7 and 8. Though I also drew from my own imagination, I also could replicate other pictures I see. Below are replications I made from various sources.

Stallion

It was from an old cowboy comic strip that I saw this picture. Actually there were few horses but I picked to draw this one, as it was leading the rest. I used pencil and sketchpens.

Lioness chasing antelopes
This was from a Tarzon comic strip. I used pencil and watercolours. Hopefully one fine day I would see such a scene somewhere in the African wild.

Anaconda attacks a mule
This was from some adventure comic strip. I just used pencil and sketchpens. I like to follow stories of these giant snakes in National Geographic or Animal Planet whenever I get the chance.

Obelix putting his menhir to good use
Definitely one of my favourite comic strips. Obelix doing what he does best. If anyone knows where to get a good deal for Obelix and Astrix comic strips, please let me know.




Kite flying
This drawing was incomplete. I was yet to colour the background or mountains and sky.




Ready to draw
One of those cowboy comic strips again. This chap was a good guy and pretty damn good with his gun too. So he was still seen till the end of the comic strip.




Gun battle
The lone chap was a good guy in the story. He was on a revenge path after his wife was killed by 'them scums' seen here biting the dust. Actually there were six of them and the good guy had just six bullets, one for each scum. He managed to kill 'em all. Thats the law of the wild west.

Those Good Old Days

My sister and brother were in school while I was still at home till I was 5 years old. Sis was in Loreto Convent School from the start. Bro was in St. Joseph School then but later went to St. Edmund's School.

It was our sister's birthday this day. I was in Kiddies Corner School then. It was the second school I attended after Seven Set School where I completed my KG2. I joined Kiddies Corner School in 1984 where I attended Class I. I finally went to St.Edmund's School in 1987 when I was in Class IV.

With our cousin, Balashonshap. He was a bundle of cuteness and we love to take him around. Now he is 80 kgs, fair and handsome and its impossible to even think of carrying him.

My sister with her Santa Claus. It was winter and Christmas was approaching then, so we had those woollen sweaters on. Also notice the bell bottoms my brother and I wore. I guess I was feeling rather shy then and did not face the camera.

This was in one of the beaches in Goa when we went for a family tour of South India. It was the year 1988 during the winter.

My sister during a Walkathon in which she participated and won in her age group. She walked a few kilometres and dressed in her jainsem. We were pround of her and still are of her achievements.

I was 8 years young then and our cute cousin Shap was 2. We were standing at the entrance to our house. For some reason Dad made me hold the placard announcing in big words that I had turned 8!

Light at the Edge of the World

Wade Davis was in Delhi and we made sure we did not miss his programme. It was April 21st 2007 and by 7 pm, we were already seated inside the Gulmohar Hall at the India Habitat Centre. I did not know about Wade Davis until that evening. This celebrated anthropologist, writer and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence was on tour to promote his film 'Light at the Egde of the World' a 4 series film on cultures in struggle in the face of modernization.

His voice was smooth and strong with conviction as he spoke about his work and the film he made. He said that 'power' was threatening to wipe culture away, but that just as we humans can wipe away cultures, so can we nurture them. By power, he was referring to the social, economic, political and spiritual forces of the 'modern/civilised' world that are impacting and destroying other cultures that are (viewed by the modern/civilised world as) not 'modern' or 'civilised'. Davis pointed out that there was also a significant part played by missionaries who were brought by the European explorers, which contributed to a rapid erosion of unique cultures. He gave the example of the ancient Polynesian civilization that was subjected to these external forces to the extent that within one generation, almost the entire ancient practices and customs of people slipped from history into the realm of myth and ultimately disappeared.

After his talk, there was an exclusive screening of his film 'The Wayfinders'. The film is about the Wayfinders of Polynesia who inhabited the largest culturesphere in the human history, spanning 1/5th of the surface of the planet. Navigators of the sea, Wayfinders used wave pattern 'fingerprints' and the stars to travel thousands of islands. However this culture that once flourished over 25 million square kilometres of ocean has seen mush of its history and tradition die out. The film also tells about one Hawaiian native trying to preserve and learn this art form of Wayfinding, and designing a traditional Polynesian canoe (Hokule'a) to sail across the islands.

Hokule'a, the Polynesian sea-faring canoe.

(Picture taken from http://www.pbs.org/wayfinders/polynesian8.html)

The pictures below were taken from the website:

http://www.theconnection.org/photogallery/wade

The front cover to "Light at the Edge of the World," by National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Wade Davis, published by National Geographic Books in February 2002.

National Geographic Exlorer-in-Residence Wade Davis.

The eyes of Rara at the town of Desdunnes, Artibonite Valley, Haiti.

A Yagua shaman from the northwest Amazon region of Peru.

Note: The other 3 film series in 'The Light at the Edge of the World' are:

-> Hunter of the Northern Ice: About the Inuit of Canada and Greenland who have survived for thousands of years in the harshest climate on earth. But will global warming bring an end to the Arctic hunt and the Inuit way of life?

-> Sacred Geography: Wade accompanies villagers from the town of Chinchero, Peru, as they make the trek to the annual Qoyllur Rit'i festival, which attarcts more than 25,000 people a year across the Andes mountains. A rich illustrations of beautiful rituals dating as far back as the ancient Incas and Spanish Conquistadors, this festival showcases the cultural fusion of pan-Andean culture.

- > Science of the Mind: Wade goes on a spiritual trek through the Himalayas of Nepal, looking at Buddhism as a science of the mind.