The North Germany TPF Meet-Up in May 2008

[Corry]

You should be able to get a flight over for under $500 so that would leave you with close to $1500 left over for food and boarding and transportation etc. I've been thinking that we'd rent a mini bus (one of thost ugly fiats or the Opel) and I don't see us spending too far from $2000 - $3000 depending on how cheap we can get the tickets for if we come.

....and that's for all of you? So me...singly...shoudl be able to manage it with $2000, depending on airfare?

...cuz I'm pretty sure I can save around $2000 between now and then.

 

[Corry]

Ok...suggestion.....

Is it possible we can aim for late may or early june? We have a lot of people that are in college that would love ot make it, but it may interfere with school and exams. It would really stink that they'd have to miss otu because of that!

 

[nitefly]

Lets face it guys, this isnt going to work.

 

[hobbes28]

Lets face it guys, this isnt going to work.

Oh, it will work. Planning things like this are seldomly easy and just take some work to get through the details. That is most of the reason it's so good that it's being planned for a year and a half away so the details can all be worked out and more people can show up.

 

[Corry]

Lets face it guys, this isnt going to work.

I have no idea why you think it won't work. I doubt it will work for EVERYONE, but with this much planning ahead, we can do what's for the largest amount of people.


...I'm still hoping we can do it for late May (as in, sometime in the last week, week and a half), or first part of June. I know of three people (myself included) that won't be able to go otherwise, and it would be AMAZING to be able to do this.

...would that not work for anyone else?

 

[LaFoto]

All in all my preferred time of May is also towards the end and when I looked for a calendar of 2008 and found out that Witsun is so early in May, I was a bit ... well, erm, disappointed. But it seems like for my own planning Witsun is still best - but I need to know the dates of my own son's final examinations first, which may well fall into May. As soon as I shall know THOSE, I can REALLY plan for dates.

(I would like to have you all over to give my sister the absolute super surprise birthday party, too, mind, and her birthday is on 29 May ... so yes, you see, I would prefer to see this happen more towards the end of May ... well 10 - 17 May is not definite by any means as yet, but it is a "working time" - such as unfinished books, films, TV or theatre productions have "working titles" at first, you see?)

 

[chris82]

I didnt realise there was two form of german language!are the two distinctly different or are they simmilar.

 

[LaFoto]

I think they are quite different. If you want to look at my best friend's personal homepage, you can find it in three languages: High German, Low German and English (so if you want to understand some of her site you can always go to the English version) ... it's always the same sort of text, go compare the two Germans: http://www.heidorn-hamburg.de/ Click onto the top little photo on the lefthand side, that takes you inside, and there you either click on the "Tach auch" (erm... sort of High German, she chose a very, very colloquial form of greeting), or the "Moin" (which will take you to her Low German version) or the ... ah, you will see.

 

[NoteGraphics]

Re: the timing of the event.
It would be impossible to arrange this, or any other, event that suited absolutely everybody involved in TPF as the membership is so diverse in terms of age, occupation, commitments and financial constraints.
A date, a location, suggestions for events have been proposed and it is then up to the individuals.

As a member of a committee that organises a large annual event I can appreciate perhaps more than others just how much work, time and effort goes into putting a plan as grand as this into operation.

If there is anything that I can help out with from this side of the channel I am more than willing to do so. For example, as the plans draw nearer and more information becomes available I could make a website where we could put links / accomodation suggestions/arrangements or other related info that might be useful to have in just one place. Maybe others could help on translations to make this a truly international affair easily accessible to all.

 

[fotophia]

I havent been to germany since the student exchange at school. I remember it being amazing.. and fasinated by 3 hole bins :S.

2008 is a long way off but I'll be almost 21 so i cant see it being that much of a problem Least I've got plenty of time to save up!

 

[Xmetal]

2008 is a long way off but I'll be almost 21

Just realised i'll be in the late stages of 24! (25, 9th June) :shock:

I've decided i'm going to commit to this fairly seriously - it's a bloody good excuse for me because i've never left the shores of Australia and i've got contacts in both the Loans and Travel industry. If any Aussies on the board are keen and willing to commit i'll organise the Aussie contingent.

 

[Rob]

I'll be driving there I should think, so there's likely to be a couple of spaces for any ukers. No promises this early though.

I will, however, definitely be there.

Rob

 

[nitefly]

naaaaa geez

 

[duncanp]

gut sehr gut.. completly offtopic but i have german exchange later this year...

Sounds Brilliant btw

 

[LaFoto]

Thinking of all the ideas I have for this one-week meet-up, I came to wonder if I should really include a two-day trip to Berlin in the offer? Our programme would be PACKED with that, it might be too much.
I think I will have to say to you that would WANT to go to Berlin while you are over to Germany: please go there either before or after the official meet-up week --- I might feel willing to come along with those who would like to go (provided they would want to go AFTER the meet-up week), but I somehow came to the conclusion that I would not want to squeeze it into my "official" meet-up programme.

For planning for those two days away would mean that a) we'd hardly have time to breathe, and b) we could not do any of the fun things nearby. And I would LOVE to enter into my programme a Canadian canoe trip for all who would be interested on the River Wümme (that passes through my place and goes to the place where there is the church my choir usually performs, and - should we go for an all-day tour - on to the town where there is the swimming pool that Sabine goes to every day).

And it might be fun to also plan for a day in the pool ... just to relax, have fun, give the kids opportunity to enjoy themselves, and NOT to have any tour, guided or not, and any sightseeing.

What do you say?

And I am also planning to draw up a "double programme", so to speak, to give families the chance to go and do something pleasant with the kids while others go sightseeing in Hamburg or Bremen, for example. (There is the amusement park in Soltau, for example, or the Bird Park in Walsrode, just to name two alternatives to walking around a city getting bored (as a child you would, wouldn't you?)

However I think that the planned tour round Hamburg on the water (in the boat I would want to rent for the whole group, including catering on board) and the horse-drawn carriage ride through Lüneburg Heath (also with drinks on board and a meal at the end included) could be fun for the families, too (?)

Let me hear your ideas.