from the director`s desk - Goethe

Learn German and discover a new world of opportunities!
The Quarterly Newsletter • Issue 01 / 2014 • January – March
FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK
Dear Readers of Guten Tag!,
man conference on laser applications and
nanosciences; establishing a working contact between the German chemical giant
BASF and the Indian Institute of Scientific Education and Research for possible
collaboration etc. are only a few to name.
The cultural spectrum offered by the
Zentrum during the last year saw a significant expansion thanks to the support offered by the Goethe-Institut in Bangalore.
Another year has come to a close. For the
Goethe-Zentrum Trivandrum it was an
year of great significance. The Zentrum
touched the 5th year of its existence in
November and none other than the Ambassador of Germany to India came to
visit the Zentrum in this jubilee year.
It was an year that brought several achievements to our credit. The number of Kendriya Vidyalaya schools teaching German
rose from a modest 10 to the magic figure
of 20 during this year, taking German language to thousands of homes in Kerala and
thus opening the doors for new opportunities in a globalized world; the Indo-Ger-
We will continue with our earnest efforts to live beyond the expectations set
by our well-wishers, so that the GoetheZentrum lives a vivid life as the strong
and effective interface between Kerala and
Germany in its various manifestations.
Let me take this opportunity to wish
all our readers all the very best for
a peaceful and happy year 2014!
Happy Reading and take care!
Sincerely,
Syed Ibrahim
Director
German Ambassador Visits Goethe-Zentrum
It was a fitting gift for the Goethe-Zentrum
in its 5th anniversary. The German Ambassador to India, H.E. Michael Steiner
and his wife Eliese Steiner paid a visit to
the Goethe-Zentrum on Monday, the 23rd
of December 2013.
Mr. G. Vijaya Raghavan, Chairperson of
the Board of Governors and the staff members warmly received the Ambassador and
showed him the Zentrum and its facilities.
The biggest surprise for the Ambassador happened, when he was greeted by
more than 250 children from the five
Kendriya Vidyalaya schools in the city,
who had gathered at the amphitheater.
The Ambassador did not need long to win
the hearts of the children with his modest
and unassuming character. In his speech,
he inspired the children to continue to
strive for achieving their professional goals
and stressed the importance of learning
German to excel in different fields of studies and professions. The KV schools presented a colourful spectrum of cultural
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Ambassador Meets
The Chief Minister
The German Ambassador met with the
Chief Minister Shri. Oommen Chandy
on 30th of December. He was accompanied by his wife Eliese Steiner.
At the Cliff House, the Ambassador was received by the honorable
Chief Minister very warmly and the
meeting took place in a very cordial
atmosphere, whereby the Chief Minister pointed out the long-standing
relationship Kerala has been enjoying
with Germany ever since the time of
Hermann Gundert.
The Ambassador informed the honorable Chief Minister about the upcoming visit of the German Federal President Mr. Joachim Gauk to India in
February this year and also about the
significant strides Germany has been
making to further intensiy the economic, academic, political and cultural relations with India. The Ambassador presented the chief minister with
the copy of the Zubin Mehta concert
organized by the German Embassy in
Kashmir last year.
programs to entertain the Ambassador
and his wife, who sat amidst the kids in
the amphitheater. The apparently endless
smiling faces of the children would surely
remain in the hearts of our Ambassador
and his wife forever. Goethe-Zentrum sincerely thanks His Excellency for this visit.
Events @
the
Goethe-Zentrum
IISER Meets BASF
Goethe-Zentrum Signs MoU
With The Central University
Goethe-Zentrum Trivandrum moved another step forward when it signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Central
University in Kasargode to offer German
language sessions to the students.
The Central University has recently started
a capital centre in Trivandrum to offer BA
& MA courses in International Relations.
Students of these innovative courses will
also get the opportunity to learn major
3-D Printing Workshop
Many raised their eyebrows when they
heard about a 3-D printing workshop.
They could believe it only when they saw
Fabian Hesse doing it with his own 3-D
printers here at the Goethe-Zentrum.
