Tibetan Aid Project Blog

The “Tempting Tuscany” auction item will be available once again at Taste & Tribute San Francisco 2011!

Last year, guest Gary Ashley was the lucky bid winner of not only “Tempting Tuscany” but also “Renaissance Revitalization.”  He combined the two packages and set out on an extended European vacation. See the pictures and how the adventures went!

What he bought:

Getaway package #1

“Renaissance Revitalization”

Tuscan sunset, looking towards Siena

• Three nights at Il Salviatino
  • Stunning villa nestled in the verdantly forested hills of Florence
  • Daily breakfasts
  • Romantic dinner
  • Tour of Tuscan countryside
• Included:
  • Personal service ambassador
  • 12 acres of private park
  • Spectacular views overlooking Florence and Fiesole countryside
• Fair Market Value Price: $8,500
• Sold for: $4,600

Getaway package #2

“Tempting Tuscany”

Garden at Villa di Geggiano in Early Morning

• Six nights at Villa di Geggiano (this package will be at Taste & Tribute SF again for 2011!)
  • Elegant villa in the hills of Chianti Classico—near Florence
  • World Heritage Site
  • Place of rich history and incredible architecture
  • Gorgeous gardens
  • Family-run winery
• Included:
  • 1 bottle of 2006 Villa di Geggiano Chianti Classico wine
• Market Value Price: $3,825
• Sold for: $3,400

What they did:

Gary and his friend John Hanson began their vacation with the second getaway package. They stayed six nights just outside Siena, Italy, at the Villa di Geggiano. When they weren’t relaxing, capturing amazing images, reciting lines from the Godfather, taking in the Tuscan countryside or eating rustic Italian dishes accompanied by fine Chianti wine, they were touring the sights. Oh, and don’t forget the gelato!

After Siena, they used the other getaway package and stayed three nights at Il Salviatino near Florence. They climbed the numerous stairs of Giotto’s Campanile and viewed the red roofs and distant green hills of Tuscany–worth every breathless moment. They visited the magnificent Duomo, the many museums and spent an afternoon at the Florence Gelato Festival.  They also visited nearby Pisa to climb the Leaning Tower, taking in more views of expansive, lapis lazuli skies and the amazing architecture of the Piazza dei Miracoli.

View of Florence from Giotto’s Campanile

Before leaving America for Italy, Gary and John made plans to extend their stay in Europe. Having soaked up the sights of Siena, Florence and Pisa, they were off to hike the Cinque Terre. This National Park on the Italian Riviera is linked by a series of five cities–Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. During a hike between Vernazza and Corniglia, Gary captured the beautiful picture below of the Ligurian Sea and the Cinque Terre’s dramatic cliffs.

View of Vernazza Coming  from Corniglia

Gary and John’s last stop in Italy was the gorgeous city of Venice. They saw the Piazza San Marco, the Grand Canal, the “Bridge of Sighs,” the Santa Maria della Salute and the graceful Venetian bridges, connecting the city one meandering canal at a time.

Santa Maria della Salute in Venice

Once Italy was seen and conquered, Gary and John took the Orient Express from Venice to Paris. The train traveled through western Austria, Switzerland and France. They enjoyed delicious meals and majestic views of the Alps in the comfort and style of this historic train.

Wipptal, Austria

One of the jewels of Europe, Paris was the last stop in Gary and John’s adventures. They wandered through the city, absorbing the beautiful sights around every corner, among which were the Louvre, Notre Dame and Eiffel Tower.

In the Jardin du Trocadero

Overall, Gary and John had a wonderful time, and say they wouldn’t have seen more of Europe if they hadn’t already been in Italy and using the getaway packages purchased during Taste & Tribute San Francisco 2010. If you’d like to see more amazing photos from the trip, visit Gary’s site on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22553111@N07/sets/72157626782761757/.

