balinares | EF 17: fuck yeah.

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EF 17: fuck yeah.

I've noted this weird thing about EF.

For some reason, the even-numbered ones always seem to work better for me than the odd-numbered ones. For instance, take this year: compared to last year, it was only super awesome.

There are worse fates. :)

So! Highlights.

- No crap, the staff keep one-upping themselves year after year. I noted and appreciated the significant improvements in the scheduling, with less event-heavy evenings and more time between the SIGs, and the Pawpet Show has once more raised the bar to entire new heights. I mean. Guys. We're talking of a sci-fi techno thriller played live with puppets. And they made it work. Kudos for the new puppet designs, and the balls to drop long established and well-loved characters.

- Everything went so fast. So many people I didn't manage to sit with and talk a bit,

unciaa,

shinigamigirl, even my own roommate

thewerewolf! Crazy. Take Saturday evening: I accidentally blinked, and suddenly it was 5am. The earliest I went to bed all con was 3:30am, and even so it feels like I didn't have time to do one tenth of what I wanted.

- So many missing people.

garrwolfdog,

kefen, even a few familiar faces from old times that I don't know as well... It feels like an incomplete EF without you guys.

- The food in Germany is so much better and cheaper than my daily fare in Paris. The steakhouse next to the hotel is AWESOME. Thank you so much,

footpad. :) Now I owe you a dinner, and it will be my utmost delight to make good on it.

- Soooo many ponies. Everywhere. On badges, on tee-shirts, coming up in SIGs and in the art auction and more. I made myself a conspicuous brony badge and subsequently found myself spending the rest of the convention giving brohoofs (brohooves?) to cartloads of strangers. We're taking over something major, guys.

- MADE ART FOR BEER! Heck yeah. The ever adorable

delph_bunny got me beer in exchange for a pony line art. I'm THIS CLOSE to actual artist, I swear. Also I spent quite a bit of time just sitting and drawing (ponies, yes, and IN PUBLIC, yes), which makes me feel cool.

- Met new people. EF is still so surprisingly good for meeting people. :) So, thanks to Shironeko for being awesome and making me proud on his first ever game of Chairman Mao, thanks to XEvoNex for the pizza and the company, thanks to Mister Coontail for generally being a laid back guy and nice to hang out with, thanks to Kurano for being fun conversation and letting me try his weird Chinese violin thing, and I'm sure I'm forgetting others.

- In Germany, liquor comes in ORAL SYRINGES. I'm not even kidding. Unlikely circumstances earned me a shot of delicious raspberry liquor for a measly 1€. I kept the syringe. It shall soon see more service, yeeeees...

So, yeah. Great times. The return home is being pretty rough, though. I'll have to be patient. It will get better eventually.

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Pshaw. Feeding steak to dragons is just a sensible public-safety initiative. Your steak was actually funded by the Campaign for Real Virgins, and not by the European taxpayer as I may have incautiously implied.

But you're most exceedingly welcome and I shall gladly accept the prospect of a meal in return.

> Feeding steak to dragons is just a sensible public-safety initiative.

This made me laugh and bit straight into the solid chunk of PCD I've been fighting all day. :)

But awesome as the steak was, really, it was nothing compared with the pleasure of your company. <3 I'm sorry about the initial communication failures; I've not practiced my English in waaaay too long (well, about a year, coincidentally) and your lovely British accent momentarily overwhelmed my untrained French ear. I really really need to find a way to keep in practice.

I'm sorry I missed the awesomeness and many people with whom I wanted drinks — I still owe one to

footpad and his pack,

unclekage, Raider and Lone...

Next year, I'll make room for it, and I'm sure I'll have the energy for the whole thing! In the mean time, well, it was quiet back home, and I still got to see my favorite dragon of all times a little :) Thanks for bringing back souvenirs!

Awr c'mon. It's always my pleasure to hang out with you. <3 But yes, I certainly hope you'll find it in yourself to join us next year. I know the whole thing can be exhausting. But it remains worthwhile exhaustion. {:)

Glad you had fun! :)

I did finish reading the story - just keep getting distracted before sitting down to write feedback. It was generally good - hopefully I can offer some criticism that will be helpful in smoothing out the weak parts. In conclusion, I owe you an e-mail, and *brohoof*.

Now that 'weak parts' bit has me worried. c_c
But this being said -- I know how constructive feedback can be hard work, so please don't feel an obligation to spend too much time on this. It's just an MLP fanfic, y'know. I know you won't point and laugh loudly, and that's all I'm really asking. *brohoof!*

I am easily distractible, but I have not forgotten!

I was trying to get it written up by last night, since I'm literally on my way to a camping trip right now and won't have much computrrtime this weekend, but couldn't quite. :(

Are you ever on any instant messenger (pref. Google talk or AIM)? I can't procrastinate if we're talking in real time ;-p

Otherwise, it's a top priority for Sun/mon nights ...

Oh, yes, I'm balinares@gtalk, but as said, please don't beat yourself up over this. :/ You don't owe me anything, least of all something that you'd have to punt to 'top priority'. c_c Just please let me know if I ought to bother someone else about this, or perhaps just fire it off to the EqD reviewers, since that's what they do. And meanwhile, have a nice camping trip, and post pictures. :) *noses gently*

> The return home is being pretty rough, though.

It's really sad that there's no way I can make it smoother.

I know. It's okay, I had a good time while it lasted.

The pony drawings, the fanfic. You must show us them !

The fanfic is still being reviewed. The drawings are forthcoming. :)

Was it you trying the odd violin with Karuno at the artist lounge??
Like you said, EF is perfect for meeting new people... maybe we will meet at EF18 ;)

I tried it in the lobby, so I think not. The artist lounge was one of the places I didn't have time to go. I should have! Stroll in there with my sketchbook and blue mech pencil, grab me a chair, and make teh ARTS. Y'know, just for the sake of "I BELONG here, bitches", even if I only do on a technicality. :)

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