Mittens IX pre-planning

[Disco]

Based on some of the comments in the Mittens Return thread, I though it wise to start a new thread dedicated to Mittens IX planning.

Though it seems that Holland was decided as next year's location, a few at the most recent shindig (including yours truly) were either not present at that discussion, or else pissed on sangria. Perhaps we ought to put the next location up for review again.

Aside from Holland, Italy is another location mentioned often both in the other thread as well as at Mittens this year. Beyond that, I'm not sure what other possibilities were discussed in public or private, so if there are any other locations that are good candidates, lets hear them!

I can see the appeal in either Holland or Italy. No other AGS meet, Mittens or otherwise, has been held in these countries. Also, budget air or rail/car put them in reach for most of our European members, and both countries are major air destinations for the Intercontinentals. Now that we are in a better situation to get more input on the next Mittens, we should discuss the main choices and try and get to some consensus. I have made a quick list of the highs and lows of each:

Pros for Holland:
1. WILL ALL THE DUTCH AGS MEMBERS PLEASE STAND UP!
2. Cocoalicious.
3. Gives CJ a chace to brush up on his Dutch

Cons for Holland:
1. Haven't we tried this before?

Pros for Italy:
1. Villas that sleep our usual numbers are seemingly ubiquitous, or so the internet says.
2. We can hold hands without fear of persecution.
3. Gives CJ an excuse to speak in his fluent Italian.

Cons for Italy:
1. No local to organise


Okay, so that may have been more silly than I planned, but on a serious note I feel strongly enough about Italy that I would be willing to make the arrangements as long-distance host and handle all those responsibilities. I have nearly given up on ever hosting "Mittens in the Mitten", so it could be an opportunity for me to organise our beloved gathering, if only once.

A quick Google shows no shortage of 20+ villas or farmhouses to choose from, and most of the ones I've seen have been substantially less than we paid for in Hollywood. Even the first one I found looked promising and (comparatively) inexpensive at £1,867 a week, which at 22 person occupancy translates to about £85, or $136 USD per person :o There are still dozens more I haven't even looked at.

So what do we want to do? Where do we want to go?

[Layabout]

Riding a vespa through cobblestone villages...

or...

Smelling tulips while looking at windmills.

Hmm, hard

But the vespa wins for me.

[Grundislav]

I can't deny that Holland would be an interesting time...

...but Italy has been on the top of my travel list for quite some time, so given the choice I would have to go with Italy as well.

[Andail]

Both Amsterdam and Rome are wonderful wonderful cities. I will totally endorse either location.

Since every fourth AGSer - and every third internet user overall - is Dutch, we can expect Mittens in Holland being flooded by locals next year.

[Miez]

I was present at the Mittens Miami let's-do-Holland-next-year "discussion" (which was not so much a discussion, more just me saying that I wouldn't mind organising ).
Holland would be fun, Italy sounds great as well.

One of the advantages of the Netherlands would be size: everyting you'd like to do in a tiny country with good infrastructure.
One of the advantages of Italy would be those aforementioned cheap villas.

So from me: no particular preference.

[jetxl]

...
Cons for Holland:
1. Haven't we tried this before?
...

I don't think we have.


I'd choose Italy above Netherland since I live in this poophole country.

Every dutch person can at least understand english so you don't need a local translator like helm everytime you order a pizza.
Finding cheap/isolated/beautifull accomodations that can hold 20+ people for a week will be hard. There won't be as much choise as in Italy, that's for sure.


What about... Germany?
We could build a bonfire!

[Nacho]

I like both... But I think some oranges might have the illusion to host it, and removing the sweet after showing it might be a bit mean....

About the "We shouldn' t go to the Nederland because some members can go mad with the weed" argument... Sorry, for me it' s  a bit revealer of the personality of the member who mentioned it ^_^ I would never be tempted about Amsterdam' s savage appeals... If you are, why should the rest of the people pay for your vicious mentality??? 

[Layabout]

About the "We shouldn' t go to the Nederland because some members can go mad with the weed" argument... Sorry, for me it' s  a bit revealer of the personality of the member who mentioned it ^_^ I would never be tempted about Amsterdam' s savage appeals... If you are, why should the rest of the people pay for your vicious mentality??? 

That was me who said it! It was a joke by the way. You didn't have a certain someone being annoying and high in your car on the way to Mittens France!  I personally would prefer Italy over Holland, but I'd still enjoy the Netherlands.

[Stupot]

While I would choose Italy out of the two, I would still be up for Holland if that's where it happened to be.  I'm sure the place has much more to offer than weed, which doesn't interest me at all.

[magintz]

I've been to both Italy and Holland. Italy will be a lot warmer but has ice-cream. Holland has windmills and AGSers to assist organising.

Other suggestions:
Croatia? Somewhere like Dubrovnik?
China? Half-way between the Euros and Yanks.

[Nacho]

About the "We shouldn' t go to the Nederland because some members can go mad with the weed" argument... Sorry, for me it' s  a bit revealer of the personality of the member who mentioned it ^_^ I would never be tempted about Amsterdam' s savage appeals... If you are, why should the rest of the people pay for your vicious mentality???  

