Swancon Report - My Con Experience
My con was awesome. I was stupidly busy for most of it, which really made me appreciate all the bits where I wasn't.
The breakdown is below
Wednesday:
Frantically finishing stuff at work, trying to save myself time and issues later by printing certificates, running sheets and other organisey things.
Headed off to have dinner with dalmeny and some of the university women's group she was meeting up with. Went past the Utopia restaurant where people were starting to gather for the GOH dinner. Dropped off folder of usefulness, waved at people, met i_ate_my_crusts and G (lj name?), and a few others. Apologised for not being able to make it, but dalmeny and I had been trying to make this dinner happen for about a week and a bit. Also the other dinner I'd booked into 'The New Orleans' and is one of my favourite restaurants, so I was very much looking forward to the food and familiar ambiance that I've fallen totally in love with.
The New Orleans is a family run restaurant and serves traditional New Orleans fare, some with a twist and all of it an amazing taste sensation! The menu is 3/4 gluten free, and there are some really interesting and lovely vegetarian recipes that I'm looking forward to trying. The host/owner remembers me from the other times I've brought groups here, from when K and I turn up reasonably regularly and as usual we had cornbread on the house. I love that cornbread more than I have words to say.
Everyone turned up and dinner companions were: dalmeny, dmw, dr_k, as well as myself, and two of the women from the university women's group. Great company! We talked about the Listening Tour, other women's groups, what femmeconne aims to do and how it does it, group organisations and the beaurocracy/politics that can go along with it, volunteerism aspects and various other things. It was all over too soon, but it was one of the best meals of the con!
D kindly gave me a lift home and I got the chance to catch up with them on the way back.
Thursday, I was immediately thankful for my boss who said I could take the day on flex.
And now for dot points:
- finished packing and getting ready
- meandered into the city
- checked into hotel and organised room
- went to cbd with D to get food and alcohol, we had just enough stuff between us that walking and heat was not attractive so we tried to taxi back. We failed, and redbraids rescued us! (Thank you!!!!!!)
- did reg desk with DM - who is amazing at it and very good company.
- went to dinner with Chesh, Calli and childrens at Mela Indian which was awesome.
- went to opening and applauded.
- organised stuff for panel, and on my way down to panel, got stuck in the wrong stairwell with maharetr. Called dalmeny who was my co-panellist, and she sent G to find us - we were gratefully rescued!
First panel: Sharing the Love: The Online World of Fanfiction
Panellist with: cupidsbow and dalmeny.
First of all, can I just point out how amazing my co-panellists are? I was and still am incredibly excited to have been sitting there with them - it was a bit of a head rush actually. This was essentially a fun and breaking down the barriers, debunking the scary stuff about fanfic. It worked well - there were several people who seemed reassured that they weren't alone in getting a great deal of satisfaction out of this. We looked at various acronyms and abbreviations and stuff - my high point was finding out about \o/ - a small thing but it's the tiny things that thrill me the most. This was the first instance where I surprised myself on what I could and did talk about, say and how it related. I didn't expect to speak as well as I did, or be able to contribute as equally - I felt I did on this panel.
After the panel there was Girliecon, and pink drinks. I brought along strawberry champagne, and managed to get robshearman a little bit hooked on it - which was totally unexpected and yet, more appreciation for sweet drinks is completely fine by me! Started conversation on awards (inevitable) and Rob wanted to win a Ditmar - and alas I couldn't oblige him, nor rename the awards after them, but it did sit with me that he wanted to be involved, though it wasn't till later that I found a way to make it happen. Meeting him and spending time with him during the con, was purely coincidental - he seemed to coincide with the moments where I wasn't running around trying to do or organise stuff, that I helped him feel a part of our family and welcomed in, is actually one of my major high points of the con. Rob is totally adorable, I miss him already.
random_alex kicked us out early enough to go off and find new conversation and places to lounge, shrydar kindly offered his room. We finished strawberry bubbles, and Rob and I continued the conversation we'd started on fanfic and writing for doctor who, satisfaction in it and how it all works and changes from what you want to say, to the red editing machete's of the tv execs.
After the others wandered off to bed I looked to go and join the gaming only to find that they'd packed up early :P Alas it was my only free opportunity this con to try and game, but I watched hungrily at other points! :)
Bed time by 2am it must have been...
