ECK Seminar Day one

After my lesson (about keys) from yesterday, it is a salutary reminder that the real reason for my trip starts today. Everything has a meaning and the meaning is in the moment. Losing my key was not just a chance to see how gracious Ali my BnB host was, as it could have been a problem, but it was also for me to know that each day is a lesson to be learned. My trip thus far has indeed been exactly as I had wished, safe, happy and fruitful, and now is my opportunity to give back at the Seminar.

After Gabriella let me out with her key I took the bus to New Street station, dropped off my trolley bag at the Britannia, and now am here quietly in the dreaded Starbucks having a coffee before I register - talk about meeting your demons! My new grey shoes look nice, the one on my right foot will pose a problem later I fear, but not a large one. The coffee was even OK with a very nice barista refilling it with more hot milk. A good start to the day, and to the Seminar. Baraka Bashad!

So all is well in the universe and now I wait for the Mahanta to show me the way.

Foyer of ICC

At first HU song with Tabo

Have just had first HU song in the main auditorium and it is enormous. hope it gets filled up. Tabo sat next to me and obliged with this photo.

View from ICC

After the first workshop with Benny Borkmann and Claudia Weiss I happen to see Marion from NZ with her daughter from London. We have a wee catch-up where she happily alerts me to some events in the program I had missed. Thank you Marion. Then feeling like some lunch, over to the canal to Carlucci's for a Milanese sandwich, passable, which I ate looking at the crowds along the canal side. It is a veritable oasis here that the ICC has created, with a plethora of lovely eateries which are reasonable in cost, perhaps for tomorrow when I will have company. At present I am waiting for the afternoon program to begin, having a hot chocolate, large for $5.00. Nothing here is less than that except perhaps a teabag.

I earlier discovered a little toe blister from my new right shoe and have remedied that somewhat. Tonight a band-aid and a change of shoes for tomorrow.  Still haven't found Willi and Robert but they will appear. Met André and Jacques form Belgium already and lovely Jennifer from Brum. So again, the Seminar has started well.  Opposite me is a table of young boys who are playing scrabble of all things, not computer games or i-phones for them - what a refreshing change.

The first session today was how to plan your Seminar, a very sensible and useful initial workshop by two very sophisticated and pleasant presenters who were a good team working off each other with humour, even if it was German humour.  Now it is time to look for my room-mate Graham as I am sure he must have arrived by now, perhaps he is already checked it at the Britannia.