Last year’s Italy auction items were generously donated by Il Salvatino and Villa di Geggiano. Gary, John and the Tibetan Aid Project greatly appreciate their contribution. If you’d like to learn more about the places Gary and John stayed, please visit the following sites: http://salviatino.com/ and http://www.villadigeggiano.com/.

If you’re interested in attending Taste & Tribute San Francisco 2011, visit http://www.tasteandtributesf.com/.

“Taste & Tribute - San Francisco: 2011″
Eleventh Annual Benefit Gala for the Tibetan Aid Project

featuring:

Walter Abrams of Spruce

Matthew Accarino of SPQR

Patrick Albert/Laurent Manrique of Café de la Presse

Peter Armellino of Plumed Horse

Sean Baker of Gather

David Bazirgan of Fifth Floor

Martin Brock of Gary Danko

Bruno Chemel of Baumé

Dominque Crenn of Atelier Crenn

Justin Deering of Café de Amis

Preston Dishman of Viognier

Mark Dommen of One Market

Dmitry Elperin of The Village Pub

Bruce Hill of Bix/Picco/Zero Zero

Erik Lowe of Bix

Gerald Hirigoyen of Piperade

Joseph Humphrey of Dixie

Jean-Pierre Moullé of Chez Panisse

Morgan Mueller of Jardiniére

Robert Petzold of Bocadillos

Mark Richardson of Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco

Philippe Striffeler of Restaurant Anzu

David Taylor of A16

Basic Information:

Friday, November 18, 2011

Reception: 5:30pm - Dinner: 7pm

Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco - 757 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103

415-633-3000 or fourseasons.com/sanfrancisco. Four Seasons is wheelchair accessible.

Tickets: $350 per person

Tickets can be purchased online at tasteandtributesf.com.

Captivate your senses for a good cause. Gourmet, four-course meals prepared by culinary masters will tantalize taste buds and the table-side creation of each meal will delight the eyes. Fine wines will be featured along with live and silent auctions for exquisite Asian art and getaways in the USA, Mexico, Morocco, Thailand, and India.

Proceeds from the dinner will go to the Tibetan Aid Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting education and literacy among the Tibetan refugee community. Tibetan Aid Project has helped to print and distribute over 3 million books in the Tibetan language. Sent as free gifts, this vast offering is helping to keep an endangered language and culture alive. www.tibetanaidproject.org

With so many opportunities to intrigue the senses and for such a good cause, this is an event not to miss!

About the Chefs and their Restaurants:

Several of our chefs have earned one Michelin star for their restaurants. They include: Peter Armellino of Plumed Horse; David Bazirgan of Fifth Floor; Martin Brock of Gary Danko; Bruno Chemel of Baumé; Mark Dommen of One Market; Dmitry Elperin of The Village Pub; and Jean-Pierre Moullé of Chez Panisse.

Walter Abrams came to San Francisco’s Spruce restaurant earlier this year from West Palm Beach, Florida. He spent most of his childhood in Colombia, and the Latin American flavors—along with his cooking experiences in Paris and London—have inspired his international approach to cuisine.

Matthew Accarino is the Executive Chef of SPQR in San Francisco. He has cooked in Italy, Los Angeles, and New York. Last year, the StarChef Rising Star Revue chose him as a Rising Star Winner

Patrick Albert is the Executive Chef of Café de la Presse. He has cooked throughout Paris, which inspired him to bring a touch of France to the US. His guests always enjoy a classic, but creative, dining experience.

Sean Baker graduated from Le Cordon Bleu. He is the Executive Chef of Gather in Berkeley, and he was Esquire Magazine’s “Chef of the Year” in 2010.

Dominique Crenn is the only female chef participating this year. She is from Versailles, France, and the Executive Chef of Atelier Crenn. She has competed in two Food Network competitions: “The Next Iron Chef Competition” and “Iron Chef America.”

Justin Deering is the Chef de Cuisine at Café de Amis. He is originally from Washington, D.C. and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York. He is known for his expert, technique-driven cuisine and complex presentations.

