Today in our planning for the 2009 Food and Society gathering, one of our young core team members made a bold declaration. She agreed to step up to be a target for any blame that might be generated during our work. When I later asked her out of which practice her commitment came, she said it was from the Tibetan Buddhist Lojong mind training, in which one of the slogans is “Drive all blames into one.” Trungpa Rinpoche comments on that slogan: The text says “drive all blames into one”. the reason you have to do that is …
San Jose, CA We’re planning a gathering of the good food movement, so naturally, the pursuit of good food is everything. Since arriving here yesterday I’ve eaten in three places, all of them good for various reasons. First, the Grill here at the Fairmont is crazy expensive, but if you cover your eyes and just order, the food is good. I had a cabrese salad with buffalo mozzerella that melted in my mouth and some lamb chops cooked on the rare side of medium rare (which is how I like them). Lamb was good, but the side …
John Engle writes about some of the work done by his colleagues in Haiti where last year 48 school hosted Open Space meetings to bring teachers and parents together. In partnership with Concern Worldwide, our colleagues did open space meetings in 48 schools during the last two months. These meetings were organized so that parents could talk with teachers, which is very counterculture, about education of the students. It was an effort to integrate parents into the life of their children’s school and to help them in the critical role they play in their children’s formation. It was an opportunity …
San Jose, CA I’m in San Jose this week to help host a Core team retreat for the folks planning and executing the 2009 Food and Society Gathering, which will be here in April. Here’s how I got here today. Left BOwen Island last night on the 6pm ferry in the teeth of a southeasterly gale that drove sleet into the skin on my face. Rocky ride across the Queen Charlotte Channel, but uneventful otherwise. Grabbed a cab that arrived as I did and shared it part way with a lovely Finnish woman returning from a visit on …
God willing and this storm lets up, I’ll be bound for San Jose at 8am tomorrow morning, arriving in San Francisco at noon. No promises to be able to meet up with any Bay area friends, but if you get this, I’ll be staying at the Fairmont (no it’s NOT my usual digs…). Call me there at (408) 998 1900 and we’ll see what’s possible. Be nice just to say hi, and who knows, I might have time. Leaving Friday morning.