It’s official! The London ChinesePod Meetup has been set: Friday, Dec. 29th @ The Bar Room Bar (directions here ), from 5:30p onwards. We might stay there, we might go for a meal…wherever the evening takes us. Bring as many as you like!
Hope to see you there, Happy Hols.
Aric
P.S. While ChinesePod gave me some cash to buy drinks, I ended up losing it all on a golf game - really sorry.
Hi!, I’m in Madrid. I’d like to go because it’s a 2 hours flight only. Enjoy the meeting.
See you Friday!
Are you all going to be able to identify each other in a crowded bar? I went to a similar kind of meet up a while ago, and towards the end of the night we discovered there’d been two groups of us on opposite sides, not knowing that the others were there.
And worse than that, two shy/polite people had sat separately not recognising either of the groups. Bazza might have to take off his t-shirt and wave it in the air or something.
I have a feeling we’ll notice Aric in a bar.
If not, just listen for someone telling a story of himself - and wearing the “I KNOW JENNY ZHU” hat.
Does somebody have to slip Bazza 5 quid to take his shirt off in a bar, or does it just happen spontaneously?
Greg-
Being that Bazza doesn’t drink (I saw that in a post. That always sticks out for me), not sure about the spontaneity aspect, but perhaps with his agreeable nature, he can be persuaded. But then again, is that what you really want? ;-)haha.
All-
Would this be the first international CPod meeting? If so, you all have to make it a classic, ok?
Cheers,
Ron
Aric-
Hold it. You mean CPod isn’t charging a appearance fee for you? You mean these folks are meeting you for free?
Oh, wait, I’ve worked it out. Remember that little song we learned about looking for a friend? Run around singing it until you all find each other! It’ll have to be really loud, though, to be heard over the din, unless you do all the actions as well.
Ron, I think it’s gotta be the first international CPod meeting outside of China. How about Sydney next? Send Ken over for Mardi Gras.
You have to visit spain-madrid. I will really enjoy to meet you in london, but this time, is going to be dificult.
Miguel
Next meeting - Mexico City. Be there or be square!
If we’re hungry, we could all share a few pizzas, that appears to be BRB’s speciality. Personally I don’t think I’ll be there long enough for a proper meal.
Still don’t know if I can make it yet; but…
…Bazza, the pizza’s in BRB are ok (they used to have a £5 pizza + beer deal at lunch time when I used to work in the area - so take that as good for £5 and make what you will of that). Given the cost of your journey though, I’d say make the most of it!
…Aric, what colour is that hat…?
ok, now I’m barred 
…Everyone not normally in London, you might want to check out Grant and Cutler foreign language bookshop, as you are in the area. It’s in Great Marlborough Street, about 10-15 minutes walk from BRB (see link http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?.....iwloc=addr).
Foyles, on Charing Cross Road, has a pretty good language section too. If anyone is spending as much as Bazza to get there, might as well make the most of it!
Can’t make the meetup (Atlantic ocean in the way) but …
FYI
Chinesepod made Time Magazine’s top 10 podcasts for 2006.
http://www.time.com/time/topte.....ts/10.html
Aric, you guys are getting big.
Ummmm…wow, had no idea (thanks!).
Time’s Top 10 - me thinks a few drinks are in order tomorrow night.
A
Sounds good. See you guys there.
I’ll be setting off in about 10 mins hehe.
Wow, Aric. How did you guys miss that? Congrats.
Oots, turns out you all didn’t miss it at all. Man, that guy Ken is always on top of it (a blog). Really happy for you all.
Just back from the meet-up, really enjoyed it!
very cool to meet you all guys, I hope we can meet up again soon!
Also just back from the meet-up. All I can say is: what a nice bunch of people!
I finally got back just before midnight. My train broke down and they had to transfer everyone to another train.
Great to meet everyone, sorry I couldn’t have stayed later, I made it to my train with about 3 mins to spare.
I missed it guys, sorry!
My cousin gave birth to beautiful baby girl a couple of weeks ago, and the whole family was visiting…it was a tough decision…but eventually opted to see the baby
However…i’m in chinatown tomorrow…if anyone’s still there…
Bazza, sorry to hear about your journey. Pity you couldn’t stay longer - you deserved a toast for the work you’ve put in for us; but I/we missed the chance to do it before you left :(. I just hope you’re appreciated back home as much as you are here.
