If you want to contact us, send an e-mail.
CLICK HERE
BACK , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , NEXT
30 AUGUST 2007.- AND DANUM VALLEY 3 |
|
Danum Valley |
Source: Telegraph.co.uk
Mel Gibson is fresh off a plane, jet lagged and snorting from a nasal decongestant bottle
SEARRP scientists have studied Danum Valley for 20 years
"At least that's what I'm telling you it is," he jokes.
He's in Malaysia as part of what is at first glance an unlikely trio. It comprises the Hollywood star, young Malaysian entrepreneur Vinod Sekhar, who claims a place in the country's top 20 rich list and the Earl of Selborne, Chairman of Kew Gardens and in Kuala Lumpur as a representative of the Royal Society.
They're here to mark the launch of a partnership between Sekhar's charitable Petra Foundation and the Royal Society's South East Asian Rainforest Research Project (SEARRP).
For 20 years SEARRP scientists have been studying the Danum Valley, some 169 square miles of near pristine rainforest in Sabah, the Malaysian state in the north eastern corner of Borneo island. Now Sekhar is to fund their research.
"We're only now beginning to understand just how fragile these systems are and how dependent they are on a scientific understanding of what is needed to conserve them," Lord Selborne said.
He's a pragmatist who realises that sustainability works on many levels and that a conservation project isn't sustainable if it pits the green lobby against local people trying to make a living.
"It's no good saying that we're not going to touch these areas. People rely on a living, logging is going to happen around these areas; though of course you can protect the hottest of the biodiversity hotspots," he said.
Signing of the memorandum (L-R) Mel Gibson, Vinod Sekhar, Prof Rory Walsh and the Earl of Selbourne
Nevertheless he firmly believes that rainforest conservation is key to tackling climate change.
"The Stern Report which Gordon Brown commissioned when he was at the Treasury stated that 20 per cent of the issue of climate change arose from deforestation and that is more than all kinds of transport put together."
Sekhar is part of a younger generation of Asian businessman, a breed apart from the so called 'ugly' Malaysians who are prime culprits in deforestation across not just Malaysia but Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Cambodia, Laos and lately even Africa.
He made his first fortune in college T shirts in the US and has lately pioneered a method of de-vulcanising rubber that may allow the mountains of discarded car tyres the world over to be put to better use. He's quick to challenge the stereotype of the Asian businessman who sees only what a forest is worth in timber and not its true value.
"I think your crude Asian can be your crude American or your crude European. The crude capitalist is everywhere," he said. "But what I'm doing, if I want to look at it the capitalist way, is looking at eco-tourism, creating opportunities that are far more significant in the long term than logging."
Sekhar sees the rainforest as a biotech treasure trove and a tourism resource. "If you look at the numbers then eco-tourism, for any country with the biodioversity we have it's a multi billion dollar industry," he says.
And that's Gibson's dream. His interest in ancient central American civilization didn't stop with his movie Apocalypto. It's something of a passion with him and he's trying to raise awareness about an area of Guatemalan rainforest that's concealing what he described as an American "Valley of the Kings."
"The largest pyramid in the world sits in the middle of the el Mirador basin, and it's just stunning." Jetlagged he may be but as he warms to his theme he comes back to life. "It's pre-classic in the Mayan era which means it goes back 3,000 years. I'm sure it holds all kinds of secrets we need to know about.
"There are libraries down there," chips in Sekhar, a friend of Gibson's and like him wildly excited by the Mirador Basin. "The civilizations were quite complex," Gibson says.
"There were cities. They were technologically advanced. As you stand on top of the pyramid and look at the other cities and pyramids in the distance, you can see roads leading from all of them, 30 yards across."
The two men are of a mind in how to value Mirador, as with Danum. It's value lies not in its raw resources but as an attraction.
"A road would cost $80 million to put in," says Gibson. "A railway would cost $8 million."
He argues that it would provide access for visitors without opening up the basin to the narco criminals, looters and loggers who threaten it at present.
Listening to the three men talk; the moghul, the earl and the megastar, one starts to realise that they're not such an unlikely group after all. I put it to Gibson that they represent three constituencies that are together providing much of the impetus for environmental protection; enlightened entrepreneurs, showbiz and conservationists.