Though originally restricted to twelve, the
number of participants had to be increased
to twenty as the request for registration
kept coming in. Fabian, with the help of
his two printers, took them to a revolutionizing technology to create and “print”
any object or image in 3-D. Enamoured
by the excitement, the participants went
on playing with the 3-D printers even after 5 PM, even though the workshop was
originally scheduled to end at 2 PM.
The Goethe-Zentrum facilitated a meeting
between the Indian Institute of Scientific
Education and Research in Trivandrum
and the German chemical giant BASF to
explore the possibilities for a mutually
beneficial and sustainable cooperation.
foreign languages including German.
Goethe-Zentrum has been entrusted with
the task of imparting lessons in German
language and providing teaching sessions
that have relation to German politics, history or current affairs. Goethe-Zentrum
Trivandrum takes pride in being the partner of such a prestigeous institution for a
better future of the students there.
The meeting took place at the GoetheZentrum in the presence of the Dy. Consul General from Bangalore, Mr. HansGünter Löffler. Prof. George Thomas,
Principal of IISER Trivandrum and Dr.
Frank Schieweck from BASF, Mumbai
first had a get-to-know session at the
Goethe-Zentrum, which was followed
by a trip to the upcoming IISER campus
in Vithura. During the meeting at this
campus, both the sides expressed their
willingness to find possibilities for a sustainable and effective association.
Christmas Time At The
Goethe-Zentrum
Christmas bells were ringing once again at
the Zentrum. The lawns in the front were
decorated with stars and crib, whereas a
big candle seemed to bring the year 2013
to a soft end and herald the dawn of a new
year.
but did equally good to match the items
presented by their elder ones. Certainly,
Santa was the highlight of the evening
when he landed from nowhere and started
distributing candies to all assembled at the
amphitheater.
The students from the different courses
gathered at the amphitheater to sing
Christmas songs and present some skits
on Christmas themes. The little ones in
our Kinder-Courses did not shy away,
After the traditional dinner, they all wished
one another a merry Christmas and happy
new year before departing to their respective places.
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Thiruvananthapuram News
5th Anniversary Celebrations
and piano concert by the world-class duo
Reinhard Armleder and Dagmar Hartmann at the Co-Bank Auditorium.
Thanks to the support from the Consulate General in Bangalore, the GoetheZentrum celebrated its 5th anniversary
in a colourful manner with a violin cello
The concert was preceded by a short ceremony whereby the chief guest, Mr. Bharat
Bhushan (Chief Secretary, Government
of Kerala) inagurated the celebrations. In
his inaugural address, he lauded the efforts of the Goethe-Zentrum to promote
German and Germany in Kerala and for
being the right catalyst for many projects
and programs in various fields of life. The
Dy. Consul General Mr. Hans-Günter
Löffler individually praised the dedicated
work of the staff at the Zentrum.
The ceremony was presided over by Mr.
G. Vijaya Raghavan, Chairperson of the
board of governors. On this occasion, the
Zentrum thanked Ms. Sudha Pradeep,
Ms. Celine Abraham, Ms. Radhika Sagar
and Ms. Sheena Syed for their relentless
work in the last five years to successfully
establish the Goethe-Zentrum as the face
of Germany in Kerala. A certificate of appreciation and a gift were presented to
each of these staff members. Mr. Syed
Ibrahim, director of the Zentrum thanked
the friends and well-wishers for their support and reiterated that the Zentrum
would continue to offer quality projects
and programs with professionalism.
Indo-German Conference On Laser Applications & Nanosciences
Together with the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG (German Research
Foundation), Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment and
the Humboldt Club of Kerala, the GoetheZentrum organized a three-day Indo-German conference on Laser Applications
and Nanosciences in Trivandrum during
the first week of December.
The conference was inaugurated by the
Dy. Consul General Mr. Hans-Günter
Löffler in the presence of the Chairman
of KSCSTE, Prof. V.N. Rajasekharan Pil-
lai, Dr. Monika Sharma, Senior Program
Officer of DFG and Prof. Rajappan Nair,
President of the Humboldt Club, Kerala.
Several eminent scientists from Germany
and various universities and research institutions in India participated in the
conference. More than thirty papers on
the topic were presented during the three
days. On the second day, the honorable
chief minister of Kerala, Mr. Oommen
Chandy visited the conference and interacted with the participating scientists
from Germany and India. In his speech,
the honorable chief minister highlighted
the importance of holding such highlevel conferences on scientific topics that
have immence potential and significance
for the future.
