sudanglo:Well Esperantists surely have one thing that unites them - a common aim, to see the World take Esperanto more seriously.

That's true, but it's not enough of a common aim to make some of us like each other much (well, most of us.. maybe there's one or two esperantists with nothing but Esperanto's success on their minds, and even then they might disagree)

Why not an Esperanto Book Club?

[...]

Why couldn't Esperantists all be taught Salsa or Jive in Esperanto?
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There are many possibilities, provided that you can recruit sufficient numbers to the cause

I think this is the biggest problem. In many cases, I'm guessing a city or town's local EO group hasn't got enough members to justify a book or salsa club. I certainly wouldn't be interested in either anyway (mind you, god knows what happened to the EO lot down here, I tried emailing them but they seem to have transcended and gone to another dimension entirely).

Chicken and egg problem ay.

Altebrilas:The answer is obvious if you take it the other way: Why a teacher of Salsa or Jive will restrict his public to esperantists only? Dance is also an international language.

(BTW, it just clicked to me what your name means... d'oh!)

It doesn't mean they HAVE to only teach Esperantists it just means that the EO group can either self-teach themselves or book out the salsa-hall or whatever it's called once a fortnight or something and use it as a social event with Esperanto (that would however likely need an Esperantist salsa teacher).

ceigered:(mind you, god knows what happened to the EO lot down here, I tried emailing them but they seem to have transcended and gone to another dimension entirely).

I think destiny is telling you to start up a new EO club on the ashes of the old one. You get to be president.

Dialogue between the one who is esparanist, and one who isn't:

For "A" main aim of esparnato is language itself. He wants to make esperanto global language for everyone(like english):
A:
I'm a member of esperanto club, would you like to join us?
B:
Ok, but for what, what are you doing during your meetings?
A:
For example we learn prepositions and pronunciation. It's very exciting.
B:
Sorry, I'm not linguist and I've heard that it's pointless to learn this dead language. I will never use esperanto in my life...

What is wrong in this approach? Where "A" is wrong?
Because for "A" main aim should not be a language itself but community and to create Esperanto brand. This brand will give guaranty that as an esperantist one will have many friends who are good, interesting, active people, with high standards. So the aim will be the feeling of confidence, brotherhood, friendship, culture, and to do this, "A" will use esperanto.

When I ask esperantists why did they start to learn, I almost always hear:
because I like the IDEA of common language and I would like to see the people talking to each other not fighting....

3rdblade:

ceigered:(mind you, god knows what happened to the EO lot down here, I tried emailing them but they seem to have transcended and gone to another dimension entirely).

I think destiny is telling you to start up a new EO club on the ashes of the old one. You get to be president.

Yes, but for a club it needs at least two persons. Or someones starts with dozens of E-o supporters. That situation Erinja mentioned (2011-05-09 13:17:46) in Italy. What E-o club was it? Would be nice to get a podcast interview about their motivations.

paulopolo:
What is wrong in this approach? Where "A" is wrong?
Because for "A" main aim should not be a language itself but community and to create Esperanto brand. This brand will give guaranty that as an esperantist one will have many friends who are good, interesting, active people, with high standards. So the aim will be the feeling of confidence, brotherhood, friendship, culture, and to do this, "A" will use esperanto.

I believe that traditional Esperantist did a lot of making a Esperanto a language brand means that some percentage of people around should know that Esperanto is a language and not a hoover brand. But I still did encounter situations where I mentioned Esperanto to young people and they didn't know much of that. That can be an advantage, because sometimes it could be proper idea to start up from ground without non-necessary historical ballast.

paulopolo:
When I ask esperantists why did they start to learn, I almost always hear:
because I like the IDEA of common language and I would like to see the people talking to each other not fighting....

Jes, communicating to each other could be a first step. But there are a lot of excamples where people understand each other and nevertheless kill each other. Having a common bridge language is a good idea but in my opinion no guarantee for world peace. I assume quite often someone can not shape it into words what in detail let her/him feel unproper with this and that culture habitants.

