Reliving the Plate2Page Experience: "All work and no shop"

We Tweeted, mailed, skyped…Well that’s all we had in the beginning…A virtual page…where we could laugh, cry and share our passion for food…
‘They are just going to be robots/machines and not real people’..’S’s words kept coming to my head, as I sat on the plane all set to meet my virtual friends at plate2page in Weimar. I had no idea how they looked (expect for some photos) or even how they sounded…I couldn’t put a voice behind their faces...but I was just confident that they all existed and were very much crazy bloggers like me...

Photo:Jenn

As I hopped on to the DB train supposed to take me to Weimar, (the Plate2page headquarters this time)…I met the gorgeous duo..Jeanne and Ilva. Phew! What a relief… At least 2 out of 17 are humans…sigh of relief… 

We reached kiperquelle inn (our humble abode for the next 3 days) and soon met Team MIJJ. Gorgeous Simone was next to join me, followed by Ishay and her handsome hubby, Ken & Mitch. 

We were all set to have dinner at Divan a Turkish Restauant and were whisked away in a posh car by Ishay’s Husband. 

Photo:Simone

Jasmine joined us shortly and after dinner we met the lovely Astrid and Julia who were absolutely gutted after the long trip and a little adventure. 

Next 3 days was BIG for all of us… 

We were there to learn, like, discover, grow and share. We were there to find our own struggles, to find our strengths/weakness and improve. We gathered to give and take and to find ourselves in the process. Our workshop schedule was hectic with cooking, more cooking, photographing, writing, planning a picnic and then again some more cooking, more photographing, pink slips and more writing assignments. We spent hours laughing and coming together as a group striving to teach and learn from each other. We had group discussions and critique of all the assignments (both writing and photo) at the end of each day. 

We were challenged to shoot / write at complete opposite of what we usually do and sometimes thrown into pairs to complete our assignments. There were moments of happiness and then there were moments of frustrations when things din't work, (that's team work right?) along with moments of innovations and progression. 

Plate2page is very much what it says…one-to-one, hands-on, creative and intensive. So if you are looking to develop your writing skills or photography skills Plate2page is the Workshop you need to hone your skills, with fabulous and very talented instructors. 
The second Plate2Page workshop will take place in Tuscany, Italy from October 28th to 31st, 2011. 

Thank you Meeta, Ilva,Jamie,Jeanne. You have made me a motivated photographer and hopefully a better writer. You will always be an inspiration to me. 

I never imagined that 17 people that I have never met before, would influence my life so much in a matter of just 3 days. I miss each and every one of them .They have become more like an extended family now. Not even a day goes by without thinking about the good times we had at the workshop.
Thank you Alessio, Astrid, David, Deborah, Ishay, Jasmine, Julia, Jenn, Ken, Mitch, Mona, Simone for everything each one of you have given me in your own special way. I will always hold you guyz close to my heart.
Each time I decide I should write an over-elaborate post about my trip, tears fill up my big fat eyes and words choke up my throat and I somehow can't get around to writing (Is this classified as writer's block?). Gowd I wish I could write like my sweet room partner Mona (she has written a 3 part series!). I guess we still are fighting our emotions and finding solace in twitter and facebook or each other’s blogposts. I terribly miss my new found family.  I do love the idea of #plate2page class of Weimar reunion tour we were discussing this morning on Twitter. Hopefully soon!
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