gemfyre | Thoughts from Swancon 2010

- Hyatt has hideous accessibility issues. So many steps, so little ramps. Terrible for wheelchairs, prams AND people with screwy legs (like me). Swancon has MANY people with mobility issues.
- Hyatt is far too expensive for most con-goers.
- Food at Hyatt is also generally very expensive. Not much choice of food places nearby and many weren't open on Easter weekend, this isn't a problem at the All Seasons, which is right near Chinatown in Northbridge - lots of choice, cheap food and OPEN (and no bloody public holiday surcharge).
- Despite this, and despite paying $32 for a dessert buffet today due to public holiday gouging (regular price is $22), that sticky date pudding alone made it worth it.
- I am very bad at dessert buffets. Too much sweet stuff at once with no savoury in between just makes me feel ick. Which probably resulted in me not appreciating awesome desserts as much as I should have.
- Hyatt has lots of elephants around the place.
- Hyatt has dumb toilet roll "holders".

- Masquerade costume turned out to be quite awesome if VERY warm.
- Masquerade music was pretty awesome for a while (lots of cool 80s stuff). Pity many songs were cut short, resulting in general disappointment from all the partiers - it eventually went to crap, but I'd left by then.
- Masquerade structure was a bit lazy and not as neat as previous years. Where was the parade? I heard later that apparently that blue carpet thing WAS the parade. I figured that was just the photo area.
- Oh God I might be on community TV. Actually speaking to the camera. Eep.

- There was a raffle? First I heard about it was when they were drawing it. Seems I wasn't the only one who had no clue.
- Conservatory area was awesome, lots of couches and tables to chill out and chat to people.
- Comics I wanted to buy weren't available in dealer's room, so I resorted to Bookdepository (and paid about half what I would have paid here).

- Hoorah, Pia's artwork got lots of recognition and she sold one of them. Go Pia!

- Panels I got to were generally very intereresting.
- ORANGE AND TEAL
- Grant Watson gives an excellent panel in general - I kinda learned this 2 years back at my first Swancon.
- Popped into the blogging panel today just for the hell of it and was pleasantly surprised - might have to look into Twitter again - is there a Twitter for Dummies, so I can learn to use it efficiently?
- It bugs me that some people have to pipe up (loudly) with their 2cents on EVERYTHING and thus steer the panel, instead of letting the panelists do what they are there for. Or the incessant need to disagree with people simply giving thier own personal opinions - they aren't debating that what YOU think is wrong, they're just saying what THEY think.
- I guess I need to read Batwoman.
- LAAAAWWWWWWWW!

- Next year looks awesomesauce!
- Launch for this year (last year) left me going, "Huh? Who's that person? What's Natcon? OMG The Hyatt WHY???" Next year's launch just made me go *BOUNCESQUEE!* I am crossing my fingers for maybe a panel on delightfully bad disaster movies.
- The T-shirts are SO SHINY and I was sad I didn't get in soon enough to get one last night, I wanted to wear it today. I do have one on order though. So does Matt.
- This year's costume is more appropriate for next year, maybe I'll recycle it.

- Can't wait to see photos taken by Michael, Sandra and Wing.
- Big thanks to Craig and Karen, who let us use their parking spot and let me use their hotel room for a much needed afternoon nap on Saturday.

- Villaincon? Sounds interesting. I've already written an outline for a potential panel.
- Pancakes, movies and Waffles still to come this week. Yay!