Prelude to PAX recap
Sep. 7th, 2010 03:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
batskeetsI'm not sure what it was, but it's seeming like this round of PAX was at least a little weird for everyone.
The most notable difference for me? I spent a LOT of time wandering alone. Some of it was by choice, some of it was not, and I did also get to see a greater number of friends than I did last year. I had drive-by encounters with more familiar faces than last year, and actually got to hang out with friends that I didn't even physically see at last year's PAX.
But, yes, I spent a lot of time alone, and there were definitely a lot of factors that went into it. Part of it was the god-awful phone/network reception (thanks, AT&T! ::eyeroll::) and not being able to communicate with anyone particularly well. There were friends I didn't get to spend time with as much as I'd have liked, or even at ALL, because I couldn't find out where they were or what they were doing in any reasonable timeframe.
Part of it was the need to retreat into my own mental space, after the barrage of photo requests from strangers on Costume Day. Part of it was being interested in things that most/all of my friends weren't as excited about checking out. Part of it was keeping some distance between my dear friends and my emotions, because a lot of things I felt at various times were just signs that I need to get over myself, and I didn't want that to spill all over my fun *or* anyone else's. And, well, a lot of it was just going into this PAX even more exhausted, overtaxed, and overwhelmed than I was last year. (is that even possible? Heh.)
I also have to take a moment to look at the good and the bad of the whole PAX environment. Having embarked on the adventure of costuming at a convention for the first time, I've already witnessed some pretty ugly behavior, via photos and commentary post-convention. I've managed to filter my online universe enough that I don't see it often anymore, but the ability some people have to say things via the online medium that they'd never say to a person's face is just appalling. There are times when I'd really like to punch the internet in the groin.
But, on the flip side of that, wandering alone also exposed me to the warm-and-fuzzy PAX that everyone talks about. I was reminded of my experience at PAX '09, when I discovered just how easy it was to simply walk up and talk to a stranger, or to jump in on their one-member-short Rock Band group, or to join in on a game with your line neighbors while waiting for a panel. Even when I was in costume, people were usually polite about asking for photos, and, when I was busy trying to text a friend, a few even offered to sod off and come back later, without prompt from me. It was a nice reminder that, hey, people aren't always as scary as my brain makes them out to be. And there are people who are ready to give to those around them in beautiful ways.
Anyhoo, my karmic retribution for making my Save vs. PaxFlu 2009 seems to be that I caught a cold at this year's PAX, instead, so my formal recap will have to wait until I fight off the Con Crud and I can actually recall what happened in anything resembling chronological order. ;)
The most notable difference for me? I spent a LOT of time wandering alone. Some of it was by choice, some of it was not, and I did also get to see a greater number of friends than I did last year. I had drive-by encounters with more familiar faces than last year, and actually got to hang out with friends that I didn't even physically see at last year's PAX.
But, yes, I spent a lot of time alone, and there were definitely a lot of factors that went into it. Part of it was the god-awful phone/network reception (thanks, AT&T! ::eyeroll::) and not being able to communicate with anyone particularly well. There were friends I didn't get to spend time with as much as I'd have liked, or even at ALL, because I couldn't find out where they were or what they were doing in any reasonable timeframe.
Part of it was the need to retreat into my own mental space, after the barrage of photo requests from strangers on Costume Day. Part of it was being interested in things that most/all of my friends weren't as excited about checking out. Part of it was keeping some distance between my dear friends and my emotions, because a lot of things I felt at various times were just signs that I need to get over myself, and I didn't want that to spill all over my fun *or* anyone else's. And, well, a lot of it was just going into this PAX even more exhausted, overtaxed, and overwhelmed than I was last year. (is that even possible? Heh.)
I also have to take a moment to look at the good and the bad of the whole PAX environment. Having embarked on the adventure of costuming at a convention for the first time, I've already witnessed some pretty ugly behavior, via photos and commentary post-convention. I've managed to filter my online universe enough that I don't see it often anymore, but the ability some people have to say things via the online medium that they'd never say to a person's face is just appalling. There are times when I'd really like to punch the internet in the groin.
But, on the flip side of that, wandering alone also exposed me to the warm-and-fuzzy PAX that everyone talks about. I was reminded of my experience at PAX '09, when I discovered just how easy it was to simply walk up and talk to a stranger, or to jump in on their one-member-short Rock Band group, or to join in on a game with your line neighbors while waiting for a panel. Even when I was in costume, people were usually polite about asking for photos, and, when I was busy trying to text a friend, a few even offered to sod off and come back later, without prompt from me. It was a nice reminder that, hey, people aren't always as scary as my brain makes them out to be. And there are people who are ready to give to those around them in beautiful ways.
Anyhoo, my karmic retribution for making my Save vs. PaxFlu 2009 seems to be that I caught a cold at this year's PAX, instead, so my formal recap will have to wait until I fight off the Con Crud and I can actually recall what happened in anything resembling chronological order. ;)
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no subject
Date: 2010-09-07 10:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-07 11:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-07 11:44 pm (UTC)As for the costume-related ugly behavior, how many people have been experiencing this?
I think the per capita number of iPhones must have overloaded Seattle's cell phone towers. Epic communication breakdown. I'm just glad I got to see all the people I wanted to (of those that were able to make it).
no subject
Date: 2010-09-08 01:12 am (UTC)And I'm glad we actually got to hang out this year! No worries about the Crud, it seems to be a cold, so I'm still able to get *some* work done, at least. I'm mainly just not able to do the usual rounds of physically-demanding stuff I tend to occupy myself with. ;)
no subject
Date: 2010-09-08 02:10 am (UTC)A maxim that I always refer back to is that 10% of any group—gamers, park rangers, Buddhists—are douchebags. They're like background radiation[1]: protecting yourself from them fully isn't worth the effort.
____________________
[1] When my bike got stolen from lockup downtown, I coined the term "background asshole."
no subject
Date: 2010-09-08 03:08 am (UTC)However, having the biggest events blocks away from the convention center only served to divide the community and seemed to cause a lot of worry for everyone. I understand why they did it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
Not being able to communicate with everyone in our group due to AT&T issues meant I spent most of the weekend feeling disconnected from what was going on, even when I knew everyone else was feeling the same thing.
I'm already brainstorming how to avoid issues next year. I enjoy spending time with friends at PAX more than pretty much anything else, and I didn't get much of that this weekend. Hopefully we'll all get to commiserate at my birthday on Saturday :-)
Also, yeah. I think that if the majority of attendees heard any negative comments about costumers, it would've ended in someone getting a verbal beatdown and boot to the curb. But it's pretty easy for a small minority to cause problems.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-08 03:12 am (UTC)When do we get to see the shots of you? I want to gawk at the awesome! :)
no subject
Date: 2010-09-08 03:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-08 03:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-09 03:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-09 03:54 pm (UTC)