Anyway, I saw Return of the King last night once the convention was over. Nicole, Alana, Nora and I had special screening passes because of us being vendors, so not only did we not have to pay, we got to enjoy the film in a specially reserved theatre for those who attended the con. This meant that it was not completely packed (it was the final showing for the event), though it was very well attended, and there were many people wearing elf ears and costumes, and the vibe was perfect. I'm not going to talk about the film as many people have not had a chance to see it and I know that I certainly hate spoilers. Let me simply say that while I missed one or two things that had been changed from the book, many other things more than made up for this. I laughed and cried and Shelob scene caused me to clutch Nicole's hand like a child.
The convention was an interesting experience. It was unlike any other convention I've attended and many of the 'regulars' were not there. First of all, the people in attendence were very much out of one demographic: white, middle-class, and highly educated. The costumes were of a very high qualilty, especially a couple of the Legolassies (Nicole's word) and there weren't the same number of three-hundred pound Galadriels, as we say, as there are at sci-fi conventions. Actually, on the whole, these people were well adjusted and confident. There didn't seem to be the same level of needy people looking for acceptance. It's one of the wonderful things about conventions, that people are usually accepted for who they are, not how fat or ugly or weird they appear to be, but it was really nice to not fear residual body odour left on Nicole's gorgeous clothing. There weren't the same people hanging around the booth that seem so desperate for approval. I'm sorry if this paragraph is offensive to anyone, but it was impossible not to notice the difference in attendees. I've been to enough conventions to observe.
I didn't get a chance to attend any of the lectures or events, mostly due to the fact that I was working and had no disposable money, so I cannot say whether the panel discussions were well attended, or whether they were intelligent and stimulating. I imagine that they were good, though, simply because of the people attending. The convention was fairly well organised, though there were some failings, but I suspect it was the organisers' first convention. For a first, it was pretty good. They had good facilities for everyone, organised transportation to and from events and plenty of refreshment for all. The art show/competition was actually of more interesting content than I'd thought it would be, but, as usual, I took no prize. I do think that it was a failing of the art committee to involve so much artwork based on the films - there was so much that many people didn't even see the few of us whose work was based on the books and imagination. Another neat thing about the convention was the number of new vendors that were present. There was an entire contingent representing Quebec made up of costumers, jewellers, and weaponsmiths. They were VERY fun and when I'm next out at my cottage, I think it would be worth checking out their stores in Montreal, Drummondville, and Quebec City.
The sad part of it all was how much time I spent simmering with anger. The business of the City Hall Crew kept me on a low heat for the duration. It was too bad because I think I would have had more fun otherwise. At least the money I made at selling my cards allowed me to make a few purchases and pay for my expenses. I did make friends with the guys in the Print Three outside the hotel in the underground PATH. They enjoyed my changing wardrobe and glimpsed cleavage and I think they got a real kick out of the dragon bracers I wore on the first day. The business people moving through the PATH were quite taken aback by the costumes and upon my first appearance a fellow in a suit stopped dead and uttered, "Whoa," before shaking his head and continuing on. Sometimes it is a lot of fun to surprise those caught up in the rut of working existence.
Finally, I was just checking the Weather Network and it seems the long-term forecast predicts a warm, wet Christmas for Toronto and Peterborough. Oh well, it can't be white every year, and there's still enough time for the weather to change. Now I must go wrap some presents and have a shower for tonight I'm going to help Rick put up his tree.
You are Fantasy. You have an active and firey
imagination, and you love escaping into
strange, beautiful worlds. You're intensely
curious and dive in to new experiences with
vigour. As a result, you may sometimes be
dissconected to reality, or at least bored by
it. People see you as a dreamer, and they're
probably right. You spend a lot of time inside
your head.
Art Thou? -Your Art Style Personality
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