On the other hand, we were er… drinking - perhaps best that you left early! I’m fairly sure we weren’t that bad… fairly sure…
Mashhood, congratulations to your cousin. Next time maybe.
I think there should be a next time.
I could have done with a bigger street map I think, I went in completely the wrong direction out of leicester square station (I wasn’t sure which exit I’d come out of) and ended up in trafalgar square LOL, it was nice to see it again though.
Thanks a lot for the signed photo Aric.
That video is going to be embarrassing, I wish I said something a bit cooler like “大家好，祝你们圣诞快乐，再见。”
Hey all, had a great time and enjoyed meeting everybody, sorry I also had to leave a bit early. Did people end up eating somewhere in Chinatown? Definitely should do it again soon…maybe somewhere quieter where we can practice our Chinese??
Bazza, don’t feel too bad, I also froze up on video and could only speak in English. 因为我怕我说话说的错， 所以我只说英文。I’m disappointed in myself!!
You guys shouldn’t worry about your videos, at least you spoke English.. I ended up speaking Italian!!!
Yes Mike we went to have some food in “China China - Chinese Restaurant”, and we ordered almost all the dishes in the menu, some only using Mandarin! Some people are being too modest with their level of Mandarin.. Internet celebrities included!
As for the directions to the bar, I think we all did pretty well to find the place as they changed the sign outside into Exchange Bar!! It must have been the mean plot by some jealous rival podcast attempting to sabotage our meet-up. But Chinesepodders are stronger than that!
Wish I could have stayed for the food, I had to have train food instead.
Hey there everyone. Agreed - had a really nice time meeting everyone. A genuinely friendly and interesting bunch of people. And, yes, I think we’re all dreading the video!
Can’t wait to see the video. Wish I was there. Maybe there’ll be a likekind event in nyc or dc sometime.
The food at the restaurant was good - I played the awkward eater of vegetables (someone has to). Being hungry, and having made ordering mistakes before, I confess rather than risk chicken, I played chicken and stuck to English when ordering :(. Aric, however, seemed far more fluent than he lets on!
The mix of mandarin levels and experience was interesting: anything from a few months to 15 years; some learning from scratch, some restarting from childhood; some with family to talk to, some with no-one to practice with. Just goes to show, with even just small number of poddies there, we’re quite a diverse group of learners.
Bazza, I wouldn’t worry about the videos. I’m camera/video shy and lost the plot the moment it was pointed at me. Not sure what I attempted even counts as language. With luck no sound came out.
Anyway, it was good to finally put some faces to some of the names on the blog and the forum. Have to say, having had about three months of work pushing out any chance of decent mandarin study (or anything else), finally getting to meet even one other person studying the language was good motivation to really get going again
哇！
看来你们都过得愉快的时间
我真的很羡慕！！
一定要下次，好吧？
Carl, 谢谢你. I definitely have to make it next time!
Aric, 很抱歉，反正明年我将去上海，所以呢，我们一定会见面的！
This sounds so good I could weep.
We really have to do more of this. I mean, really. I could do this job full-time - going from country to country to party with ChinesePodders. That invitation to Rio sounds pretty good.
And, er, while we’re on the subject, I haven’t heard froim Aric since the get-together… (Do not get ideas into your head, Aric. That’s my department.)
Ken Carroll
What about a Lady’s International Meeting, next time!!!!
Send Jenny, Colleen and Eilen… over to Paris, Milano….
Dominique,
With the CPod ladies you suggested I would buy a ticket from Taiwan to Paris to meet them. And I don’t even like France.
Why not a meeting in Zhuhai? I think you and I both agree it is a beautiful place.
Mike in Jubei
Mike,
That settles it: you, me, and the ladies, in Zhuhai. Off to get my ticket. The only problem is that they probably don’t want us there!
Ken
Ken
At first I thought “Speak for Yourself”.But then I realized maybe we are too much alike. It would be tough for me to fix what you have already done. (By the way there are many ladies starting with my wife) that I could use some experienced help in fixing my mistakes too.