That was me who said it! It was a joke by the way. You didn't have a certain someone being annoying and high in your car on the way to Mittens France!   I personally would prefer Italy over Holland, but I'd still enjoy the Netherlands.

I was kidding too... I never meant that you are an addict or something... ^_^

[Stupot]

Shall we the the Hostel tour?

[Disco]

Okay so now we have a few other suggestions to add- Germany, Croatia, and China. I could see the first two being serious offerings while China may be just out of reach for some. Usually meets are traded between continents to give half the group a break on their travel costs If anything I would go to Taiwan over China though.

Anyways back to the Holland/Italy tally, we have either votes for Italy or Indifference, with Nacho perhaps favouring Holland so as not to take the sweet

So as of now we have-
Italy: 5
No Preference: 3


Regarding the newer suggestions, I could see Germany being an interesting place to hold, and we do have locals there.

[Miez]

Okay so now we have a few other suggestions to add- Germany, Croatia, and China. I could see the first two being serious offerings while China may be just out of reach for some. Usually meets are traded between continents to give half the group a break on their travel costs If anything I would go to Taiwan over China though.

Anyways back to the Holland/Italy tally, we have either votes for Italy or Indifference, with Nacho perhaps favouring Holland so as not to take the sweet

So as of now we have-
Italy: 5
No Preference: 3


Regarding the newer suggestions, I could see Germany being an interesting place to hold, and we do have locals there.

Just out of misguided patriotism, but what would make Germany preferable over Dutchland? It will be as hard to find a good place to stay there as it is in the Netherlands...

[Disco]

Well honestly I was more thinking with my stomach than my brain there I don't know the logistics but I do know pretzel bread, potato pancakes, and beer 

[GarageGothic]

I'm partial to the Netherlands since I love Amsterdam and would like to see more of the country. Italy is also awesome - my girlfriend is Italian and I've done quite a bit of traveling there. However, organizing it could be a royal PITA without at least one Italian (or Italian speaking) AGS'er to help out (bicilotti?) as very people there speak English. Mittens in Tuscany is lovely to picture though.

As for the other suggestions, Germany is pretty much the Netherlands with nazi train conductors instead of weed. Croatia, I wouldn't mind but don't have any special preference for. And China... Give me a couple of years to save up the money and I'll let you know.

[Nacho]

Kenneth, I think you might be being a bit tendentious (No offence)... You want Italy, and you sum up points for Italy, but I am quite sure that some of the "indifferent" you mentioned want NL, but are  too polite for not mentioning it openly.

Of course, if I do the same and put all the "indifferent" into the "NL list" then I would be the tendentious, wanting to sum up votes for NL and leading a "faction"... I don' t want to do that, but I think it should be a bit unfair to create a sympathy trend to Italy just because the people who wants to go to NL doesn't want to interfere....

Of course, I could be mistaken and interpreting the feelings of the "indifferent" badly... 

[Disco]

Huh?

so given the choice I would have to go with Italy as well.

But the vespa wins for me.

I'd choose Italy above Netherland since I live in this poophole country.

While I would choose Italy out of the two, I would still be up for Holland if that's where it happened to be.

Indifferent actually I guess

I feel strongly enough about Italy that I would be willing to make the arrangements as long-distance host and handle all those responsibilities.

But the indifferents I tallied because because:

Both Amsterdam and Rome are wonderful wonderful cities. I will totally endorse either location.

So from me: no particular preference.

I like both... But I think some oranges might have the illusion to host it, and removing the sweet after showing it might be a bit mean....

I've been to both Italy and Holland. Italy will be a lot warmer but has ice-cream. Holland has windmills and AGSers to assist organising.

And now GarageGothic votes partial to Netherlands so that goes to Holland. I'm reading reading into preferences Nacho I just wanted to see where to have it since many admit to missing the discussion and this gives us more chance to get ideas from everyone.

[jetxl]

Is there something wrong between you two?

[MillsJROSS]

I also missed the discussion where we chose Holland, however, considering the Mittens house didn't have a huge room that we all generally congregated in, I took no offense.

I prefer Holland for a couple of reasons.

1) We have plenty of members to host it who have already offered to host it, and who consequently know their way around.

2) I want to find out if Amsterdam is all it's cracked up to be.

3) We still maintain the tradition of choosing the next Mittens location at Mittens.

4) Ace already told us it would be in Holland, he's rarely wrong.

The price of the lodgings generally isn't that big of a deal, considering we pay in numbers. This years mittens seemed very cheap considering I don't think I could find a crappy hotel that wouldn't charge more than that for a weeks stay.

I also think that only those who attended mittens this year should really have a say one way or the other on our location. The reason we do this at Mittens is because opening it up to the forums usually makes an inconclusive thread. When do we stop tallying votes? Why does so-and-so's vote matter, considering they might not even try to attend the event, and why should they then have power to choose a location?

The good news to this debate is that we can always have a Mittens Italy/Holland another year.

-MillsJROSS