I'll see if I can call some of the others and ask if they'd like to identify themselves. . .but it is personal. How 'bout it guys? (I'm pretty sure most have at least looked at this thread, and we can accept that the decision has been made, so. . . ) MM
You are the man with the racket
the boy below you is your son?
and on the group photo who are the others you and hiroyuki nagashima i'll allready have seen, but who are the others?☝
and is there any lady/girl staff member? i mean do you have also photo's with a female jref staff member?
if you don't want to tell it, then its no problem
but when you say A you have to say at least also B
Thanks for your interest and concern, Herbal san! (please forgive my not being able to add the star there...)
Let's see. I'll give you a little homework--since I am a teacher, I guess I like to give some homework from time to time....hee, hee, hee....
In posts numbers one and two, on page one of this thread, all the names are given of those JREF members who came...except mine. So, in the group picture, the other three members beside myself (Mars Man) and Hiroyuki Nagashima san, are those left after subtracting us.
Now, which individual in the picture carries which name, I'll have to apologize--I don't feel I can just give that out, because they might not want that information shared here. I they come on line and identify the person in that group picture, then the answer will be clear. BUT, please, let's wait and see if they do that.
Mike Cash was there, and has taken some great photos, and has very likely read through the whole thread, so should be aware of the opportunity to identify himself in that group picture. We can safely reason that he may not wish to do so, and so, has not yet done so. I can't do anything more than that--I'm sorry.
As far as female members of JREF, most unfortunately, there were not any. The lady who took that group photo is the lady that I have lived with for some WOW...already almost 19 years? I was the guy throwing the frisbee, swinging at (and probably missing) the badminton birdie, and wearing the bandana. The young man is my youngest son. He's 12 years old.
I hope that some of the ladies from JREF will come next time too. Some had wanted to come, but could not make it at the last moment.
(ps the little lady (my wife) hates to have her photo taken, and even more so having it posted . . .so no little lady in the pics. Sorry)
You are a sensei?? OoOoOhhhhh homework (^^')
the boy was your son???? ☝
He likes older and bigger then me (no offence) but heh he doesn't look like a kid of 12!!
what do you feed him?? vegetables and meat for growing?? Just kidding
no female :? well no problem, i hope there will be one someday and im glad you are all friends!! it makes me happy to see a close band.
Thanks for everything Mars Man-san!!!
Gambatte ne!
Are you kidding?! None of you guys has an a$$ as big as mine... Sorry, I should keep it clean.
Wow, it really sounds like those of you who were lucky to make it to the get-together had such a blast!! I absolutely enjoyed the story Mars Man. Those Mexican dishes you made sound like a treat!
Thanks for sharing those beautiful photos you took, Mike! They make me want to go back to visit Japan.
The next morning, a bright and sunny Saturday, we crawled out of bed, some earlier, some later--as mentioned before--and I whipped up some breakfast using the fajita leftovers. We sat around talking about all kinds of things (being JREF members, that's what we do, right?) for the whole morning, and on into the afternoon.
Time then came for Mike Cash san to catch that train back to Gunma, so I gave him a ride to the Akashina Station. After coming back, I suggested that we play some more badminton, and so out to the front yard we went. The wind was much less, and we had some good volleys--no injuries today.
In the late afternoon, Hiroyuki Nagashima san hopped on his very nice bike, and rode off into the sunset--headed for a hot spring just over the hills in the Ueda area, I think. Mikkawa Ossan san, and J44xm san decided to stay over another night, so, I fired up the BBQ pit again, and we had some great yakisoba, and yakiniku and stuff.
Around 8:30, at my youngest son's request, we called up a niece and nephew who live next door, and we all joined in a couple of rounds of 'hide and seek.' It was great !! All 7 of us were having the time of our lives, reliving our childhood pleasures and relaxing ourselves of all stress and barriers.
Around 10:30 I told the boys that it was bed time for them, so we finished the game. J44xm san crashed out earlier, and Mikkawa san and I sat by the fire talking until almost midnight. They left fairly early the next morning--a coolish, rainy Sunday.
I had a great time !! I'm sure all my guests did too. For JREF, it may not have been the very first gathering--and for JREF members gathering at my house, it wasn't the first. (Mikawa san had come last year; but only he) However, I'd like to think that it was a first in some ways, and that it will set the stage for more gatherings, and more chances to meet the real people behind the words on the PC screen that we read. I hope that as for JREF, my place will be a center spot for meeting. Nagano prefecture is far from many of you all, but it is, in a way, quite center for all.
And now !! I'll start thinking about when the next meet can be !! Thanks for tuning in !! MM
Lol, as MM has said, there are many implied clues as to who all the people are, in this thread, and the other one. We must also understand that if the participants wanted to be explicitly identified, they would have done so themselves already.
I think it's best to respect the modesty of those who don't wish to be named, and keep our speculations to ourselves...
This is a fantastic thread from those who did manage to get together. Very many thanks for sharing, from the valleys of southern England!
I wished I could have been there but I went somewhere closer. Hopefully next year. I only wonder, is it fun enough for my wife to come as well? because it really looks like a men only party
Oh man...my dear friend and fellow poster on JREF...Dutch Baka san...it is only because there were no women, that it looks like a men only thing. The person who took that group photo, as Mike Cash has pointed out, was a woman. . . the one I live with. . . and she was there almost the whole time.