A Rare Blend Of Jazz
For the four hundred plus audience in the
Co-Bank auditorium it was a completely different blend of Jazz music.
As part of the series of cultural events orgainzed by the Zentrum to celebrate its fifth
anniversary, the Jazz trio Carlos Bica, Frank
Möbus and Jim Black presented a Jazz con-
cert on the 10th of December. Carlos Bica
comes from Portugal, but has been living
in Berlin since more than twenty-five years.
Bica studied classical music at the Academia
dos Amadores de Musica in Lisbon (Portugal) and the Hochschule für Musik in Würzburg (Germany). He has played at the most
important jazz festivals across Europe and
Asia. He has also composed for several theaters as well as dance and film productions.
Frank Möbus, studied guitar and composition at Berklee College of Music in Boston
(USA). He is one of the leading European
jazz guitarists and leader of the group “Der
Rote Bereich”, that has published seven albums upto now and could be seen on many
jazz festivals in Europe and the USA. Möbus
is director of the “Institut für Neue Musik”
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and teaches jazz-guitar and jazz-improvisation at the Hochschule für Musik FranzLiszt Weimar.
Jim Black was born in Seattle (USA) and
grew up playing music ranging from garage
rock to big band swing. In 1985 he went to
Boston, to attend the Berklee College of Music. In 1991 he moved to Brooklyn, NY, and
has since become one of the most in demand
drummers in the jazz/new music scene today. In addition to co-leading and composing for the groups Pachora, Alas No Axis
and Human Feel, Black records and tours
extensively with diverse groups including
artists like Ellery Eskelin, Tim Berne, Dave
Douglas, Uri Caine and Laurie Anderson,
among others.
News
from
Germany
Dinner Reception For IFFK Delegates
The Flying Bboy AIRDIT
He kept the audience dumbfounded. Many
times he was not to be seen touching the
ground. He wobbled and circled in air.
The hundreds of audience assembled at
the E.K. Nayanar Park in the city had to
move their eyes with extra speed to catch
the lightning movements of one of the
most famous and Redbull-rated Bboys in
the world. It was none other than Ardit
Gjikaj who was brought to the city to stun
the audience with his unbelievable dancing
talents.
G
Goethe-Zentrum paid a perfect host for
the international guests at the 18th International Film Festival of Kerala when it
invited them for a dinner reception on the
12th of December.
The reception was held at Vivanta by Taj
in the city. Star attraction of the night
were the renowned South Korean filmmaker Kim Ki Duk and the south Indian
actress Gautami. Mr. G. Vijaya Raghavan,
Chairperson of Goethe-Zentrum and
Mr. Christoph Bertrams, director of the
Goethe-Institut in Bangalore greeted the
guests.
KV Camp At Poovar
Late November, seventy pupils from eight
Kendriya Vidyalayas and some twenty
participants in our Kinder-Courses spent
a weekend of joyful and exciting activities
at the Poovar Island Resort as part of
the two-day Youth Camp organized by the
Zentrum.
lot of workshops and programs aimed at
encouraging youngsters to reinforce their
German through out-of-classroom experiences. Of course, no one wanted to return
home after having spent the wonderful
days at a sprawling resort overlooking the
Arabian Ocean!
The children got the opportunity to refresh
or improve their skills in German through
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B-boying or breaking, also called breakdancing, is a style of street dance that
originated among Black and Puerto Rican
youths in New York City during the early
1970s. The dance spread worldwide due to
popularity in the media, especially in regions such as South Korea, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, and Japan.
While diverse in the amount of variation
available in the dance, b-boying consists of
four kinds of movement: toprock, downrock, power moves, and freezes. B-boying
is typically danced to hip-hop, funk music,
and especially breakbeats, although modern trends allow for much wider varieties
of music along certain ranges of tempo and
beat patterns.
AirDit, as he is fondly called, also conducted a workshop for young Bboys in the city
whereby they could learn many new moves
and twists from such a great artist.
