I went to Bham MASH Osaka '08 as an attendee. I wasn't sure what to expect... but it was great! Thanks to the organizers for putting on a very organized event! I would like to now share three things that I got from it.
1. Joe Siegel’s presentation on the good language learner showed that it is possible to give a very professional presentation from what we are all studying on the Bham course. I have taught presentation skills at a research institute, here in Japan, and I felt that Joe’s presentation would be an excellent example for other first-timers to view and learn from. Very well done Joe!
2. As I am currently struggling with my dissertation, I found it surprisingly refreshing to see that other diss. students are experiencing similar problems/issues/challenges in their journey to finishing this stage of their learning. It has made me think that I would like to give a similar presentation at the Tokyo MASH, perhaps offering some of the solutions that I am pursuing.
3. The diversity of the group. Osaka '08 managed to attract diss. supervisors, tutors, diss. students, later and early module students, and (most importantly in my opinion) alumni! It was great to see people who are done the program and are connected with Bham solely as alumni. WE need more of these people to offer their wisdom. I really hope to see more of an alumni presence at future Bham events. It is always nice to see success!
I hope those of you who will be in the Tokyo area on May 25th will consider getting involved... The take-home value is truly worth the hike. Thanks to Steve, Mark, Phil, and Paul for organizing it. You guys went beyond the call.  
Colin Skeates

Just wanted to say thanks for organizing everything yesterday. It was a really good day and you and the rest of the team did a great job putting it all together. It must have been an awful lot of work, and towards the end you looked absolutely wiped out - so well done and thanks again.
Dale Brown

Just wanted to say thank you so much for putting on the Mash event.  I know there is always a lot of behind the scenes work that somebody has to do for something like that, so please know it is all appreciated.  Please pass that to the other founding fathers.  We all benefited from the hard work you guys did. And in regards to my presentation, thank you very much for the time, thought and effort you put in to helping me with it.  It seems to have gone pretty well, and I really enjoyed creating, editing and giving the presentation.
Joe (jojo) Siegel

I would like to thank everyone involved in the MASH Osaka event, organizers, audience, presenters, and those supporting from a distance.  I was impressed that so much was efficiently packed into a one-day event. Here are some aspects that I found most beneficial:
1) The presentations and feedback sessions gave me, as a first-year student, a peek at what kind of material is ahead of me.  It also gave me more of an idea of the quality and depth of work I should expect to engage in.  I thoroughly enjoyed listening to teachers who are more advanced than me.  That goes both for the presentations and the feedback circles.  Since I have little experience at actually giving feedback (especially on academic presentations), I learned a lot just by listening to the comments made.  There is a lot to learn from those who go before us, and I was excited and honored to be included.
2) I gave one of the presentations, and it was my first academic presentation.  I gained valuable experience in trying to adapt an assignment essay into a 20-minute presentation.  I had never made PowerPoint slides before, so this event was great incentive to try to do it.  Thanks to all the people who helped me prepare the presentation (Skype audiences, my Skype study group...) and for the audience members' presence and feedback at the event.
I hope everyone will be able to take advantage of upcoming MASH events.  It was a nice shot in the arm and re-energized me in regard to my studies! Thank you again to everyone involved.  It is safe to say MASH is off to a great start!
Joe (jojo) Siegel

Getting up in front of everyone... being the first presenter... presenting a brand new idea... it was tough on the nerves! BUT, the feedback I received on my presentation, the content and my presentation style from the feedback group was fantastic. The opportunity to present your ideas, to stand in front of your peers and receive that kind of feedback is an opportunity not to be missed. It was simply a most nerve-racking, exhilarating, rewarding, and refreshing days all in one. I'd like to thank everyone who gave me feedback on my presentation. It will improve because of your comments. and it will improve after being through a real audience too! I'd like to thanks Steve, Phil and Paul for their extremely hard work in putting this all together. I'd like to thank the other presenters for presenting. (I'm really sorry I couldn't attend the entire day - a 6.5hour commute... I live in the wrong part of Japan!) I'd like to thank those who didn't present, but came to watch, listen, support, give feedback, and to mingle... Thank you.
Mark de Boer

