JREF meet in Shiga - May 2013

Ahh, such a trip would defiantly be of interest to me, but there's always the question of how to fund it. Hopefully when this becomes an established event, I'll be able to afford to go, some time down the road. Until then, keep it up! I find this to be an ultimate example of how folks can chat, and eventually meet up, learning from each other in a country that is quite different when compared to "western" countries.
 
This will be our 5th annual meet. How much more "established" does it have to be?
 
Yep, just like Mike has said, this is a fixture on the calendar--kind of like Golden Week itself. One can imagine it kind of like, NOT being, 'hey guys, is there a party somewhere this Golden Week holiday?' Neither is it like , 'hey, where's the party this Golden Week?, even, but more like, 'hey, you guys going to the JREF Meet in Shiga this year?'

That said, I must just make mention of one little specter here. I'm gonna hold down the fort, and keep all things set up to assure that plans do not change at all (and my guess is that they will NOT). Additionally, I have no idea whose big idea it was, but someone has set a 2-3 week 'shaker watch' for a certain area of Matsumoto.

That area is yet some almost 20 kilometers from my exact house out here in the Shiga region of Matsumoto, and even if some tremor were to beam itself down, or up, I don't figure much of a change here... I mean, we had a top end 5 this past Saturday morning (epic center at the Nagano/Niigata border area), and no problem.

Hey, but those of you who know me, know that I love my BBQs, and I love having folks over, and love the talk, the badminton, darts, beer, whiskey, wine and women... I meant, (usually) we men folk... having an escape from reality. So I gonna take my starship and keep those Klingons out of here so's we can JREFf Meet in Shiga 2011 !! (I'll keep you posted!!)
MM
 
Ahh, my mistake, I hadn't realized that this event had happened for five years already. Clearly I need to read more before posting....

Alas, I wish you all safe travels, and a good time!
 
As I have often told MM, even if he cancels the event and goes out of town I'm still going to go stay at his place for a couple days over Golden Week.

Ashikaga, I assume you are definitely coming again this year. Do you think it would be possible to pick up a fellow in Isesaki and give him a ride to Mars? He will contribute toward gas and highway tolls. My ratty car can't handle it, and if the weather is nice I plan to go by motorcycle.
 
It is getting close to April now, and that means time to make last minutes checks on travel plans and all--as I see Mike is doing. The weather here is still a bit cold now, but by May...OH...Mike I'd like to go ahead and officially set it for May 4th, if that's OK. By May, it'll be warm as usual. This year I'm gonna pitch the tent too, for any who may like to experience the camping out feeling...or...who can't make it back to the house, but can somehow manage to crawl to the tent...hee, hee, hee...

Things are looking good so far. The dozo cleaning up will be on schedule by then, I am pretty sure. Also, with Steve Red san, and his gang coming this year too, I'll make a layout of the dozo upstairs space for any others (besides his sons) who want to make Lego cities. I look forward to a great time !! I will post here again, as time goes on.
 
Hello Mike, and Mars Man, and Ashikaga, and Everyone! :)

Steve here, よろしくお願いいたします！ "I humbly request your kindness!" :)

I just want to say: I hope you allow me to join your wonderful event!

[Edit: now I see Mars Man posted a minute before me. Sweet, Hi MM!]
[Now I'm officially confirmed, I feel so much gratitude to Everyone!]

Look forward to getting to know you all!

Sincerely,

Steve :)
 
You go ahead and firm everything up, MM. I'll manage to be there.
 
Grrrrrrrr.... I'm still trying to have the 5th of May off from work!! I know I am getting the 4th off but we are understaffed right now and the 5th is still up in the air... Give me a few more days to work on this. If I managed to take the both days off, I'd be more than happy to give Steve (Hi, neighbor!) a ride to MM's.
 
And much thanks again to you, Mike Cash for introducing this event to me. :)

You're so enthusiastic about this, anyone listening can't help but to want to come.

