Trip post part one: Cologne, Germany and the QAF convention
Ok, so I said I would make posts about my trip to Europe, and for once, I'm keeping that promise. I know it's super late, but ya know, whatever. ;) So first up is Cologne, Germany and the Queer as Folk convention, June 6-10.
(For those who maybe don't want to read the whole report (it's super long, I know) but want to see pictures, you can find my photobucket album here. I'll post separate links for the Scotland and Ireland pictures in their respective posts.)
My flight to Cologne consisted of 3 flight: one from Tampa to NYC, then from NYC to Berlin, then finally from Berlin to Cologne. All in all, it took about 18 hours of travel time, and when you figure in the time difference, I lost almost a full 24 hours. So you could say I was pretty wiped out when I arrived. But on the cab ride from the airport to my hotel, I couldn't help but feel giddy at the thought that I was actually there. Germany has never really been on my list of countries that I wanted to see, but now that I've been there, I am very glad I got the chance to see it, even if I was only there a few days and only in one city. As we were coming over the bridge into the main part of the city, I could see the Cologne Cathedral (or the Koln Dom) towering over the other buildings far off in the distance. It was quite a sight.
I got to my hotel in the early afternoon, before normal check in hours, but to my pleasant surprise, they had my room ready and the check in process was very quick and easy. I got settled, explored the hotel and found where all the convention events would be, then I figured I should take a nap for a couple hours before getting up and exploring a bit more. But what was supposed to be a 2 hour nap turned into a 6 hour nap, and when I woke up, it was nearly 9:00 pm. Of course, it was still fairly light outside because it stays light until after 10:00 there, but I decided it would be best to just stay in that night and get an early start in the morning.
Sadly, I only had the morning time the next day to do sightseeing because registration for the convention began at 1 pm. I'd debated staying out later and getting to registration whenever I got back, but as it turns out, it's a very good thing I got back and was there at the beginning of the process, or else I would have been waiting in line for 6 hours instead of 4 (more on that later). So anyway, my first stop was, of course, the Cathedral. It's at the top of every "must-see" list about Cologne. I was going to try to figure out the metro system, but it was less than 10 minutes by foot from my hotel, so in the end I just decided to walk. The weather was nice, in the lower-to-mid 70's and sunny. I walked down Hohe Street, which is a pedestrianized street full of shops and restaurants. I didn't go in any of the shops, though. That street took me directly to the Cathedral, and man, the only word that I can use that MIGHT express what I saw is "overwhelming". It's just so beautiful, majestic, wondrous, and HUGE. I got there about 5 minutes before it opened, so it worked out well. And the inside is just as gorgeous and awe-inspiring as the exterior. I walked around for a good 45 minutes, just looking at everything. I sat for a few minutes in one of the little chapels and said a prayer and lit a candle for my dad and grandma. I sure hope they were able to see everything through my eyes. I didn't take a tour around because the only free ones were in German, and I also had a limited amount of time. But I enjoyed it plenty without a formal tour anyway.
After I was done at the Dom, I walked around the general area for a bit and made my way over to St. Andreas Cathedral. Unfortunately, it seemed to be closed when I tried to go in farther than the narthex, so I just took a few pictures in that area and made my way back to the area right around the Dom to do some souvenir shopping. I spend an hour or so looking through 3-4 little shops before finally deciding to head back to the hotel. I wish I'd had more time (and money) to see other things since there are so many places I'd love to see, but that just means I have to go back, right? ;)
So once I got back to the hotel, I ate a quick lunch and changed before going down for registration for the convention. Now, I'm going to get the negative stuff out of the way first, then I can focus on the good parts, but I really have to say that this con was organized VERY poorly, at least in execution. On paper (or the website, if you will), it looked like it would be really great and there were so many cool and unique events planned, so I was super excited going in. But for all the really great ideas, the execution was pretty abysmal overall. I'm not going to list everything that was bad or went wrong, because it's a long list and I don't want to overshadow the fact that I DID have a good time, but as a seasoned con-goer, I spent most of the time stressed out and frustrated as hell because of all the delays and terrible communication and the general feeling of "nobody knows what the hell is going on, including the staff". THAT SAID, I must cut some slack to Elke, the organizer, because she's a very nice lady and she tried her best to fix the problems that arose. And also, she is not even really a convention organizer, but rather a dedicated fan who just happened to do the impossible and make this convention happen at all. So I do give her props for being the one to pull it all together. But the over-reliance on technology that inevitably failed and the last minute changes after Gale Harold had to cancel was kinda insane and unnecessary.