DW
Deutsche Welle Presents
SCIENCE &
TECHNOLOGY
CULTURE CORNER
Bringing Live Music To Deaf Audiences
Germany.”
At a recent gig at the Kulturbrauerei venue
in Berlin, they brought along a special
guest. For many, she stole the show. Joining them on stage was Laura Schwengber,
a sign language interpreter. It’s the second
time she’s appeared in Keimzeit’s traditional end-of-the-year performance and
their fans welcomed her into the fold.
Beethoven proved deafness is no obstacle
to enjoying music. Now 200 years later
bands are enabling the hearing-impaired
to get the live concert experience with the
aid of sign language interpreters. And they
really rock.
There’s always a family atmosphere at a
Keimzeit concert. Over the decades, the
band from Potsdam has built up a cult
following with a brand of rootsy, melancholy guitar pop that once earned them
the moniker “the Grateful Dead of East
Connecting with sound
They needn’t have been. On stage with
Keimzeit, she does far more than interpret
their lyrics, throwing herself into her task
with an energy that would make Beyoncé
look tired, and communicating the entire
musical experience of a live show - audience clapping and sing-alongs included.
As well as signing, she dances, mouths the
lyrics, plays air guitar, mimes drumming
and blowing a trumpet, and even conveys
the effect of a wah-wah pedal.
ENVIRONMENT
Restoring Fish To German Waters Ravaged By Flooding
Extreme flooding devastated communities along Germany’s Elbe River half a
year ago. Floods wiped out local fish populations, affecting tourism and livelihoods.
But locals are now working to restore the
region’s lakes.
Last June, large parts of Germany were
hit by heavy and sustained rainfall, with
widespread flooding affecting five states
and multiple communities. Fischbeck, in
Saxony-Anhalt state west of Berlin, was
among the worst-hit, with two-meterhigh floodwaters not only destroying
property, but also having a deep impact
on local ecosystems. High temperatures
combined with water that refused to sub-
side fouled lakes and caused fish stocks to
collapse. But now, locals have been working on restoring fish to the lakes. Helping
the ecosystem has meant helping themselves, as the picturesque lakes draw tourists and local livelihoods depend on fishing. Six months on, efforts are underway
to rebuild lives and livelihoods in Fischbeck. Sunken river barges were also used
to plug the burst dykes that initially sent
the floodwaters surging toward Fischbeck.
The local professional fishing association
has been organizing the effort to repopulate local fish stocks. Most of the financing has come from a local bank. Around
25,000 euros was raised for carp and
sander to be caught in adjacent areas not
as affected by flooding, and transported to
Fischbeck. Birgit Kaesebier of the fishing
association, upon attending one fish release, said this is the first time she’s seen
fish populations so severely affected by
flooding. “I’ve been working in the fishing industry for more than 30 years and
I’ve never experienced this on such a scale
before,” Kaesebier said.
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Making Biomass Sources
Sustainable
The industrial sector often uses plant
matter as raw material and fuel. But the
production process can be disastrous for
wildlife and local communities. In Germany, businesses are working for more sustainable practices.
German chemical companies use some
three million tons of raw plants in their
production processes each year. The demand for raw materials including plant
pulp, sugar and oils is expected to grow.
This increasing demand puts serious strain
on wildlife as companies destroy natural
habitats. There are consequences for people as well - sometimes whole communities are displaced as land is taken away and
used for cultivating biomass crops.
One example is palm oil which is used as a
cooking oil, a fuel source, a lubricant and
in cosmetic products. In many countries
in Southeast Asia, palm oil plantations
now exist in places where there used to be
rainforests and peat bogs. Environmental
advocates have been demanding better
standards in order to protect biodiversity
and people living in regions where biomass is harvested.
News contributed by Deutsche Welle
Explore Germany
Migrants Needed In Germany To Compensate For Aging Population
Germany is debating the issue of immigrants from Bulgaria and Romania, the
two poorest EU member states. The
question is: Are these mainly poverty migrants, or are they really needed for the
German job market?
The year 2013 ended with a positive outlook for the German job market. The
number of unemployed increased less
than expected for this time of the year –
by some 67,000 to 2, 873,000. The nation-wide unemployment rate increased
by 0.2 percentage points to 6.7 percent.