Gibson agrees and says much of the time governments follow where they lead. "A lot of times [politicians] get caught up in the bureaucracy. They have so many things on the list. I don't think anyone has realised the potential," he says.
For Sekhar it's about building relationships with politicians that makes them open to persuasion. "At the end of the day you need champions within government, you have some people who really believe in this and feel its important and there'll be others who are dead against it."
And that, he says, also means that Western governments and campaigners must be mindful of their own history. "For countries like Malaysia - the Western world has already destroyed their forest, they've killed it, they've decimated it and they've minted money.So the East is saying 'you've destroyed everything, made all your money, what about us'."
Asian societies, he says, are no more charities than their Western counterparts.
"We've got to find a way of saying 'if what you say what we have in Borneo belongs to the world - fine, can't we work out a scheme where you pay for it - rent it from us.'"
And that, hopes Lord Selborne, is where Kyoto 2 will play a part by putting a price on trees left unlogged rather than forests felled.
"The sums of money that will be needed to give true importance to conservation and to amelioration are much larger than we're talking about at the moment.
"And I believe there will be an enormous breakthrough when at the next round of the Kyoto convention people start looking at how you start replacing carbon trading emissions by rewarding people for conserving and preserving forest and that will be big money."
|
Signing of the memorandum (L-R) Mel Gibson, Vinod Sekhar, Prof Rory Walsh and the Earl of Selbourne |
Nevertheless he firmly believes that rainforest conservation is key to tackling climate change.
"The Stern Report which Gordon Brown commissioned when he was at the Treasury stated that 20 per cent of the issue of climate change arose from deforestation and that is more than all kinds of transport put together."
Sekhar is part of a younger generation of Asian businessman, a breed apart from the so called 'ugly' Malaysians who are prime culprits in deforestation across not just Malaysia but Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Cambodia, Laos and lately even Africa.
He made his first fortune in college T shirts in the US and has lately pioneered a method of de-vulcanising rubber that may allow the mountains of discarded car tyres the world over to be put to better use. He's quick to challenge the stereotype of the Asian businessman who sees only what a forest is worth in timber and not its true value.
"I think your crude Asian can be your crude American or your crude European. The crude capitalist is everywhere," he said. "But what I'm doing, if I want to look at it the capitalist way, is looking at eco-tourism, creating opportunities that are far more significant in the long term than logging."
Sekhar sees the rainforest as a biotech treasure trove and a tourism resource. "If you look at the numbers then eco-tourism, for any country with the biodioversity we have it's a multi billion dollar industry," he says.
And that's Gibson's dream. His interest in ancient central American civilization didn't stop with his movie Apocalypto. It's something of a passion with him and he's trying to raise awareness about an area of Guatemalan rainforest that's concealing what he described as an American "Valley of the Kings."
"The largest pyramid in the world sits in the middle of the el Mirador basin, and it's just stunning." Jetlagged he may be but as he warms to his theme he comes back to life. "It's pre-classic in the Mayan era which means it goes back 3,000 years. I'm sure it holds all kinds of secrets we need to know about.
"There are libraries down there," chips in Sekhar, a friend of Gibson's and like him wildly excited by the Mirador Basin. "The civilizations were quite complex," Gibson says.
"There were cities. They were technologically advanced. As you stand on top of the pyramid and look at the other cities and pyramids in the distance, you can see roads leading from all of them, 30 yards across."
The two men are of a mind in how to value Mirador, as with Danum. It's value lies not in its raw resources but as an attraction.
"A road would cost $80 million to put in," says Gibson. "A railway would cost $8 million."
He argues that it would provide access for visitors without opening up the basin to the narco criminals, looters and loggers who threaten it at present.
Listening to the three men talk; the moghul, the earl and the megastar, one starts to realise that they're not such an unlikely group after all. I put it to Gibson that they represent three constituencies that are together providing much of the impetus for environmental protection; enlightened entrepreneurs, showbiz and conservationists.
Gibson agrees and says much of the time governments follow where they lead. "A lot of times [politicians] get caught up in the bureaucracy. They have so many things on the list. I don't think anyone has realised the potential," he says.
For Sekhar it's about building relationships with politicians that makes them open to persuasion. "At the end of the day you need champions within government, you have some people who really believe in this and feel its important and there'll be others who are dead against it."
