Swancon 2012
I think I had the idea that I was going to be able to blog as the con went - and I managed a bit of that. However, as usual, the event itself swept me up into its awesome and I didn't get a chance to do so after a certain point.
So, this is the remainder of my report, less chronological and more about the wonderful things that I want to remember and share.
* Friday afternoon spent tucked in the lounge catching up with
girliejones which we've been trying to manage for about two years. Also the unexpected mini catchup with
redbraids in the middle.
* Friday night spent in the company of
hipikat and friends of his, quiet drinks, discussions and snuggles, very much a perfect evening for me.
* Friday night group dinner, despite the effort required to find somewhere to feed us, it was awesome to spend time as a group of us.
* Friday afternoon discussions with someone about an issue they were having and being able to make a real difference for them, and seeing a whole lot of the safer spaces stuff a bunch of us have been working hard toward, really paying off.
* Saturday morning another conversation with someone that helped them to time a difficult conversation better (ie, not at the convention) and give them comfort and care when they needed it (after a very distraught and sleepless night).
* Dinner with Marianne and
helgathevikingqueen in Marianne's room and doing somewhat of the girly getting ready together for the Masquerade. It's not something that happens very often and even more rare for Marianne so it was particularly memorable and special.
* Saturday getting to spend a whole bunch of time with
azhure and
moonvoice and give them the chance to spend time with me and in part with the con but in a way where I tried to make it gentle and safe given it's easy to become overwhelmed - difficult to do and was only moderately successful. But, I will treasure the time spent and the conversations had and the sense of connection that grew.
* Saturday evening and the Paranormal Romance panel, where it was
azhure's first panel! It was a great panel and I'm so pleased she could make it back in for that! Also, that we got to spend a couple of hours wandering about the Masquerade and after parties together being snuggly and close and delighted. It was just magical and so very precious.
* Finding out Sunday that I'd been thought of by
hipikat and his friends for the watching of movies and more snuggles - it didn't happen that way and I understand they had much fun, but it was really heartwarming to be thought of.
* Ending my night on Saturday night (Sunday morning) at the band's room party and just drinking in their elation at their first gig having gone so well and being so happy and delighted together. It was a really wonderful sight to see and lovely to be part of.
* Lunch with Cam and K and others at Fenians, just hanging out and really the only quality time I got to spend with the boys over the convention (this is not unusual, despite us sharing a room).
* Cam's gesture of finding another bed for the Friday night so K and I could spend some time - even if it was unnecessary given the nature of our differing timelines for sleep at conventions, it was still a really lovely thing to do.
* Sunday's Lost Girl panel went really well and we managed to highlight in several ways how (generally) as a program Lost Girl takes the usual television codes, often by default misogynistic (and various other fails too) and flips them. It was a great discussion and there were several awesome points raised by the audience. It made me love the show even more. Generally part of the show's awesome is that it's not just Bo who gets to be awesome, and sexual and *herself* but the other women get to do that too - and have lives and backgrounds and motivations.
* Sunday night dinner was blissfully small, I was feeling a bit over peopled and wanted to spend time with those already close/dear to me.
* Sunday night, launch for 2013! So exciting and looks like an excellent line up of guests (though this is rarely the point of the convention for me). Still, I love the theme and the committee is composed of awesome and interesting, thoughtful people who I know care a lot about the community and doing a great job.
* There was also the NAFF party (will post about NAFF separately) and then a small and personal room party. In between times, I fed coffee to
ascetic_hedony and
hipikat because such things are useful, and we hung out at the room party talking and hanging out, still with cuddles (and mild flirting, of the non-serious kind, as you do).
* After midnight, learning to play the card game Flux which I am totally delighted by and want to play again and again. Also just getting to hang out with different people that I'm already friends with but don't get to socialise much with outside of parties.
* Monday doing the second half of the movie panel, I love doing this sooooo much. It's always a favourite part for me!
* I was pretty much just feeling *done* by Monday and floated around for most of the day till the closing ceremony. Which was my favourite of these yet - people spruiked their events with awesomeness! There was much geekery and we all understood why the convenor for 2012's DoomCon was teary with it all being over - relief and sadness, a heady mix. I love how she officially passed on the Convenor's Hat to Tommo who is convening the 2013 convention. It was a lovely gesture.
I'm still recovering, tiredness going in from so much very focused study, to none of that and entirely being social and 'on' and professional and hosty for a lot of the convention, with wonderful interludes of quiet, private, aloneness and also more connected special time with people.