So now that that's done, onto the fun stuff! One of the GREAT things to come out of having to stand in line for 4 hours was that I ended up meeting a group of girls standing behind me who became my new friends over the course of the weekend. Christine, Sandra, Anita, Rachel and Sarah, if you're reading this, I'm so happy I met you guys and that we are all now friends. I came to the convention completely alone and not really knowing anyone else in the fandom beyond maybe a username, so it was really great to meet a bunch of new people and make some lasting connections. :)
Now for the actual convention stuff. The first major event was a "pub" night, which wasn't really a pub at all, but rather a club named "Vanity". The stars were all in attendance, although they were kinda barricaded off from most of the attendees, except for those with the highest tier of ticket (I had the second highest, Diner). Because of the poor communication about which type of ticket could go where, I ended up not getting a very good seat and therefore missed a lot of the interaction with the stars once they finally got there. But I did manage to push my way through the hoards for a few minutes and ended up being right behind where Randy Harrison sat by the bar for a few minutes. But overall, it was too chaotic for my tastes, what with the screaming, crowding, and loud music. So it was kind of not worth it for me, but I did get to see most of the stars at once point or another (I really only missed Harris Allen because he was all the way in the other corner), so that was cool.
The next day was when most of the Q&A panels happened. There was a short opening panel with all 9 actors to start off. I must say I was surprised (not in a bad way, though), that a lot of the questions were on the topic of homophobia and coming out and how the show impacted the LGBT community as a whole as opposed to specific questions about the show's storylines. I'm just so used to the VERY detailed and specific questions from the SPN cons that it took me by surprise. But then again, the show has been over for 7 years, so that might have something to do with it, lol.
After the opening panel, they started autographs by row. I'd managed to get in the 4th row, so while I did wait SOME, it wasn't too bad. This was one of the highlights of the con for me (there are a few). It was my first real interaction with most of the stars (aside from Hal Sparks, who I met last December when he came to FL with his Sexy Liberal Show), and they were all very willing to stop and chat with each person for a minute or so to make the experience more personal. Harris Allen was up first, and I must say I had no idea what to say to him, lol. I mean, I like his character in the show fine, but I didn't have any real invested interest. And he was also the last-minute replacement for Gale, so I hadn't had time to think of anything to say/ask. So I kinda just stared at him blankly while he was signing the picture they'd provided us, lol. I'm sure he thought I was an idiot, or at least socially inept (which is kinda true, haha). Next up was Robert Gant. I must say, Robert was one of the biggest pleasant surprises from this con for me. First off, he is from Tampa, so when I mentioned that I was from just south of there, he got all excited and was so happy to have a fellow Floridian around. So we kinda bonded over that for a minute before I had to move on to Hal Sparks. I didn't really have any special moment with him. He was saying to the person in front of me that he'd left the club early the night before because he didn't like the club scene, and I just agreed and thanked him and that was it, lol. Michelle Clunie was next, and again, I caught the end of a conversation from the person in front of me. She was saying how Gale had texted her the night before saying how much he really wished he could have been there (he had to cancel because an awesome acting opportunity came up and they couldn't work around the con). Michelle was the other big pleasant surprise for me, but that really came later on. Next for autos was Thea Gill. I didn't really say much to her, either, but I was struck by how beautiful she is. And her voice is so soft but has a pretty sound to it. Then I was to Peter Paige. Can I just say how much I love Peter Paige?? He's amazing. :) I told him that I was the one who won a voice message from him last year in an auction to help Japan after the earthquake. He smiled and said he remembered making it and was happy I enjoyed it. :) Then it was on to Scott Lowell, and I thanked him for corralling all the other actors into attending the con (he was the one who took charge and got everyone to agree), and he said that it wasn't easy and he realized just how unorganized his friends were when trying to get everything sorted out, lol. Poor guy. Then I came to Randy Harrison. Lucky for me, the person in front of me was stopped at table ahead of us, so I got a minute or two extra to talk to him. He asked where I was from, and I said Florida, and he asked where in Florida, and when I said Sarasota, he actually knew where it was. In fact, he even knew Venice, which blew my mind, since NO ONE from outside the area ever knows where that is. You hear Venice, you think Italy or California, not Florida, lol. So that was pretty amazing. Maybe I should be looking out for a Randy sighting. ;) And lastly, but certainly not least, was Sharon Gless. I told her she was amazing in the show, and she thanked me and said she should have worn her red wig and come out in character. I laughed and said YES! Haha!
