furtech | Next Post (from Germany)

Saturday night update:

The capping event of the convention was earlier this evening: a puppet show. But not just any puppet show: this was something that several dozen members of the con committee and friends have worked on for months. They worked out a script, rehearsed extensively over several months (some driving several hundred miles to attend rehearsals) and built a number of really great props. The story was unexpectely amazing; I knew that they would put on a good show-- but this performance was above and beyond that. A two hour performance! The characters and puppeteering were effective and combined with a good script and innovative stage trickery made for a terrific show!

What a great way to end a con! Tomorrow is essentially an open day (plus a dead dog party). We're going to try and get to a local zoo (really a nature center, I think). They don't have any big animals-- just foxes and stuff. But I like visiting zoos regardless of their scope.

Things I need to get: great boxes of sodium cyclimates; cheezy souvineers; German versions of Broadway musicals.

I'm guessing that it's a bad sign when the first thing one says after eating a really delicious sausage is, "Was that cooked?" I am still investigating the mystery sausage: several sources say, "Local delicacy-- raw sausage!" and one that thinks it -might- be cooked, mostly. One theory is that this is a half-cured salami. One of the locals told me something that I had a hard time getting my head around: he said (and I paraphrase): "When you buy sausage from the butcher, for the first two days we often eat it raw. After two days and you really should cook it." He looks remarkably robust, too, so I don't know.

They serve a great summer-type sausage in the lobby. Funny thing, though: it has a kind of raw texture (though it is clearly smoked). Maybe this is a style of sausage they like. I got a wheel of cheese and some "white sausage" in my goody bag, along with a chunk of ham. Probably can't take any of this home; not sure if I should have refrigerated them, too. I'm guessing not. Ahh-- how adaptable of me: I'm going 'native'.

Random observations: Tracy would REALLY love this place: loud trance music everywhere. Except during the day, where the hotel speaker system played non-stop "Zamfir plays Beatles Greatest Hits". All day. The same flutey wheezings of "Michele" and other hits from Abby Road and Sgt. Pepper. Didn't notice if they played "Helter Skelter"-- that would have made up for all the rest, though.

Roz: I wasn't in the show at close, but you sold at least three pieces: Jack and car had three bids up to 50e; Ferel Grin had three bids to 30e; Termite Mounds had a single bid of 30e. I'll try to check and see what they ended up going for (long line today). Both you and Hopkins do have your following here, though. Had a talk with someone who lamented that his stuff was all out-of-print.

Atmosphere here is very "family". People generally are open and will actively engage you into their activities and conversations. Nearest I can describe it is that there is a lack of inhibitions which often prevents American fans from either attempting to integrate or makes them (American fans) seem clique-ish at American cons. This may also be due to the size and age of the actual fandom here. Plus, there seems to be less of the instinctive persecution of something different here. Maybe when one's culture is as old as many of these are, you don't feel as much a need to persecute. Mostly people seem confused by all the animal costumes. More than once they have assumed that we're protesting something (like the G-8 or some big political event). The idea of mascots hasn't really caught on here and locals seem to have a hard time understanding that one would do this without some important purpose.

The hotel manager loves us, though. Huge food and beverage receipts probably help, but it's still amusing to see a very German, very straight businessman welcoming big furry costumed customers like they were old friends. Apparently hobby conventions are very uncommon in Europe: the chairman has to spend time explaining what exactly a "convention" was. This hotel is used to people coming to the area to hunt or hike or ski-- not whole groups who pretty much hole up in the hotel and entertain themselves!