I am really looking forward to next year though. I'm also feeling the renewal of my Swancon spirit :)
This entry was originally posted at http://transcendancing.dreamwidth.org/845442.html
So, this is the remainder of my report, less chronological and more about the wonderful things that I want to remember and share.
* Friday afternoon spent tucked in the lounge catching up with
girliejones which we've been trying to manage for about two years. Also the unexpected mini catchup with
redbraids in the middle.
* Friday night spent in the company of
hipikat and friends of his, quiet drinks, discussions and snuggles, very much a perfect evening for me.
* Friday night group dinner, despite the effort required to find somewhere to feed us, it was awesome to spend time as a group of us.
* Friday afternoon discussions with someone about an issue they were having and being able to make a real difference for them, and seeing a whole lot of the safer spaces stuff a bunch of us have been working hard toward, really paying off.
* Saturday morning another conversation with someone that helped them to time a difficult conversation better (ie, not at the convention) and give them comfort and care when they needed it (after a very distraught and sleepless night).
* Dinner with Marianne and
helgathevikingqueen in Marianne's room and doing somewhat of the girly getting ready together for the Masquerade. It's not something that happens very often and even more rare for Marianne so it was particularly memorable and special.
* Saturday getting to spend a whole bunch of time with
azhure and
moonvoice and give them the chance to spend time with me and in part with the con but in a way where I tried to make it gentle and safe given it's easy to become overwhelmed - difficult to do and was only moderately successful. But, I will treasure the time spent and the conversations had and the sense of connection that grew.
* Saturday evening and the Paranormal Romance panel, where it was
azhure's first panel! It was a great panel and I'm so pleased she could make it back in for that! Also, that we got to spend a couple of hours wandering about the Masquerade and after parties together being snuggly and close and delighted. It was just magical and so very precious.
* Finding out Sunday that I'd been thought of by
hipikat and his friends for the watching of movies and more snuggles - it didn't happen that way and I understand they had much fun, but it was really heartwarming to be thought of.
* Ending my night on Saturday night (Sunday morning) at the band's room party and just drinking in their elation at their first gig having gone so well and being so happy and delighted together. It was a really wonderful sight to see and lovely to be part of.
* Lunch with Cam and K and others at Fenians, just hanging out and really the only quality time I got to spend with the boys over the convention (this is not unusual, despite us sharing a room).
* Cam's gesture of finding another bed for the Friday night so K and I could spend some time - even if it was unnecessary given the nature of our differing timelines for sleep at conventions, it was still a really lovely thing to do.
* Sunday's Lost Girl panel went really well and we managed to highlight in several ways how (generally) as a program Lost Girl takes the usual television codes, often by default misogynistic (and various other fails too) and flips them. It was a great discussion and there were several awesome points raised by the audience. It made me love the show even more. Generally part of the show's awesome is that it's not just Bo who gets to be awesome, and sexual and *herself* but the other women get to do that too - and have lives and backgrounds and motivations.
* Sunday night dinner was blissfully small, I was feeling a bit over peopled and wanted to spend time with those already close/dear to me.
* Sunday night, launch for 2013! So exciting and looks like an excellent line up of guests (though this is rarely the point of the convention for me). Still, I love the theme and the committee is composed of awesome and interesting, thoughtful people who I know care a lot about the community and doing a great job.
* There was also the NAFF party (will post about NAFF separately) and then a small and personal room party. In between times, I fed coffee to
ascetic_hedony and
hipikat because such things are useful, and we hung out at the room party talking and hanging out, still with cuddles (and mild flirting, of the non-serious kind, as you do).
* After midnight, learning to play the card game Flux which I am totally delighted by and want to play again and again. Also just getting to hang out with different people that I'm already friends with but don't get to socialise much with outside of parties.
* Monday doing the second half of the movie panel, I love doing this sooooo much. It's always a favourite part for me!
* I was pretty much just feeling *done* by Monday and floated around for most of the day till the closing ceremony. Which was my favourite of these yet - people spruiked their events with awesomeness! There was much geekery and we all understood why the convenor for 2012's DoomCon was teary with it all being over - relief and sadness, a heady mix. I love how she officially passed on the Convenor's Hat to Tommo who is convening the 2013 convention. It was a lovely gesture.
I'm still recovering, tiredness going in from so much very focused study, to none of that and entirely being social and 'on' and professional and hosty for a lot of the convention, with wonderful interludes of quiet, private, aloneness and also more connected special time with people.
I am really looking forward to next year though. I'm also feeling the renewal of my Swancon spirit :)
This entry was originally posted at http://transcendancing.dreamwidth.org/845442.html