So autographs lasted several more hours and eventually they actually had to stop them altogether to start photographs and then later on the Q&A panels. I had a photo with Randy, and while that line was INSANE and ridiculous, I can't complain too much because they were so backed up for the line AFTER the photo (yeah...) that they stopped the line about 4 people in front of me for about 15 minutes or so, and during that time I got to basically stare at Randy while he sat and did stretches on the ground. So umm, not a TERRIBLE way to pass the time. ;) The photo experience itself was somewhat underwhelming, mostly because I know how guarded he is with fans in general, so I didn't ask for any special poses or anything. But oh well.
The panels started while Randy was still doing photos, and I missed Peter and Scott's, which sucks. But I did get to see the rest of them, which is more than I can say for people who had other photos. So the first one I saw was Hal, Robert, and Harris. I'm not going to recap what was said because by now, the people who care already know most of it, so I will only say that I kinda wish Hal had shut up for 5 seconds to let Robert or Harris speak because he seemed to dominate the conversation 90% of the time. And I do like Hal, but mostly OUTSIDE of QAF, lol. Next up was a panel about Homophobia and Bullying, which I found to be very interesting and insightful. Robert, Michelle, and Peter were joined by 2 fans, one trans boy from Cologne and one girl from a country I can't remember. But they both talked about their experiences with being bullied and having to hide who they truly are for fear of being beaten or possibly killed. It was an intense conversation but also very important. Peter said that just by us (the attendees) being there at the con, it was a strong political statement for the LGBT community. Very powerful stuff. After that, Thea and Michelle had their panel. Michelle didn't say too much (for reasons later explained as her heart was racing from having caffeine was she's not supposed to), but Thea shocked us all by getting very passionate and animated while talking about the intricacies of human sexuality. She's usually so soft-spoken but she obviously feels very strongly about the subject and it was great to see her get so into it. The last panel of the day was Randy and Sharon. Those two have such a great rapport and obvious affection for one another. It was great to see. I do have to point out one thing, though. In every con report I've read so far, they've mentioned that Sharon came out and said "I'm Gale Harold", which was greeted by laughter and thunderous applause, but NO ONE mentioned the funniest thing about it! She added "in drag" after that and I couldn't stop laughing. I'm wondering if I'm the only one who caught it because no one else has said anything about that part, but it was HILARIOUS. Anyway, they talked about their scenes together mostly, and of course Randy was asked about where Brian and Justin are now and no one liked the answer, haha. Whatever, he can't burst my bubble that they're living happily ever after in Briton. *lalalala* ;P
After the panels, there was the "Club Babylon" party, where they were supposed to recreate the feeling of Babylon from the show. Both this and the one from the night before were off-site and we had to find our own way there, and so naturally I got lost. I went around in circles for half an hour before finding it, and then there was a snafu with the ticket tiers being let in in the wrong order, and I was tired and frustrated and just generally not up for it. I stayed about half an hour before deciding to just go back to the hotel for the night. It seems like people had a really good time and that Robert, Peter, and Michelle came out and danced for a while, but I'm not really all that sad I missed it. I don't do well in big crowds for long, so it was probably for the best I skipped it.