So I think we have to do some academic wooing of these wonderful women. My experience confirms that this type of women like to take poor creatures like you and me as projects and attempt to mold them into acceptable male creatures.
So that should be our plan we are the moldable objects for the CPod laddies. Make sure Dominique and the CPod ladies don’t find out. Its a secret between you and I. Maybe we can include Lantian he certainly needs some molding too.
Happy New Year
Mike (for now still) in Jubei
I didn’t realise some trains had wifi internet now, I tried it on my PDA and connected ok but of course it wasn’t free, well apart from the GNER homepage, so you could look up train times and stuff without paying.
Mike,
Are you moving? Where to?
Ken
Ken
I probably shouldn’t have asked Aric why he wasn’t doing the CPod meet-up organiser full-time the other night! I begin to feel guilty for his going missing!
Did anyone else take any pictures or will we have to wait for Aric’s?
What about a meet-up in Shanghai. I don’t read these blogs often enough to know if this has been done before, but it does seem more convenient than Paris.
Aric, come back now and tell us about the meet-up! Guys, I don’t think I can ever tell you enough how lucky we are to have your support. Bazza, you should be in cpod’s hall of fame.
Happy new year to you all！
多谢Jenny，新年快乐！
Maybe Aric was recruited by MI5?
Maybe Aric programmed a secret stay in Bangkok for new year eve ?
Jenny-
Who Bazza reeeally supports is you
Hey — when are you-all going to be down in Zhuhai? I might be in the area over Chinese New Year. Not my favorite city in the world, but it’s right next to Macau and the weather’s better than Beijing’s.
I love the idea of meeting in Zhuhai. I have a very busy agenda, but I am sure that we can find a date…
At the moment I am in Europe and I depart to the States on Jan 5th. But I am back to Zhuhai on February 11… week 7 is very busy (Shenzhen, Chengdu) But then back for two weeks in Zhuhai. And then again in the planes (I am not a stewardess….!!!)Back to China on April 10th…
So let me know. My house is open, my kitchen is open, music… whatever!
Mike: I am French native (sorry it hurts…)
I have to correct my last comment, since it might be wrong interpretated:
Mike I meant it as a joke… I really do not give a penny… I feel as a world citizen (I am not even French resident and Dutch and English are my everyday languages).
MIKE YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY WELCOME IN ZHUHAI… but I drink French wines and eat French cheeses… and love snails!!!
Dominique
How could I resist ?
Mike in Jubei
Mike,
I knew I had the decisive arguments for your venue.
Ron, I don’t what you’re talking about. *hides JENNY ZHU scarf*
Nice one guys - Aric was last spoted at the guniness brewery on James Street - he looked like he was on something - totally out of it.
Damn, now I’m doubly pissed off. Not only did I get a 感冒 during the holidays, but it sounds like I missed a good one. I nearly crawled out of bed for it, but I figured (a) you wouldn’t appreciate my breathing in your near vacinity (b) it might kill rather than cure me.
Sounds like I could have been right on the second at least. Anyway here’s a virtual toast to the Baz-man and you all.
Slainte
华森
Huasen - sorry to have missed you, but I think there was plenty of interest in a followup UK/London meetup in the not-too-distant-future, so keep your eyes on the blog/forum as plans materialise…
Maybe it could be a bit further North next time?
Guys.
Don’t know what was in that last round (I think Greg Sue bought it, no?), but when I finally came to - I was in Amsterdam , where I write you from now.
I have loads of pictures and that vid that was shot, as well as stories to tell those unlucky not to have joined…and if I can somehow find a mode of transport that will take me to the UK in time, I’ll be back this weekend and will get to work on posting those.
It should go without saying what a great time it was - I was over the moon at how many (not to mention good-looking and cool) people showed up.
Again, I’ll save the reflection for next week’s Sat show .
Aric
Yeah Aric, you were right all a long, ChinesePod does have some really good-looking listeners. Me being the exception of course.
That is one mean bender!
Photos are up.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/c.....465114454/
Bazza
Thanks for posting them. It is good to see part of the UK Poddie Nation. I noticed some smokes on the table by Aric. I hope someone gave him a hard time.
Mike in Jubei