https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150594011987646

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It’s been close to a week since the team has been in Lyon, and we have been putting up at the Citadines Part-Dieu since our arrival. The staff has been very kind and friendly to us, and their area manager, Munwar, a fellow Singaporean, has gone out of his way to make sure that we are comfortable in this home away from home. He has even helped send our team members to our workshop, and brought over pastries to give us energy! We greatly appreciate all that he and his staff have helped us out with!

 

And so, as a gesture of our appreciation, and to share a little part of what we do, we held a recycled art workshop for staff of the Citadines, which they had been looking forward to since the previous day! They also did their part by collecting bottles for the workshop, which would be used to make a gorgeous recycled plastic chandlier.

The session started off with a demonstration by Valerie, and the staff watched intently as she cut the bottle in a thin, spiral curve, before placing it up on the chandelier skeleton. They had nothing but praise for her deft handiwork.

Soon, it was their turn! Crackles of plastic bottles and hearty chuckles filled the air as the staff tried it out for themselves.

Our favourite breakfast lady, Madame Celeste, who is also an avid recycler, got into the act too!

Once the spiral curves were done, the staff then came up to the ‘skeleton’ to hang their creations on it.

 

As an added touch, Khor showed some of them how to craft flowers out of the bottle bases. The staff members watched on in amazement as he crafted beautifully shaped flowers, and hung them up along with the ‘vines’!

 

It was great to see how enthusiastic the staff were at participating, and how they really made the effort to make sure their chandelier looked just right!

 

Soon, the ‘skeleton’ made way for an avant-garde looking chandelier, sprinkled with green flowers. Tres beau!

 

We even had a mini-lighting ceremony, of which Citadines staff Amelie had the honour of doing!

And voila! The beautiful chandelier by the Citadines staff, just in time for Christmas

The new addition to the lobby soon attracted attention from curious guests, who were all smiles as they admired the staff’s creation.

 

After everyone’s hard work, it was time for a pizza party, courtesy of Munwar! We had the rare chance of mingling with the staff, and to also share our latest video about how to make a flower windmill, which some were keen to learn.

     

We’re glad the Citadines staff could be a part of what we do, and we hope they’ll continue to go green here in their wonderful establishment. Merci, and tout pour une (all for ONE)!

 

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It was day two at Place de la Paiz for the team – same venue, but different set-up. In a span of 24 hours, us Singaporeans had changed our ‘strategy’ for the evening; instead of merely giving away LED lights or flower windmills, why not have visitors participate in something fun?

So this evening, there were two things visitors could do (aside from admiring the sculpture, of course) – write a message about eco-sustainability on our specially printed leaves, and/or take a picture to say ‘Bonjour Singapour’. The leaves will be taken back to Singapore as an exchange when we do the same activity there, and the greeting pictures are for an ongoing initiative we have for people here to say hi to people in Singapore! (Check out https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.254851167909984.61664.109124855815950&type=1&l=ea1f254a07 for more pictures!)

We also brought along two of our recycled art deco lamps, made from plastic bottles, for display – and to illuminate the place further!

 

Even before the lights at the sculpture site were turned on, and before the booth was properly set up, there already were people present, curiously looking at ‘In Celebration’ and the recycled art lamps. Murmurs of ‘C’est superb’ and ‘C’est magnifique’ could be heard, which certainly made us feel good.

   

The 6 o’clock hour soon arrived, and things started to get busy! Visitors began to descend upon the booth to write their messages, and to have their picture taken.

 

Messages came fast and furious, with different languages and purposes. While most chose to express their thoughts with the written word, some found it best to draw.

 

Also, the team realized just how much people here love taking pictures

   

It was another lovely night of connections and conversations all round.

 

To those who came to visit us tonight, and to those who engaged with us, merci beaucoup! We hope to meet more people tomorrow

 

-Michelle

for The Living! Project

in Lyon, France