The final day of the con started off with the duo and group photos that had been pushed back from the day before. Because there was no wiggle room for time delays that day, the photos were very quick and impersonal, but I'm used to that from Creation so whatever. I got a photo with Scott and Peter, one with Randy and Hal (pretty sure I'm the only one with those 2 together, lol), and a full cast photo. The best part about that was that Robert actually remembered my name and said a big "Hi Laurel!" when I walked over to them. That was pretty awesome. :)
Once photos were done, it was time for the meet and greets. The actors were paired off and 20-30 fans went into a small room for a more intimite Q&A. My ticket included all of them except Randy and Sharon, which I bought the extra upgrade for. I had Hal, Robert, and Harris first. Again, Hal pretty much dominated the conversation, but we did get to hear Harris talk a bit about his most memorable scenes and also about his music. And Robert was so cute because he kept randomly remembering little scenes or moments and laughing, and he talked about the steriods arc some. And again, as we left the room and were saying goodbye, he called me by name. He's really a great guy and so funny! Anyway, next was Michelle and Thea. They talked about Lindsay/Sam and how doing the threesome with Leda was actually harder for them. Then was Peter and Scott. They gave us some behind-the-scenes tidbits about ADR looping (HILARIOUS stuff), and talked about not eating bread or pasta for 5 years because at any time they could open and script and have to be naked, lol. Randy and Sharon were the last ones for me, and it was special for me. I can't actually remember most of the questions that were asked, but right before the end of the time, I got up the nerve to thank Sharon for being the voice behind Debbie because it was her character that got me to look up what PFLAG was, which then led me on a path that has changed my life in many wonderful ways. She then told a story about meeting the original PFLAG mom at a premiere, which was pretty awesome. So I'm really glad I had the chance to thank her, even if she wasn't responsible for the writing.
After the meet and greets, it was time for the City Walk with the actors. The way it was supposed to work was that you picked a pair (or trio) of actors you wanted to go with and then you'd have a guided tour around certain sights in the city and then a lunch. I picked Peter and Scott because, at the time, Randy and Gale ( later changed to Sharon) had been sold out. In this instance, I'm actually really glad it didn't work out exactly as it was planned. Due to some of the pairs only having 4-5 fans in their group, they kinda merged them all together in one big group (minus Randy and Sharon, which was more expensive than the rest). So instead of 2 actors, we got 7. We started out walking to a restaurant very near the Cathedral, where all 7 of the actors were going to eat lunch with us. At first, we were one of only 2 tables that didn't end up with an actor, but then a little bit later Michelle moved over and sat with us. And this is where one of my favorite parts of the con happened. Now, I've always liked Michelle fine, even though Melanie (the character she played) is probably my least favorite character throughout most of the show. But just getting to sit and talk with her, as well as my new friends, made me realize just what a wonderful human being she really is. So down to earth and a HUGE romantic and just all-around good person. We talked about travelling and real life romance stories and her new play. It was so much fun that when people started getting up so we could do the actual City Walk part, I didn't want to go, I just wanted to sit and talk with her some more, lol. But eventually we did make our way to the Cathedral, although we only walked around the outside. I ended up standing close to Peter and Robert for a good part of it. But sadly, I had to leave a few minutes early because I had to catch my flight to Scotland to meet my mom. I'd always known I was going to miss the last few hours, so it wasn't a huge deal. But the cool part was, as I was saying goodbye to my new friends and giving hugs and whatnot, I caught Robert and Peter's attention and they asked if I was leaving. I said yes, I was on my way to Scotland, and they both thanked me for being there and said goodbye to me personally and shook my hand. So that was a pretty neat way to end the con. :)
So then I just made my way back to the hotel, got my bags, and got a taxi to the airport. I was sad to be leaving, but also excited for the next part of my journey to begin. But I did later have a chance to reflect on the whole weekend without the stress and frustration clouding my thoughts, and I finally began to realize how amazing it was to be a part of that convention. It was a major thing to get almost all the main actors in one place so long after the show had ended, not just for us fans, but for the actors as well. Peter was right, we did make a statement. Despite all the chaos, it was important for us to gather and share our experiences and love and support for one another. I've made several new friends, and I got to talk to some very talented actors who are all kind and generous and just amazing. I will never forget this experience. <3
Stay tuned for my Scotland and Ireland posts still to come!
