Who has the email of the organizor, Manila's Future of learning
Gijs van Wezel, MSc Shanghai, China +86-15921806910 creating new ideas & working as a team in China Quoting Gijs van Wezel <g...@megainternational.com.hk>: > Dear Phelim and Mathilda, > > Just back and reading your great news. > > During the "circle walk" in San Francisco, it was clear that the both of you > had > "wonderful" plans: the birth of a baby is a wonder in any parent's life. Your > scenario of Open Space and your beautiful description on the list, makes it > even more complete. > > Cheers from Shanghai. > > ps > Riddley Wilbur McDermott is born in the year of the rabbit! gentle, artistic > !! > and diplomatic. Famous rabbit Rudolf Nureyev, Andy Warhol, Billie Holiday and > Orson Welles. > > Gijs van Wezel, > > Shanghai, China > > > > > > > > Quoting Phelim McDermott <phe...@mac.com>: > > > Dear open space friends, > > > > Matilda and I have been a little absent from the list and just wanted to > > check in with you all as to what's been happening and our extraordinary > start > > to the year. > > > > For the end of last year I had been working on an Opera at the Met in New > > York. Matilda became pregnant in April and because of this work commitment > if > > we wanted to be together for the birth we had to have it in New York. > Because > > of the show timing was also an issue. Although we knew that whenever it > > happened was the right time, we had also been talking to our baby in the > womb > > and encouraging it that if it could just hold off a little while it would > get > > to hear the opera and that if it came during rehearsals it would probably > > miss the chance of hearing the baroque music that's supposed to be so good > > for your baby in utero! On 31st, Dec 2011 The Enchanted Island opened. > > Matilda was there on opening night and we were greatly relieved that things > > were happening in the order we had hoped for. > > > > We then imagined we might even get a bit of a break for preparation before > > anything else happened. However, two days later on the evening of the > Monday > > Matilda's first contractions began. (Whenever it starts is the right time.) > > We met our Doula (birthing companion) briefly then went for a meal at the > > Italian restaurant on the corner of 8th and C, (It's amazing how quickly > your > > food arrives if you tell them your wife's having contractions). Then we > went > > back to our East Village apartment and put up the birthing pool we had > hired, > > hoping that the midwifeâs assurance that it was like approximately 8 big > > men drinking beer in your kitchen was accurate and it wasn't going to crash > > through the floor. Then we went to bed and tried to get some sleep. Matilda > > being Matilda there wasn't much of that, nor for the next four nights. > > > > Next morning We gathered around the empty birthing pool. This was our > circle. > > Increasing our numbers with some toy monkeys and an elephant who had been > > given as a gift for the baby we opened the space for our birth. We made An > > invitation for this new life to come into the world. The principles were up > > on our apartment walls and we posted sessions that could happen at any > time. > > They included âMusic and dancingâ, âWise Teachersâ, âLove and > > welcomeâ, âFilling the poolâ etc.. > > > > Now if you go through the principles and think about it youâll realise > how > > pertinent they are for a genuine birth. Especially when you are hundred > miles > > from home and dealing with all the things that come with setting up for the > > holding of space for the entry of a new life into this world. > > > > Whenever it starts is the right time. > > Whoever comes are the right people. > > When it's over it's over. (and when not over it's not over of course!) > > Whatever happens is the only thing that could have. Wherever it happens is > > the right place. > > > > Law of two feet/mobility. > > > > Be prepared to be surprised! > > > > Amazed at how marginalised the midwifing community is in the USA compared > to > > Europe we had watched the great film âThe business of being bornâ and > had > > been given a recommendation by our UK midwife of a midwife in the States. > We > > discovered it was not only the midwife in this film but that she was living > > two streets away from us in the East village opposite a restaurant called > > âMatildaâ! > > > > During our pre birth work we had been doing a lot of studying, finding out > > about midwifery and had been amazed by Michel Odent's and also Ina May > > Gaskin's work. Lots of the literature could easily be interchangeable with > > work on creativity/opening space. For example: Odent's advice that he > > usually turns up at a birth and says: âDo you mind if I go take a nap in > > the room down the corridor.â Also âthe best place for an obstetricians > > hands are in his pocketsâ etc.. All this work is about space.. space.. > > opening space.. Holding space. Its about trusting in emergence, whilst > > holding off on intervention. > > > > Over the next four days with the help of our amazing Midwife Cara and our > > Doula Angelique we went on an extraordinary roller coaster of physical and > > emotional experience. They were both fantastic at holding and creating a > safe > > space for us both and they allowed me to support Matilda in following > herself > > mentally and physically. > > > > It was an incredibly challenging birth because of what turned out to be our > > little son's position against Matilda's back, so it was very long and > > although it looked like we may have to go to hospital at the later stages, > > our wonderful Midwife and Doula and their team of helpers who appeared in > > various guises throughout the three days pulled us through and our home > birth > > happened as we had hoped. Others who helped were Pat an astonishing > > acupuncturist who turned up on the Thursday night who just happened to be > > nearby and gave Matilda "liquid hipsâ! and Miriam a midwife colleague of > > Cara's who appeared because she had texted Cara to meet for a coffee just > > when we needed support because it looked like the babyâs heart was > slowing. > > She walked through the door to see the babies head crowning. Truly whoever > > comes are the right people! She then helped getting the baby out fast with > > Cara to speed things up as his heart was slowing. We stood Matilda up and > the > > baby was born not in the pool but in front of our sofa. (Wherever it > happens > > is the right place.) > > > > As well as them, Matilda was of course amazing and inspiring. Doing it all > > without painkillers and using only myself, a birthing pool, the open space > > principles and repeated playings of "The Bare Necessities" to get her > > through. > > > > At 8.47am on the 6th Jan 2012 the baby was born. Because of his difficult > > route his head was squished into a rather dramatic lopsided horn, (âbe > > prepared to be surprisedâ and âwhatever happens is the only thing that > > could haveâ), which quickly disappeared. Riddley Wilbur McDermott > (Whoever > > comes are the right people.) is now doing very well. He is particularly > > beautiful. > > > > Here's a photo of him: > > > > > http://clusterform.tumblr.com/post/16137649871/riddley-wilbur-mcdermott-libatique-73-lens-kodot > > > > Our birth has now happened. (when it's over it's over) But the space that > has > > opened where our baby boy now exists is astounding, scary, exhilarating and > > profoundly humbling. We love him. > > > > For our new family it is of course just beginning... (When it's not over > > it's not over.) > > > > > > Lots of love > > > > Phelim X > > > > ________________________________ > > > > I generally pick up emails only at the beginning and end of the working > day. > > I am currently aiming to respond the following day. If it is urgent please > > call me on 07956 187298. > > _____________________________________ > > > > www.improbable.co.uk > > @openspacer > > @wosonos2012 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to OSList@lists.openspacetech.org > To unsubscribe send an email to oslist-le...@lists.openspacetech.org > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > _______________________________________________ OSList mailing list To post send emails to OSList@lists.openspacetech.org To unsubscribe send an email to oslist-le...@lists.openspacetech.org To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