And that, he says, also means that Western governments and campaigners must be mindful of their own history. "For countries like Malaysia - the Western world has already destroyed their forest, they've killed it, they've decimated it and they've minted money.So the East is saying 'you've destroyed everything, made all your money, what about us'."
Asian societies, he says, are no more charities than their Western counterparts.
"We've got to find a way of saying 'if what you say what we have in Borneo belongs to the world - fine, can't we work out a scheme where you pay for it - rent it from us.'"
And that, hopes Lord Selborne, is where Kyoto 2 will play a part by putting a price on trees left unlogged rather than forests felled.
"The sums of money that will be needed to give true importance to conservation and to amelioration are much larger than we're talking about at the moment.
"And I believe there will be an enormous breakthrough when at the next round of the Kyoto convention people start looking at how you start replacing carbon trading emissions by rewarding people for conserving and preserving forest and that will be big money."
30 AUGUST 2007.- ICON SHANAHAN PRODUCTIONS CLOSES SYDNEY OFFICES 
Mel Gibson a few years ago
Source: smh.com.au
Icon Shanahan Productions closes Sydney offices.
Six years ago, the Hollywood star and his producing partner, Bruce Davey, announced they were forming a production company with the leading talent agency Shanahan Management, which represents such A-listers as Nicole Kidman, Toni Collette and Geoffrey Rush.
Icon Shanahan Productions was launched at the same time as a new distribution operation, and there were high hopes that it could produce a new generation of Australian films for international audiences.
But the company has now closed its Sydney office - and its creative director, Sally Chesher, has departed - without a single Icon Shanahan film being made.
The closest it came was the part-financing of the drama The Black Balloon, by Icon's distribution and sales agency arms. Icon Shanahan brought Collette to the film, a coming-of-age story from the director Elissa Down which is due in cinemas early next year. Collette's co-stars include the model Gemma Ward, Rhys Wakefield and Luke Ford.
Before that, Icon was involved in a production venture with the Australian arm of 20th Century Fox that dissolved after three years without making a film. Even earlier, a planned partnership between Gibson and the producer Pat Lovell also led to nothing.
While Gibson and Davey have been successful producers in the US, making such movies as Braveheart, What Women Want, The Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto, they have come up bone dry in this country.
The chief executive of Icon's Australian operations, Mark Gooder, points to the difficulty of finding strong films that can work internationally.
"Everyone has good intentions to make as many films as they possibly can out of Australia," he says from Los Angeles. "But when it comes down to it, what are those stories that will resonate and travel overseas?
"
You talk to any producer and any studio in Australia. Are they all sitting on fantastic material that they're holding back from making? No.
"I think everyone finds it's a bit of a struggle to find strong material."
Gooder described the office closure as a "refocusing" rather than a withdrawal from Australian filmmaking. He will continue developing films from Los Angeles and has high hopes for Icon's chances under the Federal Government's new 40 per cent rebate for film production.
One project that has been in development and could still reach production, he says, is the romantic comedy/drama The Girl Most Likely, starring Pia Miranda.
|
Mel Gibson a few years ago |
Source: smh.com.au
Icon Shanahan Productions closes Sydney offices.
Six years ago, the Hollywood star and his producing partner, Bruce Davey, announced they were forming a production company with the leading talent agency Shanahan Management, which represents such A-listers as Nicole Kidman, Toni Collette and Geoffrey Rush.
Icon Shanahan Productions was launched at the same time as a new distribution operation, and there were high hopes that it could produce a new generation of Australian films for international audiences.
But the company has now closed its Sydney office - and its creative director, Sally Chesher, has departed - without a single Icon Shanahan film being made.
The closest it came was the part-financing of the drama The Black Balloon, by Icon's distribution and sales agency arms. Icon Shanahan brought Collette to the film, a coming-of-age story from the director Elissa Down which is due in cinemas early next year. Collette's co-stars include the model Gemma Ward, Rhys Wakefield and Luke Ford.
Before that, Icon was involved in a production venture with the Australian arm of 20th Century Fox that dissolved after three years without making a film. Even earlier, a planned partnership between Gibson and the producer Pat Lovell also led to nothing.
While Gibson and Davey have been successful producers in the US, making such movies as Braveheart, What Women Want, The Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto, they have come up bone dry in this country.
