2009.09.18 01:00 - Future retreats

Wol Euler was guardian and commenter for this session.

I sat alone and listened to the birds for a half hour, then Pema arrived just as I was about to log off.

Wol Euler: hello pema, nice to see you again
Pema Pera: Hi Wol!
Pema Pera: Interesting that recording started when you came in, not when I came in
Pema Pera: perhaps because you had just left?
Pema Pera: we must have missed each other by one minute!
Wol Euler: oh no, it started because I clicked on the listener
Pema Pera: ah!
Pema Pera: but normally it starts automagically right?
Wol Euler: it will start or re-start automatically within the first 30 minutes of the hour, but not after that.
Pema Pera: ah, okay
Pema Pera: sorry to be so late
Wol Euler: no worries
Wol Euler: how's life in Japan?
Pema Pera: oh fine, but busier than I expected
Pema Pera: being here only for two weeks, instead of my usual four to six weeks or so, means I have to cram so many activities into a short time
Wol Euler grins and nods
Pema Pera: and alas, that means fewer PaB sessions.
Pema Pera: Have there been any particular highlights I may have missed, the last week or two?
Wol Euler thinks. I'm afraid that I have been missing a lot too, I'm working too many hours and hve not been reading hte logs regularly
Wol Euler: Fefonz is back online fter his move, we had a good conversation a few days back
Wol Euler: and there has been a lot of talk about land reform
Pema Pera: sorry to have missed most of that
Pema Pera: I've been too busy too to read all the logs -- hope to get back into that mode soon again
Pema Pera: btw, with 4 retreats a year, it would be good to plan a little ahead for 2010.
Wol Euler: yes, we could well do that.
Wol Euler: oh, right, that reminds me.

A German retreat?

Pema Pera: Would you be interested in organizing a Fall meeting, October 2010, in your area?
Wol Euler: Ara has picked the last week of January for the Malta retreat, "4 nights and 3 days" was her expression
Wol Euler: and yes, I would be glad do that.
Pema Pera: yes, those were the days that I had suggested, arriving January 25, departing January 29.
Pema Pera: same duration as the California retreat: 4 nites, 3 full days
Wol Euler: ah, was it that short? I'm surprised, I imagined from the reports that it was much longer
Pema Pera: shows the intensity!
Wol Euler: mmhmm
Pema Pera: :-)
Wol Euler just had a great idea. The Starnberger See is just outside of Munich, you can get there and back by subway :)
Wol Euler: and Munich has an international airport
Pema Pera: good idea!
Wol Euler: I'll have a scout around, see if htere are any suitable places there.
Pema Pera: if you could explore availabilty
Pema Pera: some time middle of October might be good -- when will the fall colors peak?
Pema Pera: (of course, that may be the most expensive time then, too)

--BELL--

Wol Euler: mmhmm - but it's not as dramatic as New England :)
Wol Euler: I think it has to be very near a major city and an international airport, if there is to be a chance of non-Euros attending
Wol Euler: which rules out Stuttgart, alas
Pema Pera: well, train from Muenchen to Stuttgart is what, two or three hours?
Wol Euler: mmhmm
Wol Euler: but then an hour in the bus to the retreat place that I had been to
Wol Euler: I think that's just impractical
Wol Euler: I'll go with the Starnberger See idea, that seems a simple win to me
Pema Pera: yes, I see your point. Okay, Muenchen may well be better then.
Wol Euler: and it makes the Beer Evening very easy! heheheheh
Pema Pera: hehehe
Wol Euler: we could make it end of September and coincide with Oktoberfest ...
Pema Pera: oh, that's a nice idea!
Wol Euler: if people really wanted to. But that is pretty well the exact opposite of PaB and retreating :)
Pema Pera: but again, prices may be higher then
Wol Euler: much higher
Pema Pera: well, I'm not sure -- PaB is about integration (responding to previous remark)
Wol Euler chuckles
Pema Pera: in fact, I'm not at all sure that we want to have "classical retreat style" meetings all the time.
Pema Pera: The first time, in California, it was good to have a quiet out-of-the-way place
Pema Pera: But I would be eager to also try a city setting
Pema Pera: just meeting in cafes or so, or on a terrace, or wherever
Pema Pera: why not?
Wol Euler: sure, I like that idea
Wol Euler: many cafes have upstairs rooms ...
Pema Pera: or rent a meeting room in a hotel we all stay in, and go out in the evenings
Pema Pera: yes
Pema Pera: And if people share hotel rooms, the price wouldn't be higher than a retreat center visit
Wol Euler: mmhmm

Where else might be fun to meet? 

Wol Euler: so who do we have in France? could we organize a Paris retreat?
Wol Euler: or Nice/Marseilles/Menton
Pema Pera: alas, nobody I know in France in PaB, that is
Pema Pera: but Mark van Atten lives in Paris
Pema Pera: he is part of the time workshop
Pema Pera: and a good friend of mine
Wol Euler: Paris in springtime ...
Pema Pera: It would be closer for all the UK folks!
Pema Pera: sure :-)
Pema Pera whistles I love Paris . . .
Wol Euler: hehehehe
Wol Euler: the UKers could take the Chunnel train, true.
Wol Euler: I'd assumed they would fly, and if you are already going to the bother of flying then it doesn't actually matter how *far* you fly
Pema Pera: true
Pema Pera: Well, nice to think about options! Really looking forward to Malta.
Wol Euler: the taxi ride to the airport is usually longer than any intra-European flight
Wol Euler: yes, Malta should be great.
Pema Pera: We could do Malta in January, California in April, Hawaii in July, Muenchen in October?
Wol Euler: sounds like a plan
Wol Euler: and try long-term to organize Paris and Moscow (Alf Kelberry could help with that)
Wol Euler: oh, and we know somebody who could organize Tokyo!
Pema Pera: :-)
Pema Pera: sure
Wol Euler: I'd love to go to Japan...
Pema Pera: talking about Tokyo, I have to get going . . .
Wol Euler: mmm, right :)
Pema Pera: good seeing you again!
Wol Euler: it was nice to see you again, Pema
Pema Pera: bye for now