If this turns out to be a Pyramid Scheme (ha-ha) you definitely deserve a bonus!

And to Ashikaga-san, if it turns out you're unable to pick me up in Isesaki, no prob.

My sons and I will get there by train, bus, skateboarding, whatever it takes. OK, see you all there! :)
 
It's done. I begged and begged, and my co-worker has agreed to work the 5th for me!!

I guess that my tearful "My friend in Nagano is very sick... This could very well be the last time we get to see eachh other... " line had done the trick. :win:

So, everyone who's going to be there, I will see you on the 4th! And Steve, we'll be in touch soon to talk about how we go about meeting up in Isesaki. And MM, hang in there!! I'm on my way!!!!
 
ASHIKAGA san !! Nice job !! You have saved me a bunch of trouble, don't you see. I mean, like, you've just gotta know, really, how much paperwork there is in writing up a contract. I was gonna send a couple of my boys up there to, you know, let's say, lean on your boss a little bit, and they like ALL this contract work paper stuff lined up really nice... (and not to mention they charge a pretty penny (yep, that's right, they aren't into fives and tens, and really hate Sears))

So, maybe I owe you one? Maybe I should let you win a round or two of darts? or, on second thought, maybe I'll be honest, and let you smear me across the ping-pong table... hee, hee, hee..... See you on the 4th !! (of May, that is) !!
 
Thanks very much, Ashikaga. Steve, you get to enjoy riding to Mars and back with quite possibly the coolest guy on the Kanto Plain. I'm really glad this worked out so well.

MM, how does the list of definites and maybes stack up so far? Could this be a record year for attendance?
 
I do think this will be a record year, Mike san. At the moment, I look forward to being here myself, of course, with you, Mike, and then having (in random order as the fall off the top of my head) Steve Red san, and his boys, ASHIKAGA san, Thomas san, Dutch Baka san, Pachipro san, and hopefully Taiko 666 and his family (I have to call him yet [although I had sent a PM back on Feb. 7th]... maybe you can help with that Mike, we do need that back-up, if you know what I mean). Half-N-Half san had expressed a hope of coming, but I don't know anything about his circumstances at the moment. A few others are simply too busy, or are not in circumstances which allow it.

As we go into April, I think the list will be firmly fixed. I will have the dozo cleaned and set up by the last week of April, and all the BBQ area set up by (cross my fingers, knock on wood) the Monday before the date. I'll have a place for under the garage for bicycle parking (space for at least 3-4 bikes...you know, the kind with pedals). AND of course, I'll have the fridge stocked, and the meat marinated by then too. (and some new darts too !!!!!)


EDIT: I wish to ask here, if there are any others who are interested in coming for a great, great time, here in Shiga area of Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan !! The roof of Japan !!
 
Wouldn't it be wonderful if this were the year undrentide decided to join us?
 
Right on! :)

First off, my Brother in Ashikaga: there is something that has been on my mind. Yesterday, at 7:32pm, I wrote a post that included this sentence:

Steve Red said:
And to Ashikaga-san, if it turns out you're unable to pick me up in Isesaki, no prob.
Click to expand...

I want you to know that when I had composed that post, I had NOT yet read the post which you had written 3 minutes earlier:

ASHIKAGA said:
If I managed to take the both days off, I'd be more than happy to give Steve (Hi, neighbor!) a ride to MM's.
Click to expand...

So at 7:33pm, when I noticed that our letters had crossed-in-the-mail (just like posts #106 & #107 had), I thought to myself, "Damn, this 'crossing-in-the-mail' coincidence is making me look like a cold-hearted jerk! The proper response to someone saying 'Hi, neighbor!' is definitely not 'And to Ashikaga-san...'."

If I had noticed your post BEFORE composing mine, here is what post #110 would have looked like:

"Howdy to you too, bro! I'm so happy to see that you're willing (and happy) to drive out of your way, to give a ride to a total stranger, sight-unseen! Wow, that is so kind, thank you!