The chief executive of Icon's Australian operations, Mark Gooder, points to the difficulty of finding strong films that can work internationally.
"Everyone has good intentions to make as many films as they possibly can out of Australia," he says from Los Angeles. "But when it comes down to it, what are those stories that will resonate and travel overseas?
"
You talk to any producer and any studio in Australia. Are they all sitting on fantastic material that they're holding back from making? No.
"I think everyone finds it's a bit of a struggle to find strong material."
Gooder described the office closure as a "refocusing" rather than a withdrawal from Australian filmmaking. He will continue developing films from Los Angeles and has high hopes for Icon's chances under the Federal Government's new 40 per cent rebate for film production.
One project that has been in development and could still reach production, he says, is the romantic comedy/drama The Girl Most Likely, starring Pia Miranda.
31 AUGUST 2007.- HOLLYWOOD RANCH 2
"YOU AINīT SEEN NOTHING YET"
"HOLLYWOOD-MEL GIBSON" by Korrigan"
Click on the image to enlarge
When the magic lantern show reached America, people were more enthusiastic about its potential. Edwin S. Porter made the first narrative film that used actors. It was called "The Great Train Robbery". People went to see the film in their thousands. Each person paid five cents for admission: this is why the first cinemas were called "Nickel Odeons"
The popularity of movies boomed and the film companies joined together in order to get patent rights as a way of protecting their products. But pirate companies began to make films of their own outside the law. To avoid prosecution these film makers packed us and moved across country. They settled in the small town called Hollywood.
By 1914 this town had become the biggest film factory in the world. Other companies moved there because the sunny climate was conducive to shooting outdoors. The surrounding enviroment was also perfect for making westerns, the first and most popular American film genre.
The big film studios of today also got their start early in this century. Four of the most talented people working in Hollywood realised the importance of controlling their own films and thus Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin and the director D. W. Griffith formed United Artist in 1918. Shortly afterwards Paramount, Columbia and M.G.M were formed and they also built their own studios and used their own stars.
In spite of the fact that these studios were formed at an early stage in the history of film, Hollywood was still a place for individualists in the 20's. Max Sennett was certainly one of them. He single-handedly built Keystone studios which went on to create the first slapstick films. This popular type of comedy portrayed policemen as bumbling incompetents and featured hair-raising car chases and perfectly timed stunts.
The early Hollywood artists were regarded with disdain by many people. The cinema was the upstart medium and many people resented its overnight success. Still, as the actor Al Jolson said when introducing sound films in 1928, "YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHING YET.".
"YOU AINīT SEEN NOTHING YET" |
|
"HOLLYWOOD-MEL GIBSON" by Korrigan"
|
When the magic lantern show reached America, people were more enthusiastic about its potential. Edwin S. Porter made the first narrative film that used actors. It was called "The Great Train Robbery". People went to see the film in their thousands. Each person paid five cents for admission: this is why the first cinemas were called "Nickel Odeons"
The popularity of movies boomed and the film companies joined together in order to get patent rights as a way of protecting their products. But pirate companies began to make films of their own outside the law. To avoid prosecution these film makers packed us and moved across country. They settled in the small town called Hollywood.
By 1914 this town had become the biggest film factory in the world. Other companies moved there because the sunny climate was conducive to shooting outdoors. The surrounding enviroment was also perfect for making westerns, the first and most popular American film genre.
The big film studios of today also got their start early in this century. Four of the most talented people working in Hollywood realised the importance of controlling their own films and thus Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin and the director D. W. Griffith formed United Artist in 1918. Shortly afterwards Paramount, Columbia and M.G.M were formed and they also built their own studios and used their own stars.
In spite of the fact that these studios were formed at an early stage in the history of film, Hollywood was still a place for individualists in the 20's. Max Sennett was certainly one of them. He single-handedly built Keystone studios which went on to create the first slapstick films. This popular type of comedy portrayed policemen as bumbling incompetents and featured hair-raising car chases and perfectly timed stunts.
The early Hollywood artists were regarded with disdain by many people. The cinema was the upstart medium and many people resented its overnight success. Still, as the actor Al Jolson said when introducing sound films in 1928, "YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHING YET.".