(For those who maybe don't want to read the whole report (it's super long, I know) but want to see pictures, you can find my photobucket album here. I'll post separate links for the Scotland and Ireland pictures in their respective posts.)
My flight to Cologne consisted of 3 flight: one from Tampa to NYC, then from NYC to Berlin, then finally from Berlin to Cologne. All in all, it took about 18 hours of travel time, and when you figure in the time difference, I lost almost a full 24 hours. So you could say I was pretty wiped out when I arrived. But on the cab ride from the airport to my hotel, I couldn't help but feel giddy at the thought that I was actually there. Germany has never really been on my list of countries that I wanted to see, but now that I've been there, I am very glad I got the chance to see it, even if I was only there a few days and only in one city. As we were coming over the bridge into the main part of the city, I could see the Cologne Cathedral (or the Koln Dom) towering over the other buildings far off in the distance. It was quite a sight.
I got to my hotel in the early afternoon, before normal check in hours, but to my pleasant surprise, they had my room ready and the check in process was very quick and easy. I got settled, explored the hotel and found where all the convention events would be, then I figured I should take a nap for a couple hours before getting up and exploring a bit more. But what was supposed to be a 2 hour nap turned into a 6 hour nap, and when I woke up, it was nearly 9:00 pm. Of course, it was still fairly light outside because it stays light until after 10:00 there, but I decided it would be best to just stay in that night and get an early start in the morning.
Sadly, I only had the morning time the next day to do sightseeing because registration for the convention began at 1 pm. I'd debated staying out later and getting to registration whenever I got back, but as it turns out, it's a very good thing I got back and was there at the beginning of the process, or else I would have been waiting in line for 6 hours instead of 4 (more on that later). So anyway, my first stop was, of course, the Cathedral. It's at the top of every "must-see" list about Cologne. I was going to try to figure out the metro system, but it was less than 10 minutes by foot from my hotel, so in the end I just decided to walk. The weather was nice, in the lower-to-mid 70's and sunny. I walked down Hohe Street, which is a pedestrianized street full of shops and restaurants. I didn't go in any of the shops, though. That street took me directly to the Cathedral, and man, the only word that I can use that MIGHT express what I saw is "overwhelming". It's just so beautiful, majestic, wondrous, and HUGE. I got there about 5 minutes before it opened, so it worked out well. And the inside is just as gorgeous and awe-inspiring as the exterior. I walked around for a good 45 minutes, just looking at everything. I sat for a few minutes in one of the little chapels and said a prayer and lit a candle for my dad and grandma. I sure hope they were able to see everything through my eyes. I didn't take a tour around because the only free ones were in German, and I also had a limited amount of time. But I enjoyed it plenty without a formal tour anyway.
After I was done at the Dom, I walked around the general area for a bit and made my way over to St. Andreas Cathedral. Unfortunately, it seemed to be closed when I tried to go in farther than the narthex, so I just took a few pictures in that area and made my way back to the area right around the Dom to do some souvenir shopping. I spend an hour or so looking through 3-4 little shops before finally deciding to head back to the hotel. I wish I'd had more time (and money) to see other things since there are so many places I'd love to see, but that just means I have to go back, right? ;)
So once I got back to the hotel, I ate a quick lunch and changed before going down for registration for the convention. Now, I'm going to get the negative stuff out of the way first, then I can focus on the good parts, but I really have to say that this con was organized VERY poorly, at least in execution. On paper (or the website, if you will), it looked like it would be really great and there were so many cool and unique events planned, so I was super excited going in. But for all the really great ideas, the execution was pretty abysmal overall. I'm not going to list everything that was bad or went wrong, because it's a long list and I don't want to overshadow the fact that I DID have a good time, but as a seasoned con-goer, I spent most of the time stressed out and frustrated as hell because of all the delays and terrible communication and the general feeling of "nobody knows what the hell is going on, including the staff". THAT SAID, I must cut some slack to Elke, the organizer, because she's a very nice lady and she tried her best to fix the problems that arose. And also, she is not even really a convention organizer, but rather a dedicated fan who just happened to do the impossible and make this convention happen at all. So I do give her props for being the one to pull it all together. But the over-reliance on technology that inevitably failed and the last minute changes after Gale Harold had to cancel was kinda insane and unnecessary.
