Villa Mercedes / Padres Claretianos,
Calle San Pascual Nº 3, esquina travesía San Pascual,
28 460 Los Molinos,
Madrid, España.
Never ever fly Air Iberia! The packed flight took off 90 minutes late, drinks & snacks available for purchase from the cart a la El Cheapo airlines. Mr. Sniffy had the window seat to the right of my aisle, his DVD-watching accompanied by sniff sniff sniff throughout the entire flight. In the mid-seat, an earnest thirties-something man slept through most of the flight, waking to launch a boobyist-attack of skin-picking & biting upon his fingers before our touchdown in Madrid.
Then, a passenger-adventure getting off the 'plane – we couldn't. No flight steps. Perhaps our arrival was unexpected. Eventually, flight steps arrived, a door opened & the passengers climbed on to two 'buses which took us to the terminal. Then, a baggage-adventure - getting the baggage into the arrival hall. Perhaps, the baggage was also unexpected? Eventually, and to my relief, my suitcase arrived, intact.
Hernan & Alain had been waiting for 4 hours by the time I emerged into the Arrivals hall. Alain drove us to the house, arriving just after midnight.
This morning, rising at 07.00 (or 06.00 for an English person). Sitting at 07.30. Silence visited at breakfast.
10.57 T'ai Chi with Luciano at 09.45.
That is, to English eyes. A European "1" looks very much like an English "4". So, t'ai chi at 09.15 for Europeans, or 09.45 for the English.
This is my third GC course in this retreat house, the first in January 2003 & the second, January 2004. Now, with a new Pope, there is a new supervisor of the House, and one unfamiliar with our work. He visited with the local priest this morning, essentially to get a feel for us. This relates to whether we will be allowed to use the Chapel.
Room With A View…
Clean Sheets & Tidy…
May is, happily, warmer than January (with snow the last time I was here) but this room is never warm. Currently, it is not quite cold (such as defined & described by Sherborne House) but it is certainly way too cool.
Of greater interest than this, GC Diarist & drummer Wiliam Frederick is visiting.
17.38 This afternoon William Frederick lead a circle presenting an interesting take on musical "feel"" –
Feel is a measure of integration.Awaiting my arrival, fresh in from Buenos Aires…
The new Boudeaux Guitar Craft Professional model is sweet, a joy to play. A gentle production of GC guitars is underway in Buenos Aires, with two planned models: the Student & the Professional. Most likely, I will end up playing the Student version. Meanwhile, this is a delight to put on the body.
On the board this afternoon…
Guitar Craft House Rules
Villa Mercedes / Padres Claretianos,
Calle San Pascual Nº 3, esquina travesía San Pascual,
28 460 Los Molinos,
Madrid, España.
Monday 22nd. May, 2005
Honour necessity; honour sufficiency.
Act from conscience.
No judgements are made: we accept you as you arrive.
There is no mistake save one, the failure to learn from a mistake.
Honour the role, respect the person.
Some people here will irritate you. Don't worry: you will also be irritating them. Please act towards others with goodwill and with courtesy; Otherwise, be polite.
You are not asked to accept any direction that violates conscience.
You are not asked to passively accept any idea that is presented to you. Rather, you are invited to test ideas you find surprising, to establish the veracity of those ideas, or not, for yourself. You are encouraged to adopt a position of healthy scepticism, while participating in a spirit of goodwill.
Please stay outside the kitchen.
Be on the course, to the degree that you are able to honourably bear. For example, listen to the music generated within the course; telephone when necessary, or when useful. Avoid listening to, and reading, any non-course material. Recording during the course is discouraged.
Accept responsibility for your personal space; and that part of the communal space which you own.
If you smoke, please do so outside the buildings.
Please stay within the boundary of the facility for the duration of the course. If you require something, please ask the House Manager.
Drug use is incompatible with participation in Guitar Craft. Although nothing is compulsory, this is necessary.
If Robert considers that any person's continuing participation is detrimental to either that person, or the course as a whole, Robert may ask that person to leave.
If any of this is unacceptable, you are free to leave with a full refund prior to the beginning of the course. If you decide to stay, you are asked to stay for the duration of the course.
22.14 Dinner at 19.00 with a proper dessert.
The Inaugural Meeting was brought forward to 21.00 & the course formally acknowledged as underway at 21.02. Then 51 people introduced themselves saying:
who they are;There is a wide variety of backgrounds & places of origin: Poland, Italy, Spain, Greece, Norway, Guatemala, Ireland, USA, Argentina, France, Japan and, surprisingly, England.
My personal aim for the course: to help anyone achieve what they wish for themselves (to help everyone achieve what they wish for themselves would be too great a challenge).
"Music so wishes to be heard that it calls on some to give it voice and some to give it ears."