Preston Dishman has been working with food since he was fourteen years old. After college, he attended the French Culinary Institute in New York. In San Mateo, he is currently the Executive Chef at Viognier, which was Michelin Recommended this year.

Bruce Hill is a self-trained chef. He has worked at some of San Francisco’s finest restaurants. He is the Executive Chef for BIX. He co-owns Picco and Pizzeria Picco, which both appeared along with BIX in the San Francisco Chronicle’s “Top 100 Restaurants for 2007.”

Gerald Hirigoyen is from the Basque region of France, and began working with local pastry chefs by the age of 13. In 1991, he opened Fringale in the United States and a few years later, was named one of the “Best New Chefs in America” by Food & Wine magazine.

Joseph Humphrey has been a chef for Napa Valley’s two-star Michelin restaurant Meadowood and the one-star Michelin restaurant Murray Circle in Sausalito. This fall he will be opening Dixie in San Francisco’s Presidio.

Erik Lowe is the Chef de Cuisine of BIX in San Francisco. He has worked at such acclaimed restaurants as Piperade, Tartare and Ame.

Laurent Manrique was the inspiration for the first Taste & Tribute San Francisco in 2001 and has acted as coordinating chef ever since. He has cooked for Nelson Mandela and supports Meals on Wheels and Project Open Hand in San Francisco. He grew up in Roques, France, and received his training in Paris. His work has earned a place in Gourmet’s “Top 10 Best Restaurants in the Bay Area” and Food and Wine’s “50 Best Hotel Restaurants.”

Morgan Mueller is the Executive Chef of San Francisco’s Jardinière restaurant, which serves award-winning French-California cuisine. In 2005, it appeared in San Francisco Chronicles “Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants.”

Robert Petzold was once a geology student, but discovered he felt more at home in the kitchen. He spent eight years cultivating his craft in the Bay Area. He is the Executive Chef of Bocadillos, which was described in the San Francisco Chronicle as having “the most captivating and authentic-feeling Spanish tapas-style restaurant in the city.”

Mark Richardson has been a chef at several Four Seasons Hotels around the country since 1998. In 2008 he was appointed as the Executive Chef of the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco. He is known for finding and implementing the latest culinary trends.

Philippe Striffeler was born in Switzerland and has cooked in fine restaurants in his home country as well as France. In 1999, he opened Restaurant Anzu in San Francisco where he serves California cuisine enhanced with Asian flavors. In the World Culinary Championship in Taiwan, he received the silver medal as the captain of the American team in 2009.

David Taylor is the Executive Chef of A16 in San Francisco. He is from Brooklyn, New York. A16’s cuisine reflects both Southern Italy and Northern California sensibilities. It has been in the San Francisco Chronicle’s “Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants” every year since 2007.

Healing, Mindfulness & Compassion:

A Retreat Uniting Western & Eastern Approaches to Healing

Beginning Friday, September 30th, and ending Sunday, October 2nd, Healing, Mindfulness & Compassion was a retreat that explored and focused on the subject of integrating Western medical perspectives and traditional Tibetan practices. Through sessions on Tibetan Healing, Kum Nye (Tibetan yoga) and Balint (a method that explores the provider/patient relationship), participants developed and explored a more refined and holistic approach to healing. The program took place in the beautiful coastal redwood groves of northern Sonoma County at the Tibetan Aid Project’s sister site, Ratna Ling. Proceeds from this retreat funded programs promoting education, literacy and spiritual well-being among the Tibetan refugee community.

Nineteen people from all over northern California, Sonoma County and the greater Bay Area attended. The weekend began with a gourmet vegetarian dinner, during which attendees became acquainted with one another. Then in the evening, the faculty panel and participants introduced themselves and had individual sessions, discussing powerful healing experiences from their past. Saturday’s classes were Tibetan Healing Meditation, Kum Nye and two Balint Sessions. There was also a presentation by Bob Dozor entitled “Healing in the Practice of Medicine.” The evening came to a close with wine, tea and snacks, which were served at a brief reception where guests watched short films about the Tibetan Aid Project and the restoration project of the Swayambhu Stupa in Nepal. The retreat ended with Tibetan Healing Meditation, Kum Nye and an open discussion conducted under the title of “Where Might We Go from Here?”