So now that that's done, onto the fun stuff! One of the GREAT things to come out of having to stand in line for 4 hours was that I ended up meeting a group of girls standing behind me who became my new friends over the course of the weekend. Christine, Sandra, Anita, Rachel and Sarah, if you're reading this, I'm so happy I met you guys and that we are all now friends. I came to the convention completely alone and not really knowing anyone else in the fandom beyond maybe a username, so it was really great to meet a bunch of new people and make some lasting connections. :)
Now for the actual convention stuff. The first major event was a "pub" night, which wasn't really a pub at all, but rather a club named "Vanity". The stars were all in attendance, although they were kinda barricaded off from most of the attendees, except for those with the highest tier of ticket (I had the second highest, Diner). Because of the poor communication about which type of ticket could go where, I ended up not getting a very good seat and therefore missed a lot of the interaction with the stars once they finally got there. But I did manage to push my way through the hoards for a few minutes and ended up being right behind where Randy Harrison sat by the bar for a few minutes. But overall, it was too chaotic for my tastes, what with the screaming, crowding, and loud music. So it was kind of not worth it for me, but I did get to see most of the stars at once point or another (I really only missed Harris Allen because he was all the way in the other corner), so that was cool.
The next day was when most of the Q&A panels happened. There was a short opening panel with all 9 actors to start off. I must say I was surprised (not in a bad way, though), that a lot of the questions were on the topic of homophobia and coming out and how the show impacted the LGBT community as a whole as opposed to specific questions about the show's storylines. I'm just so used to the VERY detailed and specific questions from the SPN cons that it took me by surprise. But then again, the show has been over for 7 years, so that might have something to do with it, lol.
After the opening panel, they started autographs by row. I'd managed to get in the 4th row, so while I did wait SOME, it wasn't too bad. This was one of the highlights of the con for me (there are a few). It was my first real interaction with most of the stars (aside from Hal Sparks, who I met last December when he came to FL with his Sexy Liberal Show), and they were all very willing to stop and chat with each person for a minute or so to make the experience more personal. Harris Allen was up first, and I must say I had no idea what to say to him, lol. I mean, I like his character in the show fine, but I didn't have any real invested interest. And he was also the last-minute replacement for Gale, so I hadn't had time to think of anything to say/ask. So I kinda just stared at him blankly while he was signing the picture they'd provided us, lol. I'm sure he thought I was an idiot, or at least socially inept (which is kinda true, haha). Next up was Robert Gant. I must say, Robert was one of the biggest pleasant surprises from this con for me. First off, he is from Tampa, so when I mentioned that I was from just south of there, he got all excited and was so happy to have a fellow Floridian around. So we kinda bonded over that for a minute before I had to move on to Hal Sparks. I didn't really have any special moment with him. He was saying to the person in front of me that he'd left the club early the night before because he didn't like the club scene, and I just agreed and thanked him and that was it, lol. Michelle Clunie was next, and again, I caught the end of a conversation from the person in front of me. She was saying how Gale had texted her the night before saying how much he really wished he could have been there (he had to cancel because an awesome acting opportunity came up and they couldn't work around the con). Michelle was the other big pleasant surprise for me, but that really came later on. Next for autos was Thea Gill. I didn't really say much to her, either, but I was struck by how beautiful she is. And her voice is so soft but has a pretty sound to it. Then I was to Peter Paige. Can I just say how much I love Peter Paige?? He's amazing. :) I told him that I was the one who won a voice message from him last year in an auction to help Japan after the earthquake. He smiled and said he remembered making it and was happy I enjoyed it. :) Then it was on to Scott Lowell, and I thanked him for corralling all the other actors into attending the con (he was the one who took charge and got everyone to agree), and he said that it wasn't easy and he realized just how unorganized his friends were when trying to get everything sorted out, lol. Poor guy. Then I came to Randy Harrison. Lucky for me, the person in front of me was stopped at table ahead of us, so I got a minute or two extra to talk to him. He asked where I was from, and I said Florida, and he asked where in Florida, and when I said Sarasota, he actually knew where it was. In fact, he even knew Venice, which blew my mind, since NO ONE from outside the area ever knows where that is. You hear Venice, you think Italy or California, not Florida, lol. So that was pretty amazing. Maybe I should be looking out for a Randy sighting. ;) And lastly, but certainly not least, was Sharon Gless. I told her she was amazing in the show, and she thanked me and said she should have worn her red wig and come out in character. I laughed and said YES! Haha!
