Stuff people threw my way:
See you all in a couple of weeks.
I’m closing up shop, unplugging and dropping out for two weeks and going on holiday, and I don’t have time to work through this problem, but can anyone speculate about why my wesite shows up as a smiley face in Explorer but works fine in Firefox and Chrome?
See you on after the 24th
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 because you have been cherishing yourself so much… Although sometimes you might say that you don’t like yourself, even then in your heart of hearts you know that you like yourself so much that you’re willing to throw everybody else down the drain, down the gutter. You are really willing to do that. You are really willing to let somebody else sacrifice his life, give himself away for you. And who are you, anyway?
It was remarkable to hear my young friend utter that line with such clarity and conviction in a room of power and experience which was tasked with designing this incredibly important gathering. Remarkable, but not at all out of character for the six young (20 somethings) people that are working with us on the core team. We are lucky to have them.
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 order of creamed spinach was heavy and unpalatable. Not to quibble but at 35$ for that entree, you expect a little beeter on the veg.
Today, lunch and espresson at Cafe Trieste near the hotel. Good espresso, mellow taste and well made shots. Had a heavy cream of brocolli soup and a nice salad. My mate Tim had two orders of the quiche and reported good things.
Best of all though, tonight we hiked through the San Jose State University campus and ate at the Naglee Garage. they’re a small place with seasonal food and all cooked in good time. Tonight I had a winter salad of squash and pear and pecans, a cornish game hen with a maple glaze and a side order of kale, squash and bacon. Lovely all round and capped with a desert of choclate and vanilla bread puddings which got shared around our table. Worth a visit if you’re downtown here and only a mile or so from the hotel.
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 to acknowledge and honor the parents as key stakeholders.
Virtually no schools in Haiti are free. Teachers are poorly paid and schools operate on shoestring budgets and are forced to close if fees are not paid. Often, parents failing to pay their children’s school fees, which is very common, is more about feeling alienated by teachers and principal than it is about economic hardship.
Of the 48 schools, 29 are in remote areas. 19 are in a very poor neighborhood in Port au Prince, historically known for violence. There were more than 3,000 participants in all during the last two months. More than 12,000 children go to these schools. Thus far, the outcomes of these meetings are extremely positive. Some of the stories like parents feeling heard and paying past due fees on the spot are quite powerful.
I can see doing the same thing in Prince George around the establishment of the Aboriginal choice school.
