Fabrice

Arriving at InterContinental Carlton Cannes is an experience on its own… an impressive façade, a feeling of luxury and stunning sea views… What will captivate you most, however,
is the kindest smile that always awaits as you enter the hotel. A friendly face, a warm welcome, and it already feels like you are  at  ‘home’!   Fabrice… a  gentleman with a warm smile !

http://www.intercontinental-carlton-cannes.com

panamasmith.com

Photo taken on  August 2010

The wise dog

Stelios Gerou
  
In my neighbourhood, there is a dog that runs around the streets and passes by my house daily. He has been using his strong sense of smell to search for food. The street bins in our area have been marked by a set of smells he seems to have created. Even though the stray dog has been alone in our neighbourhood for

years, he still has his collar on. What I find amazing about this dog is his restlessness and his innate sense of orientation as he manages to walk our neighbourhood

in almost the same routes, ranging approximately 1.5 km in and around the area.  Sometimes I accidentally bump into him in places that I would never have though I’d find him. I am always staring at him, although he never stops for a little attention. Once, I whistled to him loudly. He seemed as calm as ever and quite unsurprised. Eventually he looked at me and I felt as if he nodded ‘have a safe trip’. This dog has never been seen resting. Actually, only once do I remember seeing him sleeping; he had curled up in a ball in a dark and tiny street. All the other times he has been seen active, walking around in a vibrant and steady pace. This dog has a particular characteristic! He is always aware of his destination. Even though I have never found the courage to follow him and find out where he goes, I wish I could. It took me a while to find out how he does that, and eventually I did. First of all, he never stops nor pauses his stable and fixed pace, unless he finds something interesting to smell and search for! These small interesting moments happen swiftly, but in a precise and repetitive manner. The dog always seems to be in a hurry; he is fast and selective. Not fast in the sense of escaping from something; rather in the sense of being quick, as if there were an appointment that should not be missed. It is absolutely astonishing the way he manages and deals with his time. I wonder what it is that makes him so alive and vibrant.

Another thing that needs to be mentioned is that this particular dog seems to be happy all the time. Not being owned gives him the opportunity to run freely wherever and whenever he wants. This is contradictory to my experiences so far, as most of the stray dogs I have seen in my life look dirty and sad.

This dog’s brown coat looks healthy and in perfect condition. Speaking of which, I have observed another funny thing; his fur does not grow. After so many months of observing him, I cannot find the slightest change in his coat. This dog seems like he never needs a haircut; he looks beautiful as he is. Besides being a stray, he does not look appalling, as one might think; he looks pretty. His coat is always shiny, matching his confident and convincing pace of movements. It seems like this dog has a personality and answers only to himself! He is always in a hurry, heading towards certain destinations that only he is aware of. He is one of a kind. Truthfully, it feels like this dog acts more like a human rather than an animal.

There are certain aspects of his personality that I have been admiring since I first saw him. This dog has become my friend. He is a friend of mine, whose behaviour – once observed – teaches me aspects of life. His tempo appears much more confident than mine. Isn’t it amazing? Perhaps it is also a bit sad… In all honesty, I have never seen such confidence in humans as I have seen in him. He is a mindful dog. He is aware of where he is going, what he is doing, how he does what he has to do and, most importantly, where he will go next. He even knows how much time is required for what he has to do. Actually, he knows who he is. Knowing his identity gives him the ability to know how to please himself and make himself happy.

He happily knows that he is free. The collar around his neck reminds him that he used to have an owner. However, he let him go and his loss does not make him sad. He has found the meaning of life in his own way, and that is why he walks confidently, with purpose. This dog has found mindfulness, which is evident in the brightness of his fur and the vividness of his eyes. Truly, he is such a wise dog! And I find myself so lucky to be his friend. His behaviour and actions have taught me so much, that no words can describe the feelings I have for him. Thinking of him, now that we are coming to the story’s end, I believe that this dog needs a name. Considering his special character, I would call him Socrates..

2

Jennifer Sabbagh

 1.5m followers on Instagram, calm and gentle in attitude

she runs a  highly successful  online store and  a  YouTube Channel.

Film star quality  and  discreet elegance .

 jennyfhair.com

 Spyros   Kontakis 
' We  conceive   the  object  as  a  work  of art
 which does not lose its functional purpose,
 while at the same time we use
 only the finest materials'.

Kontaki Design exclusively designs and produces handcrafted objects and furniture. Each piece is unique and only a limited number of copies are produced. The object is conceived as a work of art which does not lose its functional purpose, while only the finest materials are used.

The Kontaki Design philosophy does not perceive the furniture as a ‘transformational’ object that serves the environment in many ways. Instead, its personality and character are sustained and a ‘conversation’ takes place between the environment and the space that is rightfully its own. A dream-like effect is created in a world where people coexist with objects, as they ‘move’ throughout space, almost as if they existed before people even discovered them. Spontaneity, an escape from elaborate design, an escape from rigid rules…

panamasmith.com

Photo taken on  March 2016

orkidstudio.co.uk

ODYSSEAS

MOURTZOUCHOS

 In the summer of 2014, I spent two months as a volunteer in Nakuru, Kenya, with Orkidstudio, ‘a humanitarian design organisation whose focus is to benefit children and communities through innovative design and construction’, as they state on their website. There, together with other volunteers and native builders, we built new facilities for a local orphanage.

Having a strong interest in the way the built environment affects people and communities, particularly in developing countries, I felt I had a responsibility to carefully observe and understand the approach used in dealing with this, while trying to have an active role in such decisions.

 Orkidstudio has a unique system for funding, designing and constructing their buildings. They build a team of volunteers who are required to attend three design workshops in the UK and fund-raise £2,500 before they travel to the project’s destination, where they will take part in hands-on construction. Their projects usually run for about two months in the summer, set in a way that they don’t overlap with university terms, as the volunteers tend to be students.