Firstly, I want to say that I felt the first MASH presentations and collaboration event, held in Osaka on Sunday 27th January, was a great success. Despite a very tight schedule, the day went off without a hitch. The nine presenters talked on areas of interest and great relevance to us as teachers and / or as participants on the MA programs and I personally took a lot away from the day. I'd like to thank particularly those nine who were brave enough to present, but also those who took the time to attend just as audience members. The feedback circles were particularly supportive and sensitively worded, which further added to the friendly and encouraging atmosphere throughout the day. Thank you.
My second reason for posting is to invite each of those who attended, either as a presenter or as an audience member, to post their comments about the event here so that others who didn't attend can gauge the consensus of feeling. How was it for you? Only a short, simple 1-liner would be fine if that's all you can manage, though of course more would be appreciated, but we (Steve, Phil and myself) really would appreciate your comments after all the hard work that went into organising the event. In this way we hope to encourage an even larger audience at the Tokyo MASH08 event in May. The more people on the program who hear how good the Osaka event was, the more people will want
to participate themselves in later events. Please take the time to write. Finally, don't forget that on top of all the other benefits involved with MASH, your presentation can be included in your resume. More on this later for those of you who presented.
Paul Moritoshi

It was a monster MASH...
One sentiment that was expressed throughout the day was, "I thought I was the only one". This fishbowl existence we live in can get one thinking that the trials and tribulations of getting this thing done are uniquely "mine". But of course they are not and the MASH event - as well as the Skype groups, emails, phone calls and other get-togethers - was a reminder of our shared experience. We know what it is like and we understand. This was one of the things I took away from the Osaka MASH.
... It was a graveyard smash.
Which reminds me of all the work that went into putting this event on. The event space was great - big thanks to Steve's school. The muffins and coffee were a treat - thanks to Steve's wife. And all the little details - hats off to Steve, Phil and Paul. Everyone volunteered to do this - presenters too - at their own expense. A lot of hard work, but it paid off handsomely.
... It caught on in a flash.
It was the Osaka MASH.
Michael Salovaara

Hats off to Steve, Phil and Paul. Bravo to my fellow presenters at MASH IT UP OSAKA 08. My self introduction said all I think of and owe to MASH and especially you the founders: "soon after I finished the course in September 2006, I went into a slump until MASH came and awoke me from my slumbers." And there is no looking back! The encouragement and advice gotten from the feedback forms and sessions is good testimony of the wisdom and deep insight from which MASH was born. Sunday January 27th was indeed one small first step for us who attended, but a giant leap for the Bham family; a new beginning in the never-ending academic journey. Thanks to Steve again for all the sacrifices, for being a trusted member of the Seibo Jogakuin family. Thanks for all the support to me particularly in the build up to my first academic presentation. Long Live MASH.
Vick L. Ssali

Mash Osaka Impressions:
It was an excellent multi-purpose forum. One could roll out almost anything there and end up with some top quality feedback. No need to feel nervous. After seeing some of the people for the third time or so in person, I started feeling much more among friends. Getting feedback is of course great but giving feedback is also a skill we need to practice as educators, and by doing so we in a way participate in our classmates' projects, giving us a chance to grow as well. Peeking in on the MASH Skype group from early on, I saw Steve and Mark's enthusiasm and sustained effort push the study group to the next level, an event, a forum and a feedback loop. I also saw Phil and Paul jump on board in a fully devoted and tireless mode. Big Big thanks and respect to all.   I hope the next MASH can be the same growing bridge that it was for us in Osaka.
Matthew Walsh

Want to give a big thank you to Steve, Paul and Phil for putting together an excellent event. Looks like a new tradition has been started and I look forward to more MASH events in the future.  I also want to give a big thank you to other presenters and audience members. I met a number of amazing people at the event who I unfortunately only got to speak with briefly, as it was a packed day!  Being able to hear from so many people on so many different perspectives (through the presentations and Q and A) was a fresh change from simply reading about different perspectives. I am looking forward to hearing more presentations in the future and to speaking again with all the new people I met at the event. As a first year student it was great to have the opportunity to listen to other individuals who are at different points in the program and beyond: other first year students, second year students, those working on their dissertations and alumni. This was my first time to present in such a format and I walked away feeling inspired by all the ideas of those around me and also a strong sense of connection to all those in attendance ( and not in attendance) because of our passions for learning and our enthusiasm for teaching. MASH It Up...08 and beyond!
Mike Post