So autographs lasted several more hours and eventually they actually had to stop them altogether to start photographs and then later on the Q&A panels. I had a photo with Randy, and while that line was INSANE and ridiculous, I can't complain too much because they were so backed up for the line AFTER the photo (yeah...) that they stopped the line about 4 people in front of me for about 15 minutes or so, and during that time I got to basically stare at Randy while he sat and did stretches on the ground. So umm, not a TERRIBLE way to pass the time. ;) The photo experience itself was somewhat underwhelming, mostly because I know how guarded he is with fans in general, so I didn't ask for any special poses or anything. But oh well.
The panels started while Randy was still doing photos, and I missed Peter and Scott's, which sucks. But I did get to see the rest of them, which is more than I can say for people who had other photos. So the first one I saw was Hal, Robert, and Harris. I'm not going to recap what was said because by now, the people who care already know most of it, so I will only say that I kinda wish Hal had shut up for 5 seconds to let Robert or Harris speak because he seemed to dominate the conversation 90% of the time. And I do like Hal, but mostly OUTSIDE of QAF, lol. Next up was a panel about Homophobia and Bullying, which I found to be very interesting and insightful. Robert, Michelle, and Peter were joined by 2 fans, one trans boy from Cologne and one girl from a country I can't remember. But they both talked about their experiences with being bullied and having to hide who they truly are for fear of being beaten or possibly killed. It was an intense conversation but also very important. Peter said that just by us (the attendees) being there at the con, it was a strong political statement for the LGBT community. Very powerful stuff. After that, Thea and Michelle had their panel. Michelle didn't say too much (for reasons later explained as her heart was racing from having caffeine was she's not supposed to), but Thea shocked us all by getting very passionate and animated while talking about the intricacies of human sexuality. She's usually so soft-spoken but she obviously feels very strongly about the subject and it was great to see her get so into it. The last panel of the day was Randy and Sharon. Those two have such a great rapport and obvious affection for one another. It was great to see. I do have to point out one thing, though. In every con report I've read so far, they've mentioned that Sharon came out and said "I'm Gale Harold", which was greeted by laughter and thunderous applause, but NO ONE mentioned the funniest thing about it! She added "in drag" after that and I couldn't stop laughing. I'm wondering if I'm the only one who caught it because no one else has said anything about that part, but it was HILARIOUS. Anyway, they talked about their scenes together mostly, and of course Randy was asked about where Brian and Justin are now and no one liked the answer, haha. Whatever, he can't burst my bubble that they're living happily ever after in Briton. *lalalala* ;P
After the panels, there was the "Club Babylon" party, where they were supposed to recreate the feeling of Babylon from the show. Both this and the one from the night before were off-site and we had to find our own way there, and so naturally I got lost. I went around in circles for half an hour before finding it, and then there was a snafu with the ticket tiers being let in in the wrong order, and I was tired and frustrated and just generally not up for it. I stayed about half an hour before deciding to just go back to the hotel for the night. It seems like people had a really good time and that Robert, Peter, and Michelle came out and danced for a while, but I'm not really all that sad I missed it. I don't do well in big crowds for long, so it was probably for the best I skipped it.