I'm not going to name the club I met with. Honestly, it was disappointing to me. I went in, I didn't speak Italian very well, and I was looking forward to having this meal with a bunch of Italian Esperanto speakers and having lots of stimulating conversation. Instead, everyone sat at the table eating pizza and speaking Italian together. At the event were two Esperanto speakers I already knew, one that I didn't know, and that was it for fluent speakers. I sat next to an eternal beginner who didn't even know how to say the name of her job in Esperanto. She had to tell me in Italian, and I translated the job into Esperanto for her. Italian Esperantists, even experienced ones, have a culture of speaking Italian together. Theoretically they switch to Esperanto if someone non-Italian-speaking is present but in practice, if you hear these two people speaking Italian and you don't speak Italian, you steer clear, you don't go up to them and hang around them until they switch languages.

erinja:I'm not going to name the club I met with. Honestly, it was disappointing to me. I went in, I didn't speak Italian very well, and I was looking forward to having this meal with a bunch of Italian Esperanto speakers and having lots of stimulating conversation. Instead, everyone sat at the table eating pizza and speaking Italian together. At the event were two Esperanto speakers I already knew, one that I didn't know, and that was it for fluent speakers. I sat next to an eternal beginner who didn't even know how to say the name of her job in Esperanto. She had to tell me in Italian, and I translated the job into Esperanto for her. Italian Esperantists, even experienced ones, have a culture of speaking Italian together. Theoretically they switch to Esperanto if someone non-Italian-speaking is present but in practice, if you hear these two people speaking Italian and you don't speak Italian, you steer clear, you don't go up to them and hang around them until they switch languages.

Very sad story.

3rdblade:

ceigered:(mind you, god knows what happened to the EO lot down here, I tried emailing them but they seem to have transcended and gone to another dimension entirely).

I think destiny is telling you to start up a new EO club on the ashes of the old one. You get to be president.

Yeah I thought about that, but then I realised that asking local Eoists to come to a local restaurant/coffee place/other eatery was silly when I myself am broke But if I don't see any movement soon (I still haven't checked out things at adelaide uni, hoping they might have something), after I'm set up I think I'll start a club of the sorts. My conflict of interests with other conlangs though makes me wonder if a "conlang club" would be cooler, provided it didn't end up becoming a "conlanger club"

erinja:Theoretically they switch to Esperanto if someone non-Italian-speaking is present but in practice, if you hear these two people speaking Italian and you don't speak Italian, you steer clear, you don't go up to them and hang around them until they switch languages.

That can be very embarrassing, but interesting at times My indonesian admittedly has more holes than swiss cheese in it (little yet important words I keep forgetting), so I was trying to join in in a conversation between multiple indonesian students talking about government corruption - let's just say it was a humbling experience.

ceigered:Yeah I thought about that, but then I realised that asking local Eoists to come to a local restaurant/coffee place/other eatery was silly when I myself am broke ;

Why does it have to cost money? You could organize a day out at a local park (hiking or playing games or something, what have you), a trip to a free museum (if you have them, we have many here in Washington), attend some kind of local outdoor festival or event as a group, etc. Getting together with a group doesn't have to cost any money.

University campuses are usually full of free concerts and other events too, at least in the US. You could organize something on your campus, so you wouldn't even have to travel to attend.

Thanks Erinja - I just assumed all Esperantists hang out at coffee places all day

And I forgot the museum was free - to which I say darn, since that'd be a nice way to spend some time waiting for lectures ("TO THE T-REX SKULL!")

Anyway, I might get in contact with my other linguistically orientated friend and see if he's up with the idea. Perhaps he knows of other Esperantists in the area (there's got to be 5 at least!)

erinja:

ceigered:Yeah I thought about that, but then I realised that asking local Eoists to come to a local restaurant/coffee place/other eatery was silly when I myself am broke ;

Why does it have to cost money? You could organize a day out at a local park (hiking or playing games or something, what have you), a trip to a free museum (if you have them, we have many here in Washington), attend some kind of local outdoor festival or event as a group, etc. Getting together with a group doesn't have to cost any money.

University campuses are usually full of free concerts and other events too, at least in the US. You could organize something on your campus, so you wouldn't even have to travel to attend.

A question on the premise of Esperantists gathering to go to a museum, etc. If they are traveling from diverse and distant towns, how do you coordinate the initial gathering before entering the museum or whatever?