I would just like to express my gratitude to those who organised and participated in the recent MASH event in Osaka. I started the course in October and have been working on the course feeling a little isolated at times. Joining this event and in talking to Steve, Paul and many others, I have received a lot of invaluable information and support which I have no doubt has helped me avoid problems.
Everybody at the event was fantastic, approachable, interested in what you had to say, and gave really sound advice and guidance. I would stress for anyone who has just started, in the middle, or near the end of their MA, and have not yet gone, GO to the events and collaborate. The weight on your shoulders WILL feel lighter.
I would like also to say a huge "thank you" to all of the presenters. They all gave me something to take away and think about. I thought that Jojo's presentation was amazing, well done! This was a very valuable experience, more so because of where I am at with the MA.
Iain Dandy

Thank you to everyone who put in the work to make the event happen. I thought the MASH event was interesting and wished that something similar was up and running while I was going through the program.  I would definitely be interested in going to future events. One thing that surprised me was the formality of most of the presentations and the meeting style. The impression I got from the group's name and some initial second-hand information was that it would be a much more casual type of event. This is not a criticism but given the formality level and the amount of effort that the presenters put in, I think that it would be a good idea to change the name of the group to something a little more formal and descriptive so that participants can comfortably include it on their resumes along with other presentations and publications.  This is just a suggestion but something that includes the words Osaka, Birmingham University, students and alumni would be good.
Michael Flynn

I'd like to add my own big thank you to all the organizers of the excellent MASH event last Sunday. It ran as smooth as clockwork thanks to all the thought and work that had gone into the planning. The quality of the presentations was excellent and the chance for us all to learn, not only from the content of the presentations, but also from the experience of providing and receiving constructive feedback meant that everyone took something away. In fact, I'm still reflecting on all that I absorbed in those very intense 7 hours.
I particularly savoured the opportunity to feel really involved with the programme. I'm a tutor these days and appreciate the additional chances these MASH events will give tutors and students to get together. It makes such a difference to the relationship and quality of tutoring when tutors and students can meet face to face sometimes. I'd urge other tutors to try to go along even if none of your students will be there. You'll be able to meet a wide range of people connected with the Birmingham MA courses.
I have one request. I found myself pressed for time to write down all the feedback comments I wanted to. Could a little more time for reflection and writing on the feedback sheet be worked in next time? This is a crucial part of the whole event and needs a little more time allocated for us all to contribute as much as we would like to.
The presenters were an inspiration to us all and I take my hat off to the dream team of organizers (Steve, Mark, Phil and Paul). You've set a remarkably high standard for the first MASH event. Let's see what you all can do in Tokyo in May!
Amanda Gillis-Furutaka

Thank you to everyone who participated in MASH IT UP Osaka08. It was an awful lot of work to organize, but the event met and surpassed my expectations, making all those late nights well worth it. Quite simply, this first ever MASH IT UP event brought out the best in everyone. Some highlights from my rather biased perspective:
Mark – Unequalled efforts and dedication, expensive trip, huh!
Paul – Consistent professionalism and beautiful envelope design
Phil – The consummate devil’s advocate, and original collaborator
Colin – A masterful performance as active audience member
Jojo – Kicked all our butts the old-fashioned way, through hard work
Vick – Awoken from slumber, a natural presenter
Michael Salovaara – Always the right words at the right time
Mike Post – Daring to go where others haven’t …
Matthew – Another wise man, always willing to share
Ann – The best are always the busiest, thanks for adding to it all
Aki – A committed collaborator… soon to present, I hope
Amanda – Wise and wonderful, honored to have you present
Michael Flynn – A great first impression, hope to see more
Dale Brown – Slick visuals, solid presentation, absolutely timely
The audience – on their best behavior, wickedly smart, Bham rocks!
Steve Herder