Most unfortunately, in my opinion, at least, she is quite magical, and can instantly disappear when someone pulls out a camera. Again, I hope to have one more shot before next year, too!
made of stone san, thanks for your observation and kind comments. I truly hope you make it some fine day !!
Herbal san !! I see you didn't do the homework I had given you. . . Well, no problem, it is hard, I know. There were five JREF members there. One was myself (identified) another was Hiroyuki Nagashima (identified) and another was Mike Cash (identified). The only two remaning members would then be, Mikawa Ossan san, and J44xm san. The matter of which is who will have to be up to them. I hope you understand. . . it is a private and personal matter. Thanks !! MM
No problem, and i did made my homework!! and i knew that Dutch Baka is a white person! he comes from holland just like in his blog, its fun that he knows everything about the city where he live, KOBE.
If one REALLY wants to know the identity of the remaining two, it would take less than 5 minutes to figure it out.
Sorry for the belated reply! I don't know what to say that hasn't been said already, though. It was a great time with great company. It was really interesting to meet some more members, and Mars Man is about as good a host as you could ever ask for.
Although it's true that only one woman was there, and that was primarily due to the fact that she lived there, we must keep in mind that for women it is infinately more of a risk to go and meet some 'total strangers' from an online forum than it is for men. I understand perfectly.
Having said that, it is my understanding that we got pretty close to at least one more woman coming to participate.
Not that the gender of the participants really matters. The important thing was the community of coming together and sharing a day or two in each other's company.
Yeah Thanks Oli!! it was very cool to see that you're all like a small family.
i hope our children are also friends of each other.
i really like the story and i hope the jref staff will make a huge group piccu
No problem, and i did made my homework!! and i knew that Dutch Baka is a white person! he comes from holland just like in his blog, its fun that he knows everything about the city where he live, KOBE.
I wish i also knew everything of Bacolod
My apologies, herbalﾂ≫┐ san - I misread your post about that
I'd be very interested to see further pics of the wonderful meeting if any are about - not necessarily of the folk who attended, but other things such as the food (as I love to cook myself, and MM's fare does sound rather tasty!), or more of the buildings or the surrounding area.
It certainly seems like it was a very friendly crowd. If there were a Mrs made of stone, I would have no hesitation taking her along to such an event.
MM also, thanks! Your efforts here seem to have helped kickstart a similar effort (which will most likely not be as grand!) here in the UK.
Maybe if a JREF get-together can be planned well in advance (like a year or so), then people can save the bucks to attend. Considering you guys met in Japan, it is remarkable that 4 even showed up.
Again, let's be realistic. It would be impossible to plan some big shindig well in advance because, as usual, 90% of the responses/interest would be of the "gee-I-wish-I-could-go-but" variety. Booking anything would be impossible, because the organizer would have to collect up front to protect himself from getting burned by all the people who would say they want to come, but then don't show up. And despite all the talk and wishful thinking, nobody is going to pony up a non-refundable advance.
It would be remarkable for more than half a dozen to actually show up to anything, no matter where it was held.
Again, let's be realistic. It would be impossible to plan some big shindig well in advance because, as usual, 90% of the responses/interest would be of the "gee-I-wish-I-could-go-but" variety. Booking anything would be impossible, because the organizer would have to collect up front to protect himself from getting burned by all the people who would say they want to come, but then don't show up. And despite all the talk and wishful thinking, nobody is going to pony up a non-refundable advance.
It would be remarkable for more than half a dozen to actually show up to anything, no matter where it was held.
Perhaps. But it really doesn't have to be some "shindig" at the Park Hyatt or something. It could be as simple as a gathering at a park. But, yeah, saying and doing are two different things.
People wouldn't commit to something like that from the four corners of the earth. Hell, I think we had about a 50% last-minute cancellation rate just on this last little gathering.
Thanks guys !! I appreciate the compliments and thanks. I really do hope that the meet that is in the planning stages in the UK, becomes reality. It will probably take one person--if I were in any position to suggest anything at all--to take the lead, and be willing to take the lead in doing whatever would be needed to make it happen. The location would theoretically be up to that person, and the application of resources to make it happen too.
Just for the record here, I had invited some 20 people or so, and of those 17 did give either a favorable answer at first, or a 'I'm not sure' answer. Of those who had given a favorable answer (and this does not mean a promise to attend, just 'Ok, I want to go' or 'count me in' type responses)
In that way of looking at it, we could say that some 71% ran into difficulties, and could not make it. Of those who were much more definite (and I am in no way negative here) about coming, even, there was a little bit of change in events. So...it is a bit hard to get a perfect time or space. BUT IT WAS VERY MUCH WORTH IT TO GET TOGETHER !!!
Yes, I know there were some pics of food taken. I might have to ask J44xm to supply some there too. I at least recall one photo he had taken of food...
Mike? Any more? MM
Yes, I know there were some pics of food taken. I might have to ask J44xm to supply some there too. I at least recall one photo he had taken of food...
Mike? Any more? MM
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