First - it is so f
un seeing everyone arrive at the event. Each day has brought more familiar faces - many that I saw just a couple of weeks ago in Nashville - Dave and Dian Ruder, John Pfeiffer, Debbie Rice, Roy and Jennie Blomquist - and more that I haven't seen in awhile both from the U.S. and elsewhere. It just reminds me how small a community we have - despite how spread out we are. Seeing international friends like Carmel Daveson from Australia, Allison Wood from Canada, Alan & Margaret Hartley and Sandra and Martin Winter from the UK, and more, has been wonderful. All are so gracious and warm and genuinely happy to see us as well. Friendships made at these events - both our national 
events and these International Symposia - endure for years. Several of us just witnessed a lovely reunion in the lobby between an American girl and a British boy (teens) that met at the Symposium in Orlando and have been carrying on a long distance romance ever since. It was the classic movie scene where they see each other across the room and run to meet in an embrace. Very sweet. Too bad I didn't have my camera ready to capture it.
un seeing everyone arrive at the event. Each day has brought more familiar faces - many that I saw just a couple of weeks ago in Nashville - Dave and Dian Ruder, John Pfeiffer, Debbie Rice, Roy and Jennie Blomquist - and more that I haven't seen in awhile both from the U.S. and elsewhere. It just reminds me how small a community we have - despite how spread out we are. Seeing international friends like Carmel Daveson from Australia, Allison Wood from Canada, Alan & Margaret Hartley and Sandra and Martin Winter from the UK, and more, has been wonderful. All are so gracious and warm and genuinely happy to see us as well. Friendships made at these events - both our national 
events and these International Symposia - endure for years. Several of us just witnessed a lovely reunion in the lobby between an American girl and a British boy (teens) that met at the Symposium in Orlando and have been carrying on a long distance romance ever since. It was the classic movie scene where they see each other across the room and run to meet in an embrace. Very sweet. Too bad I didn't have my camera ready to capture it.Second - a very random observation that just makes me laugh. In the public restrooms at the hotel and the convention center, the toilets all have a button with two musical notes on it and the words "flushing sound". When pushed speakers play the sound of a flushing toilet - the toilet doesn't actually flush, there's another button for that. I've never seen that before.
Third - I am proud to share that AGEHR has the largest contingent (aside from the Japanese) in attendance at this event. Our delegation totals 116. The next largest comes from Korea with 83, then Hong Kong with 82, Singapore with 31, the UK - 30, Canada and Australasia - 9 each, Taiwan and the Philippines - 3 each, and China - 2. Japan has 734 for a total of 1102.
Finally - The Handbell Ringers of Japan have over 150 volunteers assisting them this week at the event. They are almost all young people and are so helpful and kind. Anything we need they are there to help us find - often jumping in to assist without being asked. Always smiling and bowing and excited to be part of this event.
More later - photos from the Opening Ceremony and first rehearsal as well as our visit to the exotic bird and flower garden tonight.
Jenny, I just found your blog. Thank you so much for writing! Your blog is wonderfully descriptive and informative.I'm "Mom" of one of the teen ringers with Marlene Anderson's ringers from Seattle. My daughter, Hope will carry the American flag in the opening ceremony.I feel like I'm watching over your shoulder. Can't wait to read more! Rose Bales
ReplyDeleteSome toilets have a motion sensor so that the flushing sound happens automatically. :-) Have you noticed that the stall walls & doors go all the way to the floor?
ReplyDelete