The final day of the con started off with the duo and group photos that had been pushed back from the day before. Because there was no wiggle room for time delays that day, the photos were very quick and impersonal, but I'm used to that from Creation so whatever. I got a photo with Scott and Peter, one with Randy and Hal (pretty sure I'm the only one with those 2 together, lol), and a full cast photo. The best part about that was that Robert actually remembered my name and said a big "Hi Laurel!" when I walked over to them. That was pretty awesome. :)
Once photos were done, it was time for the meet and greets. The actors were paired off and 20-30 fans went into a small room for a more intimite Q&A. My ticket included all of them except Randy and Sharon, which I bought the extra upgrade for. I had Hal, Robert, and Harris first. Again, Hal pretty much dominated the conversation, but we did get to hear Harris talk a bit about his most memorable scenes and also about his music. And Robert was so cute because he kept randomly remembering little scenes or moments and laughing, and he talked about the steriods arc some. And again, as we left the room and were saying goodbye, he called me by name. He's really a great guy and so funny! Anyway, next was Michelle and Thea. They talked about Lindsay/Sam and how doing the threesome with Leda was actually harder for them. Then was Peter and Scott. They gave us some behind-the-scenes tidbits about ADR looping (HILARIOUS stuff), and talked about not eating bread or pasta for 5 years because at any time they could open and script and have to be naked, lol. Randy and Sharon were the last ones for me, and it was special for me. I can't actually remember most of the questions that were asked, but right before the end of the time, I got up the nerve to thank Sharon for being the voice behind Debbie because it was her character that got me to look up what PFLAG was, which then led me on a path that has changed my life in many wonderful ways. She then told a story about meeting the original PFLAG mom at a premiere, which was pretty awesome. So I'm really glad I had the chance to thank her, even if she wasn't responsible for the writing.
After the meet and greets, it was time for the City Walk with the actors. The way it was supposed to work was that you picked a pair (or trio) of actors you wanted to go with and then you'd have a guided tour around certain sights in the city and then a lunch. I picked Peter and Scott because, at the time, Randy and Gale ( later changed to Sharon) had been sold out. In this instance, I'm actually really glad it didn't work out exactly as it was planned. Due to some of the pairs only having 4-5 fans in their group, they kinda merged them all together in one big group (minus Randy and Sharon, which was more expensive than the rest). So instead of 2 actors, we got 7. We started out walking to a restaurant very near the Cathedral, where all 7 of the actors were going to eat lunch with us. At first, we were one of only 2 tables that didn't end up with an actor, but then a little bit later Michelle moved over and sat with us. And this is where one of my favorite parts of the con happened. Now, I've always liked Michelle fine, even though Melanie (the character she played) is probably my least favorite character throughout most of the show. But just getting to sit and talk with her, as well as my new friends, made me realize just what a wonderful human being she really is. So down to earth and a HUGE romantic and just all-around good person. We talked about travelling and real life romance stories and her new play. It was so much fun that when people started getting up so we could do the actual City Walk part, I didn't want to go, I just wanted to sit and talk with her some more, lol. But eventually we did make our way to the Cathedral, although we only walked around the outside. I ended up standing close to Peter and Robert for a good part of it. But sadly, I had to leave a few minutes early because I had to catch my flight to Scotland to meet my mom. I'd always known I was going to miss the last few hours, so it wasn't a huge deal. But the cool part was, as I was saying goodbye to my new friends and giving hugs and whatnot, I caught Robert and Peter's attention and they asked if I was leaving. I said yes, I was on my way to Scotland, and they both thanked me for being there and said goodbye to me personally and shook my hand. So that was a pretty neat way to end the con. :)
So then I just made my way back to the hotel, got my bags, and got a taxi to the airport. I was sad to be leaving, but also excited for the next part of my journey to begin. But I did later have a chance to reflect on the whole weekend without the stress and frustration clouding my thoughts, and I finally began to realize how amazing it was to be a part of that convention. It was a major thing to get almost all the main actors in one place so long after the show had ended, not just for us fans, but for the actors as well. Peter was right, we did make a statement. Despite all the chaos, it was important for us to gather and share our experiences and love and support for one another. I've made several new friends, and I got to talk to some very talented actors who are all kind and generous and just amazing. I will never forget this experience. <3
Stay tuned for my Scotland and Ireland posts still to come!