Design*Sponge covers Wellington, New Zealand, the best little capital city in the world, with a great guide to fashion, restaurants and cafes, bars and restaurants.

“I celebrate the beauty and the uniqueness of our country – Bhutan. The images posted here are my personal bests – either for their spontaneity, richness of color or simply because they represent a part of our culture and tradition that is slowly being obliterated in the name of modernization and efficiency.” — Yeshey Dorji

Kusala Bhikshu (UrbanDharma.org) taught himself ukulele through YouTube and proceeded to Buddhacize some classics like “Spin Well, Sweet Dharma Wheel, coming forth to wake me up…” performed here on a ‘Kelii’ mahogany soprano uke at a UCLA event called “Soul Cafe.”

by Dan Austin from 88 Bikes in Peru

Excerpt from Pop!Tech blog post by Dan Austin of 88 Bikes: “The Moment of Happy”

Happiness. You can’t measure it, you can’t put it on a graph, but you can see it. Oh, can you see it. And you can feel it, too. Many of the kids who received bikes in Uganda had been former child soldiers; some had watched both parents die of HIV. Many of the girls who received bikes in India and Nepal were survivors of unimaginable abuse as sex slaves. But even in these cases, where the kids were more subdued, their understated happiness was just as evident as that of the rambunctious kids in Phnom Penh who got up at 5 a.m. the day after the Moment of Happy to ride their bikes around the center, rousing the orphanage staff with a symphony of little bike bells…

During all these travels (including 17 countries, 2 1/2 months on the road and 12 endowment sites on our just-finished Project FOUR), a thought keeps echoing in my mind: is our ignorance in addressing the desire and need for happiness for all people at the root of poverty’s pervasive grip? Despite clear research from Jeffrey Sachs and other economists that, comparatively speaking, it wouldn’t require that much to lift the caul of poverty for most; despite millions of NGOs, billions of dollars and countless courageous individuals, poverty remains, unabated.

But it makes sense: it’s difficult to get excited—and generous—about simply sustaining someone. We want to see our fellow human beings do better than languish; we want to see them progress and find fulfillment in their lives.

Perhaps if happiness were embraced as a need on par with food, shelter, water, love—the tide would turn. Not because happiness in and of itself can drill a well or sow corn or turn back climate change—but because making people happy is a mission a whole lot more transcendent and enjoyable than just keeping them alive.

Perhaps all this time the bar hasn’t been raised too high—but too low.

The 88Bikes Foundation has a very simple goal: to provide a sustainable, joyful, empowering form of transportation to young people in developing countries, in situations where these children have been challenged to be their own heroes due to war, conflict, poverty, disease, or other regional hardships.

Speaking at the Asia Society in New York on Apr. 17, Pico Iyer suggests several kinds of spiritual journeying are valid in the early 21st century, and advises against judging other people’s spiritual journeys, because, in our global age, “what you bring … is what gives meaning to any experience.” He spoke of tourists, including himself, who go to places of pilgrimage to observe the devotion of others, and return transformed. Not all journeys are equal, Iyer clarified, for only deep commitment will “sustain you and give that completion. That really is what pilgrimage is about.”

Completely captivated by the slideshow of Alison Wright’s wonderful photos of Tibet and her inspiring story of spirit and survival from NYTimes Lens Blog — Tibetan Nomads, Remote in a Remote Land. If you are too, you can join her on photo journey workshops she’s leading in China, India and Burma. Her book, Learning to Breathe, just jumped to the top of my ‘to read’ list.

'Chante de Grenouille' Manuel Lau,
Woodcut on 565 x 755 mm paper, from an edition of 9.

Delighted to discover the art of Manuel Lau, a Peruvian Chinese Canadian artist and printmaker, at Solander Gallery in Wellington, New Zealand. Looking forward to seeing what comes out of his artist in residence experience at Guanlan Print Studio in Shenzhen, China. (And to visiting Guanlan next time I’m in Shenzhen!)

When the Dalai Lama went to the White House last month, the media focused on China’s predictable outrage at President Obama’s guest. Others were disturbed by images of garbage sacks that the White House had failed to remove near the exit where the exiled Tibetan leader emerged to meet the press. But few noticed the significance of a gift that President Obama gave to the Dalai Lama — telling the story of a relationship forged between the US and the Dalai Lama before Beijing asserted control over Tibet.

President Obama’s present was an elegantly-bound exchange of letters between Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman and the young Dalai Lama, who was then the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet prior to the Chinese takeover — when Tibet was effectively independent. This symbolic expression of de facto state to state communication is an important counter-point to China’s increasingly aggressive assertions of its ownership of Tibet over hundreds of years, not to mention its belligerent rhetoric about the Dalai Lama.

Related: Obama gives Dalai Lama letter from FDR

Jörg “Jay” Otto‘s therapeutic massage is informed by his experience as a registered nurse, yoga instructor and reiki practitioner. He provides regular rehab sessions for the New Zealand Ballet Company, and if you show up with an injury, he can give you targeted stretches and self-massage moves to keep the healing going at home. He’s also always in the know on interesting new music, so ask what he’s listening to lately if you’d like some sonic therapy as well.

Tsondue Zari, trained in both Tibetan and Western massage techniques and Tibetan medicine, has founded New Zealand’s only traditional Tibetan Massage centre, a peaceful oasis and virtual Himalayan retreat high above Aro Valley. Tsondue’s deep muscle massage with herbal oils leave me levitating. He also offers Tibetan singing bowl therapy that tunes your mind and heart.

Facials never seemed worth the time and money when I could be having a full body massage instead, and the products and processes left my sensitive skin red and irritated besides. That was until I met Margaret Hema. There is no steaming, scrubbing, sandblasting or scraping involved in her treatment, only nurturing kindness through her warm hands and warm-hearted conversation. She hand-blends exquisite skin care oils on site from organic and wild harvested New Zealand ingredients and makes the most heavenly sun block on earth.

Jörg “Jay” Otto
027.568.6670
works out of Freyberg Pool and Fitness Centre, 139 Oriental Parade, Oriental Bay, Wellington
beingone.co.nz

Tsondue Zari
04.475.3400 or 021.126.9058
Aro Valley, Wellington
himalayan.nomad@yahoo.com
www.himalayanomad.webs.com/

Margaret Hema
Wellington CBD
margaret.hema@paradise.net.nz
www.hemaproducts.com

*In case your spirit calls for a fancy spa in Wellington, try East Day Spa, 1 Thorndon Quay
Wellington Central 04.473.3611.