1 SEPTEMBER 2007.- WHEN GOING GREEN COMES NATURALLY
Mel Gibson in Kuala Lumpur
Source: The New Straits Time Online
NISHA SABANAGAM and FARIDUL ANWAR FARINORDIN had lunch with Mel Gibson recently during his recent surprise visit to Malaysia. They managed to get the acclaimed Hollywood director to talk about his love for the environment and the rainforest
Q: How did you become so environmentally conscious?
A: I grew up in a family that was environmentally conscious. My dad had an organic garden. He even had beehives. I have a cattle range, and I make sure we use no pesticides or unnatural products.
Q: Why the focus on the rainforest?
A: I was in awe. Just a few weeks ago I was in the Guatemalan rainforest looking at bugs, thinking 'What on earth is that?'
I saw some critters I have never seen before. The entomologist I was with said, 'I don't know, why don't we take a picture of it and give it a name?'
There are 1.4 million species of insects in the rainforest that they have identified. There are eight-and-a-half million more that they don't know what to call or what they are good for.
It's not out of the ordinary to have some guy with a machete and a sombrero come out and say 'Here, eat some of this stuff, it's really good for diabetes.'
It just goes to show there is amazing untapped potential in the rainforest.
Q: What about your family? Does your family try to live a green lifestyle?
A: I think they're pretty cool about the stuff, having grown up with that kind of influence. I don't preach about it. My father never preached to me about being organic. I just really liked what he practised. I thought he was cool. My kids are also pretty cool about it. Had an electric car for a while. Bicycles, walking, all these things are energy savers.
Q: What do you think about Malaysia's rainforest?
A: Well, I haven't really had a chance to see it properly. But I may be going to Danum Valley in Sabah soon. This is only my second visit to Malaysia. The last time I was here was 10 years ago to promote a movie.
Q: Do you have any movies in the pipeline at the moment?
A: There are a lot of different productions in the works, maybe three or four. It takes a long time to get scripts that are really worthwhile. I think, nowadays, a lot of people have forgotten how important it is to have a good story. Computer-generated images and technology seem to be getting bigger. We really need to get back to basics.
Q: Will your stories have environmental messages like Apocalypto which is set during the decline of the Mayan civilisation?
A:I found out that it doesn't really pay to tell people what you are doing because every time I've done that, someone else always tries to do it first. I don't know why they think I have such great ideas.
Q: It was rumoured that your recent visit to Costa Rica was to scout for locations for your upcoming epic about the 16th Century Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez De Balboa. Is this true?
A: Don't believe everything you read.
|
Mel Gibson in Kuala Lumpur |
Source: The New Straits Time Online
NISHA SABANAGAM and FARIDUL ANWAR FARINORDIN had lunch with Mel Gibson recently during his recent surprise visit to Malaysia. They managed to get the acclaimed Hollywood director to talk about his love for the environment and the rainforest
Q: How did you become so environmentally conscious?
A: I grew up in a family that was environmentally conscious. My dad had an organic garden. He even had beehives. I have a cattle range, and I make sure we use no pesticides or unnatural products.
Q: Why the focus on the rainforest?
A: I was in awe. Just a few weeks ago I was in the Guatemalan rainforest looking at bugs, thinking 'What on earth is that?'
I saw some critters I have never seen before. The entomologist I was with said, 'I don't know, why don't we take a picture of it and give it a name?'
There are 1.4 million species of insects in the rainforest that they have identified. There are eight-and-a-half million more that they don't know what to call or what they are good for.
It's not out of the ordinary to have some guy with a machete and a sombrero come out and say 'Here, eat some of this stuff, it's really good for diabetes.'
It just goes to show there is amazing untapped potential in the rainforest.
Q: What about your family? Does your family try to live a green lifestyle?
A: I think they're pretty cool about the stuff, having grown up with that kind of influence. I don't preach about it. My father never preached to me about being organic. I just really liked what he practised. I thought he was cool. My kids are also pretty cool about it. Had an electric car for a while. Bicycles, walking, all these things are energy savers.
Q: What do you think about Malaysia's rainforest?
A: Well, I haven't really had a chance to see it properly. But I may be going to Danum Valley in Sabah soon. This is only my second visit to Malaysia. The last time I was here was 10 years ago to promote a movie.
Q: Do you have any movies in the pipeline at the moment?