Okay, enough for now. Time for a(nother) nap.
The breakdown is below
Wednesday:
Frantically finishing stuff at work, trying to save myself time and issues later by printing certificates, running sheets and other organisey things.
Headed off to have dinner with dalmeny and some of the university women's group she was meeting up with. Went past the Utopia restaurant where people were starting to gather for the GOH dinner. Dropped off folder of usefulness, waved at people, met i_ate_my_crusts and G (lj name?), and a few others. Apologised for not being able to make it, but dalmeny and I had been trying to make this dinner happen for about a week and a bit. Also the other dinner I'd booked into 'The New Orleans' and is one of my favourite restaurants, so I was very much looking forward to the food and familiar ambiance that I've fallen totally in love with.
The New Orleans is a family run restaurant and serves traditional New Orleans fare, some with a twist and all of it an amazing taste sensation! The menu is 3/4 gluten free, and there are some really interesting and lovely vegetarian recipes that I'm looking forward to trying. The host/owner remembers me from the other times I've brought groups here, from when K and I turn up reasonably regularly and as usual we had cornbread on the house. I love that cornbread more than I have words to say.
Everyone turned up and dinner companions were: dalmeny, dmw, dr_k, as well as myself, and two of the women from the university women's group. Great company! We talked about the Listening Tour, other women's groups, what femmeconne aims to do and how it does it, group organisations and the beaurocracy/politics that can go along with it, volunteerism aspects and various other things. It was all over too soon, but it was one of the best meals of the con!
D kindly gave me a lift home and I got the chance to catch up with them on the way back.
Thursday, I was immediately thankful for my boss who said I could take the day on flex.
And now for dot points:
- finished packing and getting ready
- meandered into the city
- checked into hotel and organised room
- went to cbd with D to get food and alcohol, we had just enough stuff between us that walking and heat was not attractive so we tried to taxi back. We failed, and redbraids rescued us! (Thank you!!!!!!)
- did reg desk with DM - who is amazing at it and very good company.
- went to dinner with Chesh, Calli and childrens at Mela Indian which was awesome.
- went to opening and applauded.
- organised stuff for panel, and on my way down to panel, got stuck in the wrong stairwell with maharetr. Called dalmeny who was my co-panellist, and she sent G to find us - we were gratefully rescued!
First panel: Sharing the Love: The Online World of Fanfiction
Panellist with: cupidsbow and dalmeny.
First of all, can I just point out how amazing my co-panellists are? I was and still am incredibly excited to have been sitting there with them - it was a bit of a head rush actually. This was essentially a fun and breaking down the barriers, debunking the scary stuff about fanfic. It worked well - there were several people who seemed reassured that they weren't alone in getting a great deal of satisfaction out of this. We looked at various acronyms and abbreviations and stuff - my high point was finding out about \o/ - a small thing but it's the tiny things that thrill me the most. This was the first instance where I surprised myself on what I could and did talk about, say and how it related. I didn't expect to speak as well as I did, or be able to contribute as equally - I felt I did on this panel.
After the panel there was Girliecon, and pink drinks. I brought along strawberry champagne, and managed to get robshearman a little bit hooked on it - which was totally unexpected and yet, more appreciation for sweet drinks is completely fine by me! Started conversation on awards (inevitable) and Rob wanted to win a Ditmar - and alas I couldn't oblige him, nor rename the awards after them, but it did sit with me that he wanted to be involved, though it wasn't till later that I found a way to make it happen. Meeting him and spending time with him during the con, was purely coincidental - he seemed to coincide with the moments where I wasn't running around trying to do or organise stuff, that I helped him feel a part of our family and welcomed in, is actually one of my major high points of the con. Rob is totally adorable, I miss him already.
random_alex kicked us out early enough to go off and find new conversation and places to lounge, shrydar kindly offered his room. We finished strawberry bubbles, and Rob and I continued the conversation we'd started on fanfic and writing for doctor who, satisfaction in it and how it all works and changes from what you want to say, to the red editing machete's of the tv execs.
After the others wandered off to bed I looked to go and join the gaming only to find that they'd packed up early :P Alas it was my only free opportunity this con to try and game, but I watched hungrily at other points! :)
Bed time by 2am it must have been...
Okay, enough for now. Time for a(nother) nap.