The Tibetan Aid Project plans to have a follow-up retreat in 2012 from April 20th through the 22nd. Please stay tuned.

To learn more about us, please visit the Tibetan Aid Project website.

“World Music Journey: Celtic Harps, African Kora & Hindustani Ragas”

A concert benefiting Tibetan Aid Project

included Diana Stork, Diana Rowan, Daniel Berkman, Teed Rockwell, Peter van Gelder, Michael Lewis, and Becky White.

On Friday, September 9, over one hundred people took a musical world journey for a good cause—no passports required. Their ears were treated to the elegant harp melodies of Diana Stork and Diana Rowan, ambient African Kora by Daniel Berkman, traditional Hindustani rajas by Teed Rockwell, Peter van Gelder, Michael Lewis and Becky White.

Duo Diana Stork and Diana Rowan began the program with enchanting harp music. Daniel Berkman followed with traditional songs on the African kora, a unique ancient stringed instrument from West Africa. Teed Rockwell, Peter van Gelder, Michael Lewis, and Becky White closed the night with a melodic duo of Hindustani ragas, or classical Hindustani music.

Proceeds from the concert went to the Tibetan Aid Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting education and literacy among the Tibetan refugee community. Tibetan Aid Project has helped to print and distribute over 3 million books in the Tibetan language. Sent as free gifts, this vast offering is helping to keep an endangered language and culture alive.

The Tibetan Aid Project would like to thank all the guests for their support, the musicians for the enchanting tour around the world, and also Freight & Salvage for hosting the event! Thank you!

About the Artists:

Diana Stork has been well known in the international harp world for over two decades for her eclectic style, which incorporates ethnic, classical, and contemporary harp traditions. Diana has toured Europe and the U.S., performing world music and original compositions since 1987. www.harpdancer.com

Diana Rowan’s music can be heard on many soundtracks for film and TV, and has been described as having unusual power and beauty. Diana’s classical training intersects with her love for Balkan, Eastern European, Sephardic and Middle Eastern music to create compelling performances. www.sirenharp.com

Daniel Berkman is an innovative multi-instrumentalist who has studied kora with various masters and uses a playing technique that draws from myriad influences. Daniel has composed many eclectic scores for choreographers and dance companies in San Francisco. www.magnatune.com/artists/berkman

Michael Lewis, is one of the finest American tabla players today and a disciple of the late Ustad Allah Rakha, and long time student of Ustad Zakir Hussain. Dr. Lewis has accompanied many eminent Indian artists, including Ustad Zakir Hussain, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Krishna Bhatt, and Partho Chatterjee. He also is recognized in fusion circles where he has played with Terry Riley, George Brooks,and the Bansuri flautist, Depak Ram.  He has performed widely over the past nine years with Zakir Hussain’s Rhythm Experience, and in the Ali Akbar College of Music’s Winter Concert Series

Teed Rockwell is the only person in the world to play Indian music on the touchstyle veena. His deep love for ragas and his extensive studies of the genre has helped him develop a style that honors the deep and profound nuances of the tradition. www.myspace.com/teedrockwell

Peter van Gelder, whose lucid sitar style has won praise from audiences around the world, was one of the first American disciples of India’s great Maestro Ali Akbar Khan. Peter has composed and collaborated on music for films and dance dramas, and has given concerts and lectures in universities throughout America. www.petervangelder.com

“Healing Sound of Himalayan Sacred Bells”

A Unique Downtown Berkeley MusicFest Event Benefiting Tibetan Aid Project

featured Karma Moffett

Tibetan Aid Project – 2210 Harold Way, Berkeley, CA 94704

On Friday, August 26, 2011, Karma Moffett played Himalayan bell music specially composed to relax and heal through harmonic vibrations. Moffett has perfected his technique and program over a period of 35 years. During the concert, Moffett lead his audience through a symbolic journey to Tibet, using a collection of instruments including antique Tibetan bowls, bells, longhorn, and conch shells.