A: There are a lot of different productions in the works, maybe three or four. It takes a long time to get scripts that are really worthwhile. I think, nowadays, a lot of people have forgotten how important it is to have a good story. Computer-generated images and technology seem to be getting bigger. We really need to get back to basics.
Q: Will your stories have environmental messages like Apocalypto which is set during the decline of the Mayan civilisation?
A:I found out that it doesn't really pay to tell people what you are doing because every time I've done that, someone else always tries to do it first. I don't know why they think I have such great ideas.
Q: It was rumoured that your recent visit to Costa Rica was to scout for locations for your upcoming epic about the 16th Century Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez De Balboa. Is this true?
A: Don't believe everything you read.
3 SEPTEMBER 2007.- MEL GIBSON ATE CHICKEN MASALA
Mel Gibson eating
Source: Electric New Paper
It's not often that you get married in a restaurant, pay the bill and bump into Oscar-winning actor and director Mel Gibson.
But on the biggest day of their lives, newlywed Mr Saravanan experienced exactly that after he and Ms Marcella Santu held their marriage registration ceremony on the second floor of the Banana Leaf Apolo at Race Course Road.
What was Gibson doing there during lunchtime yesterday?
Well, from the receipt that the restaurant's management was able to show The New Paper on Sunday yesterday after Mr Saravananâ's friend called our Hotline Gibson ate chicken masala, mutton mysore, naan bread, and beriani with vegetables.
And he ate using utensils, not his hands.
Malaysian media had reported earlier this week, that he was on a two-week holiday there.
But yesterday's encounter happened so unexpectedly for the groom who had come downstairs to settle the bill that he did not manage to ask Gibson for his autograph or have a picture taken.
Mr Saravanan, 28, recalled hours later: 'We were all dressed up for our wedding, so he asked the staff and found out there was a wedding.So he came up to me when I was paying the bill and asked, "Are you the groom?" and I said yes.
'Then he shook my hand and said 'Congratulations'.'
After that, the 51-year-old actor, who had already finished his meal, was ushered out by three Caucasian men at about 2pm.
Mr Saravanan added with a laugh: 'My aunties all ran downstairs when they heard he was here, but by then, it was too late. They all asked me, 'Why didn't you get a picture with him?'
'It happened so suddenly, I didn't have my phone or camera with me.
'But the handshake was good enough, especially on an auspicious day like this.
'I'm unknown to him, but he congratulated me personally, so that was quite good of him.'
Mr Saravanan said the one thing that surprised him about seeing the actor in real life, was his hair.
'He looks a bit blond in real life. In most of his pictures, I remembered he has black hair,' he said.
Waiter Mr S Ramanathan, 26, who attended to the actor for the hour that he was at the restaurant, said he came in with six others: a local couple whom staff recognised as regulars of Banana Leaf Apolo, and four children.
'When he (Gibson) walked in (at 1pm), nobody knew. The restaurant was full at that time. When I took the order, I was serving my regular customer (Gibson's friend).Gibson was friendly. He said the food is very good. I recommended him the fish head curry, and he said he will come again this week to try it,' he said.
|
Mel Gibson eating |
Source: Electric New Paper
It's not often that you get married in a restaurant, pay the bill and bump into Oscar-winning actor and director Mel Gibson.
But on the biggest day of their lives, newlywed Mr Saravanan experienced exactly that after he and Ms Marcella Santu held their marriage registration ceremony on the second floor of the Banana Leaf Apolo at Race Course Road.
What was Gibson doing there during lunchtime yesterday?
Well, from the receipt that the restaurant's management was able to show The New Paper on Sunday yesterday after Mr Saravananâ's friend called our Hotline Gibson ate chicken masala, mutton mysore, naan bread, and beriani with vegetables.
And he ate using utensils, not his hands.
Malaysian media had reported earlier this week, that he was on a two-week holiday there.
But yesterday's encounter happened so unexpectedly for the groom who had come downstairs to settle the bill that he did not manage to ask Gibson for his autograph or have a picture taken.
Mr Saravanan, 28, recalled hours later: 'We were all dressed up for our wedding, so he asked the staff and found out there was a wedding.So he came up to me when I was paying the bill and asked, "Are you the groom?" and I said yes.
'Then he shook my hand and said 'Congratulations'.'