The comparatively positive situation on
the job market illustrates the innovative
capability of the German economy, said
the employment market expert, Gerhard
Bosch, from the University of DuisburgEssen in an interview with DW. Besides
booming exports, German consumers
bought more due to significant wage
increases.
“The problem is that in 2013 there were
not many new investments because companies are worried about the long-term
prospects,” said Bosch. But plans by the
government to invest more in infrastruc-
ture and education will improve the situation for investments, he added. Private
consumption will be boosted due to pension increases and by the introduction of
a nationwide minimum wage.
Germany, it is estimated, needs up to 1.5
million skilled workers in the coming
years because of demographic developments. Migrants help “to secure economic
development and to stabilize the welfare
system,” says Wansleben. The current discussion shows the need for action. “We
need to establish a welcoming culture for
migrants. It is a task for society. Politics,
the Church, unions and the economic
[players] have to tackle it together,” said
Michael Hübner, director of the Cologne
Institute for Economic Research.
GERMAN CITIES
Ravensburg - “The City Of Towers And Gates”
Ravensburg, “The city of towers and gates”
is situated between Lake Constance and
Allgaeu in a scenic landscape with a view
of the Alps.
countryside as far as Lake Constance and
the Alps or look down on the brightly coloured roofs of the old town below. Down
on the town’s main square Marienplatz, the
narrow streets and alleys round about teem
with life. People stroll through the trafficfree square or relax in one of the many street
cafés; young and old meet for a chat at the
fountains. It is a colourful pageant in which
people lingering at leisure mingle with the
hustle and bustle of everyday life. In the
warm months of the year, Ravensburg exudes a Mediterranean flair. For more information, visit www.ravensburg.de
In the past, the city was a major, medieval
commercial centre. Today, with its 50,000
residents, it is the lively, economic hub of
Upper Swabia and an attractive holiday
destination. The historic town centre is still
very much intact, including three town
gates and over 10 towers of the medieval
fortification. The town’s most popular festival is the “Rutenfest” in mid year.
Ravensburg today
Rising high above the roofs of Ravensburg,
the Blaserturm marks the town’s centre.
From the top of the tower, visitors can enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding
Gerhard Giebener_pixelio.de
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S
Study
in
Germany
German Universities Changing
Academic life in Germany has changed significantly in recent years. Bachelor’s and
Master’s degrees are now the norm, and
an initiative recognizing elite universities
has provided a new reason to compete for
funds.
Germany and 31 other European countries entered a contract known as the Bologna Process, which aims to create a more
uniform educational system in Europe.
More countries have signed on since then.
Guenter Hamich_pixelio.de
More than two million foreign students
are enrolled at German universities, meaning one out of every 10 is an international
student.
For students from elsewhere in Europe,
the process of coming to Germany has
gotten even easier in recent years. In 1999,
Alongside the classically-oriented universities with a broad range of programs, there
are also colleges known as Universities of
Applied Science as well as other academies
with degrees tied strictly to certain jobs.
Music colleges, art academies, and media
and film academies enrich the university
landscape further.
Universities of Excellence
Started in 2005-2006 by the federal government, the so-called Excellence Initiative is another program that has changed
the university landscape in Germany. It is
designed to promote competition among
domestic universities in order to improve
the overall quality of education. Nine
universities (the Technical Universities in
Munich and Aachen, the LMU Munich,
the FU Berlin as well as the universities in
Konstanz, Heidelberg, Goettingen, Karlsruhe and Freiburg) have so far garnered
the title of Elite University in light of being home to innovative research and interdisciplinary programs.
More is at stake than just a title, though.
Elite Universities in Germany receive additional funding in order to attract and
support top researchers and teachers. The
Excellence Initiative also includes support
for other universities in specific areas of
their curriculum.
German universities have partnerships
with other institutions worldwide in order to prepare their students for the global
job market. Economics and mechanical
engineering are among the most popular
degrees pursued by foreign students in
Germany.
Funding Your Education In Germany
Getting admitted is only half the battle students also have to consider how to
finance their education. But with possibilities that range from loans to diverse
scholarships, there is no shortage of options.