All proceeds went to Tibetan Aid Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping the endangered Tibetan culture and language alive. Every year, TAP helps fund the production and distribution of thousands of important Tibetan-language books to refugee communities throughout Asia, leading not only to cultural preservation but also increased literacy.

About the Artist:

Karma Moffett plays background music for celebrations, birthdays, weddings, Yoga, massage, births, and rites of passage. He’s been invited to play for the Kalachakra Mandala installation at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, as background for a Tibetan exhibit in the Crocker Museum in Georgia, as background for meditations, whole life expos, and numerous benefits. And, his music is extensively used as background for meditation, yoga, t’ai chi, massage, and births.

Learn more about Karma Moffett!

Among the texts distributed at Bodh Gaya this year was The Life and Liberation of Padmasambhava, a two-volume biography of the founding father of Tibetan Buddhism. This epic masterpiece chronicles Padmasambhava’s story in 108 cantos. The edition printed by Dharma Publishing includes many full-color plates of art depicting scenes from his life. A real treasure, it can serve as a focal point for study and practice.

The rarest of wonders,

the most fallacious appearances are harmless in his presence.

In the demonic river of birth, old age, sickness, and death,

is anyone a rival of the Guru-guide who knows all?

Most are caught up in their shadowy, thoughtless nature;

he is like color shown to a blind man.

Even unseen, he surpasses gold.

The English translation of The Life and Liberation of Padmasambhava can be found at Dharma Publishing here.

Sacred offerings at Bodh Gaya

This spring, full-time TAP volunteer Pauline Yu traveled to Bodh Gaya, India for the World Peace Ceremony. Every year TAP raises funds to help with producing, shipping and distributing thousands of important Tibetan-language books to attending Tibetan refugees. In this article, Pauline describes her experience at the holy site.

A Trip to Bodh Gaya

by Pauline Yu, TAP’s Graphic Designer

Arriving in Bodh Gaya for the first time, I found it to be dusty, colorful, overwhelmingly alive and full. The World Peace Ceremony, which takes place there, in a compound surrounding the main temple and the bodhi tree, is no less vibrant, but its rhythms differ. They reflect chanting and prostrations, circumambulation, prayer and deep joy.

In the sea of red and yellow robes and the river of voices, a feeling of great connection, purpose and peace is everywhere. Khenpos, great learned masters, twirl bodhi leaves in their fingers as they chant verses of aspiration. The words, tumbling after each other so quickly that they are difficult to follow. Groups of pilgrims dressed in white circumambulate the bodhi tree. A long-haired yogi meditates nearby. Other pilgrims touch their foreheads to the stone gate that enclose the tree. Brilliant green parrots flutter near the temple, calling to each other.

It was as if the entire place shared a heartbeat: the people, the great temple, the bodhi tree and space itself. You could almost feel the streams of blessings flowing from this place of enlightenment, brought alive by the offerings of books and prayer wheels and the great sincerity and devotion of practitioners.

This fall at our Taste & Tribute benefit dinner, we will be offering the option of a gourmet vegetarian dinner to our guests.  It will be created by acclaimed chef James Syhabout of Commis, located on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland.  Chef Syhabout was named one of the “Best New Chefs of 2010″ in Food & Wine Magazine.  This year he will also be competing in Le Grand Fooding 2010: New York vs. San Francisco at MoMA PS1, in New York, NY.

We thought you might be interested in finding out about the Tibetan doctor who is visiting our area. Please click here to read more about the event which is held from 28th August to 13th September 2010 in San Francisco and Seattle.