After that, the 51-year-old actor, who had already finished his meal, was ushered out by three Caucasian men at about 2pm.
Mr Saravanan added with a laugh: 'My aunties all ran downstairs when they heard he was here, but by then, it was too late. They all asked me, 'Why didn't you get a picture with him?'
'It happened so suddenly, I didn't have my phone or camera with me.
'But the handshake was good enough, especially on an auspicious day like this.
'I'm unknown to him, but he congratulated me personally, so that was quite good of him.'
Mr Saravanan said the one thing that surprised him about seeing the actor in real life, was his hair.
'He looks a bit blond in real life. In most of his pictures, I remembered he has black hair,' he said.
Waiter Mr S Ramanathan, 26, who attended to the actor for the hour that he was at the restaurant, said he came in with six others: a local couple whom staff recognised as regulars of Banana Leaf Apolo, and four children.
'When he (Gibson) walked in (at 1pm), nobody knew. The restaurant was full at that time. When I took the order, I was serving my regular customer (Gibson's friend).Gibson was friendly. He said the food is very good. I recommended him the fish head curry, and he said he will come again this week to try it,' he said.
4 SEPTEMBER 2007.- RAINFOREST
The vast tropical rain forests that girdle earth's equator are disappearing at the rate of seventy acres per minute, burned or cut to produce lumber, farmland and pastures. But these lust jungles are more than land and stands of timber. Beneath the thick canopy of leaves, millions of interdependent species coexist - at least half of the world species are crammed into an area comprising only about six percent of the planet surface.
While politicians and diplomats juggle the complex social and economic issues of conservation and land use, tropical biologists have been racing to document and perhaps save some of these species, much still uncatalogued. The degree of species diversity is mind-boggling. One researcher found a single tree in Peru harboring forty-six species of ants, as many as inhabit the British Isles. A thirty-acre forest sample in Indonesia was found to support more than 700 tree species, about the number occurring in the entire continent of North America.
Click on the image to enlarge
All this genetic richness is intertwined with ecological bargains of baffling complexity. Trees produce favorite foods for the animals that transport their pollen and seeds, or they offer shelter to ants that roam the branches, cleaning away the encroaching seeds of parasites. To defend themselves against legions of destructive insects, many plants have evolved poisonous substances that only the creatures in league with them can tolerate. In the jungle, the web of life is so densely drawn that when one species vanishes, it often takes others with it.
RAINFOREST
These disappearances also foreclose on human opportunity, for plants and animals can have great value as sources of food and medicine. At least 40 percent of the prescription medicine sold in the United States has ingredients drawn from natural sources, many of them native to the tropical rain forests. The fast-growing winged bean of New Guinea is edible from root to flower and possesses the nutritional value of soybeans. A single babassu palm from the Amazon basin produces a quarter barrel of oil each year. The rosy periwinkle of Madagascar contains two alkaloids that are effective against some cancers. Nearly every cultivated food plant has a wild tropical cousin, a supply of genes that, added to domesticated breeds, could greatly increase the yield and resilience of some key crops. Despite a long and growing list of candidates for human use, however, the real potential has barely been tapped - and TIME MAY BE RUNNING OUT.
The vast tropical rain forests that girdle earth's equator are disappearing at the rate of seventy acres per minute, burned or cut to produce lumber, farmland and pastures. But these lust jungles are more than land and stands of timber. Beneath the thick canopy of leaves, millions of interdependent species coexist - at least half of the world species are crammed into an area comprising only about six percent of the planet surface. |
|
|
These disappearances also foreclose on human opportunity, for plants and animals can have great value as sources of food and medicine. At least 40 percent of the prescription medicine sold in the United States has ingredients drawn from natural sources, many of them native to the tropical rain forests. The fast-growing winged bean of New Guinea is edible from root to flower and possesses the nutritional value of soybeans. A single babassu palm from the Amazon basin produces a quarter barrel of oil each year. The rosy periwinkle of Madagascar contains two alkaloids that are effective against some cancers. Nearly every cultivated food plant has a wild tropical cousin, a supply of genes that, added to domesticated breeds, could greatly increase the yield and resilience of some key crops. Despite a long and growing list of candidates for human use, however, the real potential has barely been tapped - and TIME MAY BE RUNNING OUT. |
|
|
|
|
|