Many institutions in Germany offer financial support to students, but the key for
scholarship-seekers is to stand out. That’s
possible not just through intelligence or
grades alone - personality and social engagement are also considered. The organizations that sponsor scholarships are just
as varied as the types of students they seek.
There are also a number of programs that
target international students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Collecting
information and applying early is important, given the high number of applicants.
In recent years, just three percent of Ger-
man students received scholarships, so students must also keep an eye out for other
ways to finance their education.
BAfoeG: state-sponsored loans
“BAfoeG,” allows students to borrow up to
650 euros per month. Half of the money
received consists of an interest-free loan,
while the other half is a grant that does not
have to be repaid. All German students are
eligible to apply for BAfoeG, while international students must meet one of several
criteria relating to how long and why they
have lived in Germany.
Political foundations
Financial support for international students and doctoral candidates is also in the
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interest of German politicians. Those who
study in the country get to know German
companies and institutions better.
Especially gifted students can receive support from political foundations, but they
look for those who have demonstrated social engagement in the past and who may
be likely to use the knowledge they gain in
Germany at home.
Help with finances
The coalition of German student unions
has put together helpful information
about scholarship opportunities on their
website, and the German Academic Exchange Service (German: DAAD) also
has an extensive database of scholarship
opportunities.
Courses & Upcoming Events
GERMAN LANGUAGE COURSES OFFERED AT THE GOETHE-ZENTRUM
The language courses at the GoetheZentrum have attracted learners from different fields and locations. Many of them
are students of engineering, medicine and
information technology who wish to go
to Germany for higher studies. Several IT
professionals from the Technopark, priests,
nurses, hobby learners etc. have found the
Goethe-Zentrum a fantastic place to learn
German. The course calendar for the year
2014 has been published on our website
www.goethe-zentrum.org. Considering
the increase in demand for German, we
have introduced two A1 level super-intensive courses in the afternoon. Soon, an
evening course for beginners level would
also be started. Please contact us for more
information.
Website:
www.goethe-zentrum.org/courses
The Goethe-Zentrum offers the six different levels from A1 to C2 in German as
per the European Framework of Reference for Foreign Languages. The internationally valid Goethe Examinations are conducted under the auspices of the
Goethe-Institut in Munich, Germany.
Class Timings:
Morning Batch (3 months) : Super-intensive Course (7 weeks): Evening Batch (3 months): Weekend Batch (3 months): Children’s Course: 07.00 AM to 08.30 AM
09.30 AM to 01.00 PM
01.30 PM to 05.00 PM
05.30 PM to 07.00 PM
01.00 PM to 05.00 PMon Saturdays
09.00 AM to 01.00 PMon Sundays
05.00 PM to 06.30 PM
on Fridays and Saturdays
For corporate training programs and other individual courses,
please contact the Zentrum for more information.
Email:
[email protected]
Telephone: 0471 3013019 / 2300777
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
Summer Camp
For Children
Shadow And Puppet
Play: King’s Journey
Film Screening
Idea & Production & Story:
Annette Wurbs and Peter Müller
Puppets: Christian Werdin
Music: John Carlson .
Stage: Peter Müller & Annette Wurbs
Sound Light: Peter Müller
The annual summer camp for children
will be held from 9th April to 16th May.
There will be camps for two age groups,
namely 5 to 10 and 11 to 16. Registration
will close by 20th of March and only 30
children each will be admitted.
Timings: Monday to Friday 9 AM to 2
PM. Please contact our office for more information.
Date and Venue:
Saturday, the 15th of February
Co-Bank Auditorium, Trivandrum
By free passes, which will be available
from two weeks prior to the program.
Der Mann, der über Autos sprang
(THE MAN WHO JUMPED CARS)
Director: Nick Baker-Monteys
Saturday, 1st of February
06.45 PM
Published by Syed Ibrahim, on behalf of the Goethe-Zentrum Trivandrum
Casa Julia • University Road • Trivandrum - 695 034
Printed at St. Joseph‘s Press • Trivandrum - 695 014 • Kerala • South India
For restricted circulation and not for sale
Layouted & Designed by Florian Mayer • Munich, Germany