Already I've noticed, from your previous posts on this thread, that you have a hilarious sense of humor, and now, I can see that you're friendly and generous as well: a beautiful combination of positive qualities.

I hope you WILL be able to convince your boss to let you take both days off! If not, no problem, don't worry, my sons and I will get there by train, bus, skateboarding, whatever it takes, so don't feel bad if he only gives you one day off.

Worst case, even if he only gives you the 4th off, you can at least come on the 4th, beat Mars Man at badminton a few times (ha-ha), drink coffee instead of beer so that you can still drive, and thus you could start driving back home at sunset on the 4th (while the rest of the gang stays 12 hours longer) right?

Well, good luck convincing your boss, either way, whether you can stay for the whole thing or not, whether you can drive my sons and I or not, I look forward to meeting you!"


That's what I would have written for post #110, if I had seen your post #109 first.

So, when I noticed the mix-up, my first impulse was to correct my post by editing it, but then I thought "Well, maybe I should just leave it as it is. Perhaps it is obvious that our posts 'crossed-in-the-mail'. It doesn't look too bad. Maybe a big explanation would seem weirder than just letting it slide."

But now, at the end of a long day today, (after attending my 6 year-old's pre-school graduation, and working the rest of the day, and cleaning up my room for the possibility of Mike visiting tomorrow), while relaxing in the shower (where most important thoughts arise) I started to think, "I've really gotta' go back to the thread and post a proper note to Ashikaga-san, pointing out the post timing, because this guy just might become a friend for the rest of my life: and I can't have my friend subconsciously wondering forever 'Why didn't Steve return my friendly "Hi neighbor!" post properly?' Why didn't he thank me properly for the fact that I agreed in principle to giving him a ride AND for the fact that I was risking my job to help make this ride a reality?"

So there we have it, I came here tonight to clear that up, to tell you how happy your post #109 made me, and what do I find? Boom: Post #111: great news from you! Plus a great joke from Mars Man about how he was ready to send some punch-perm-having folks to Ashikaga-san's boss! Love it!

I notice that ALL of the folks on this thread have a great sense of humor, you guys always seem to be slinging jokes! I'm starting to realize that life is so much more fun: when laughing and making people laugh, compared to trying to appear smart. Laughing is a vibration frequency I'd like to start resonating with more. I hope that hanging out with you will help me learn to "make 'da funny!"

Well, I've rambled far longer than necessary (which is usually the case, if you want some silence around me you guys might have to bring some duct tape, ha-ha).


TL;DR - Simply looking forward to meeting you all. :) Bye now!
 
Mike Cash said:
Wouldn't it be wonderful if this were the year undrentide decided to join us?
Click to expand...

Yes, it really, really would be Mike, but I am afraid that her circumstances are not such that so easily would allow that--as I have invited her, and she has responded in that nature; along with the wish of an 'if I just could'-like emotion.

Oh...Steve Red san, don't worry about the duct tape, here, we use great tasting BBQ to keep folks quiet....hee, hee, hee..... (and gallons of good booze)
 
Last edited:
Just a quick note to say: today I had the pleasure of both meeting Mike Cash and speaking with Ashikaga! :)

Mike, I'm starting to think that perhaps you are the reincarnation of Samuel Langhorne Clemens! Tell me the truth, is that you in there?

(If my hunch is correct, let me just say right here sir, that I totally respect your extremely rare combination of intelligence+honesty+bluntness+humor, i.e. your 1885 address "On the Decay of the Art of Lying", your 1906 essay "What is Man", and your 2011 conversation in my living room today.)

But seriously, thanks for coming out and visiting me Mike, please know that you're welcome back anytime (please do come again)! Until then, I'll work on turning my mini-greenhouse into a mini-clubhouse, so that maybe we can hang out there next time!

Hey Ashikaga, just as Mike told me to expect, your English is absolutely fluent! Supposedly only a decade in the states? C'mon man, tell the truth, you actually were born and raised there, right?

For example, there was a point in the phone conversation where I showed how amazingly stupid I am, by asking "So, uh... where do you live?" Just like any of my old friends back in America would have, you (my new Japanese-American friend) answered appropriately, "Well... D'uh!"

Love it! And when I brought up gas & tolls, you showed yourself to be totally generous as well. I think Mars Man must have some kind of magnet for pulling in good people to this Shiga Meet! Thanks again for our phone talk today, and I look forward to seeing you on the morning of May 4th!

By the way, I'm starting to think that for us to know who is the Real Champion of the Shiga Meet Badminton/Darts/Ping-Pong Annual Championship, there should be 2 rounds for a fair comparison: one round where Mars Man HASN'T drunk anything, and another round where Ashikaga HAS!

But already I understand that no such rounds will ever occur, so I guess we'll never know...

Just another reminder that the Mystery of Life is not meant to be known. :)
 
Wow... I always thought we were a decent bunch of people but never realized we were THAT great. Is anyone paying this Steve person!? Mike? ( It was lovely talking to you, too, Steve! 🙂)

Seriously, though.... I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our host, Mars Man for putting this event together. Without him, I wouldn't have had the pleasure of meeting Mike Cash, Pachipro ( he stopped by the city of Ashikaga on his way back from MM's in 2009 ), Kirirao, and a few more whom I will be beating at ping pong this year. Thank you!
 
He's not on salary; he's just on a natural high. A way kewl dude and I'm glad I dropped by to see him yesterday. His welcome and hospitality are on a par with those of MM and I predict those two will hit it off great. He strikes me as having in common with many of us who attend the meet that "I never met a stranger" type of personality.
 
Actually, I'm an undercover agent, paid to infiltrate this suspiciously joyful party. My orders are to announce at around 4:20am: "Freeze, you're all under arrest: for the crime of having too good a time!" ;)
 
By the way, I see from some of Pachipro's posts on this forum that he and I might enjoy sitting down for a bit at the party and exchanging some of the "crazy" memes which we have become infected with.

For example, if you share with me what you've learned about a few interesting "difficult-for-the-average-person-to-admit-the-possibility-of" subjects (such as the 12,000-year-old Man-Made-Structures under the sea near Yonagumi), I'll share with you a few as well:

- The surprising: Japan-Judea Connection which Birthed Japan's Royal Lineage & Shinto Rituals
(Japan's "'Mythical' First Emperor: Jinmu" being in fact the flesh-and-blood human Great-Great-Great-Grandson of the "'Mythical' Goddess: Amaterasu" (who was in fact a flesh-and-blood wife of the Judean King Hoshea who immigrated to Japan shortly after 722 BC), physical evidence of which is still available for confirmation for anyone brave enough to break-the-rules (like Mori Arinori did) by looking at the inscription on the back of the Most Sacred of the 3 physical presents she passed down: The Yata No Kagami in Ise Shrine , which proclaims in ancient Hebrew "אהיה אשר אהיה", and further evidenced by the many similarities between Modern Shinto Rituals & Ancient Judean Rituals.)

- The unbelievable: Sumerian Historical Accounts of Anunnaki "Space Gods" being Ancestors of Mankind

- The ugly: Directed Energy Weaponry, Airplane Image Forgery, and Natural Disaster Creation.

- The beautiful: Becoming Conscious During Dreaming, Tuning into the Frequency of Higher Dimensions, and the endogenously-produced Deep Meditation Therapy molecule.

*Probably, at this point, Pachipro and everyone else at the party starts slowly walking away backwards.* ;)
 
Mike Cash said:
Wouldn't it be wonderful if this were the year undrentide decided to join us?
Click to expand...

It's really sweet of you, Mike, to mention that. :)
I should love to join but I have to think about my old dad...
Maybe I might join by phone? ;-) At least I can say "hello" to you all there.
 
I'm not so sweet; it's just that we need more girls at the party. Perhaps you have some sisters who would like to attend?
 

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