Well, we're here. Coppe is tall, fluffy headed, and speaks good english. BA suffers long flight delays, but managed to get us here in one piece. Ben is a weasle. Andalusian is asleep, so we've not met her yet. Also, though no conclusive answer was ever forthcoming, we held a great legal debate on abandoned luggage in airports. PS: Kenny and Damien suck for not being here. And the dutch have impossibly steep stair cases.
We'll be leaving before lunch time to drive about 1.5 hours to Carcassonne, from there we fly to Brussels, where hopefully we will have a rental car waiting for us (in the right airport, that's the tricky bit) and then we drive up to Amsterdam, hopefully. Hope is so important when travelling Can't wait to be there, I'm still finishing off my batch of ginger biscuits, and getting the luggage (not the Luggage, unfortunately) ready. We are both really excited, although we will only get one whole day there, and 2 evenings with you guys, it's still great to be meeting you all... except of course those who suck too much to be there... But we are hoping to spend a month in England next summer, so maybe we'll manage to meet up with at least some of you guys then. If I'm still alive after Dutchcon, that is.
In that case I'm a moron too. Only when I reread Garner's post after reading yours Om I understood he meant British Airways.
I kept thinking there would have been a bit more hoo haw about it if Ba really was going to be there. Besides I just talk to him last week and he hadn't mentioned it. Nice yoda impression Mal.
i *did* capitalize the a. Katcal and her husband have arrived safely, after a long journey. they brought many tastey biscuits. (so much for trying to lose weigh this holiday season... but its worth it) so far, i've decided that the dutch are some of the most amazingly nice people on the planet. the shop keepers have all spoken english. so did bauke (the 'phlon). he looks a lot younger in person than in his MSN messenger avatar. bauke has left us though, and gone on to greener pastures. or amsterdam. i forget which. further events as bulletins warrant, or some such.
oh, and rinso, we've been eating steak for EVERY MEAL since we got here. sometimes, we've had steak twice... with steak dressing.
Panel 1: garner, buzzfloyd, others Garner: So, I just checked the boards, and you know how I mentioned our flight was delayed? Buzzfloyd: Yeah? Garner: But I said 'BA's flight was delayed'? Buzzfloyd: Yeah? Garner: Well, we had a lot of posts from people wishing they could have come... Panel 2: Garner: And one from Om, saying- Buzzfloyd: Wait, I can guess... Garner: Saying 'I didn't know Ba was going', but she edited to add that she's a moron. Buzzfloyd: She really does ride the short bus. Garner (gesturing with hands to show something small): Man, Om rides the short UNICYCLE! Buzzfloyd: ... What a fantastic image. Panel 3: Om, on a unicycle, juggling tiny statues of Rinso and Eu. Om: Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii wanna rock and roll all night, and party everyyy day!
We interrupt this messageboard for a DutchCon report. Met up at Central Station in Utrecht with the Garners, Ben, Andalusian and Coppe. Had to wait a bit for them to show up (Should have known!) and realized I did not have anybody's phone number, even though they all had mine.... Coppe is indeed tall and fuzzy, him and Adele(Andalusian) make the cutest couple even though she was suffering from severe jetlag, and thus half asleep. Garner was sporting a stylish Hat. (Capital H deserved) He was the first I recognized/spotted. Yvonne (Hsing) showed up a bit later with a HUGE backpack, and chocolate (Briefly visible in the movie I'll try to post later) We decided to hit the market, to get some stroopwafels (Cookies!) and I decided they had to taste some Poffertjes. They're tiny pancakes which you eat with butter and powdered sugar. Meanwhile we discussed, amongst other things, women in Pratchett novels, puppies, the impending fate of Granny, who of the boardanians would make the best Dean, rowdy puppies, whether the tree outside was a conker tree or something else, BIG JUICY T-BONE STEAK, cute puppies, "The Sims 2" , the fact that making virtual copies of your neighbours in Sims can be considered slightly creepy and evil puppies. Meanwhile pictures were taken. These will go online later, as I am stealing crappy unreliable internet from my host's unsuspecting neighbour (Hi Hansje!). After that we braved the cold again to have another drink in a different café. Roleplaying was the topic while Garner, Ben and I led the pack. After that they decided to head back to Coppe's house, also because Andalusian had to be dragged partway. Unfortunately I already had some other plans for the night, so we parted ways. It was really fun to see the faces behind the names. Too bad it was so short.
oh, and rinso, we're having steak for breakfast. and you and kenny and doors all suck for not coming down here.
So, I'm back home, and dead tired. I think I'll give a lengthy report once I finished that looming paper. At this point, just thanks a million times to Coppe, Grace and Reg (aka Cynical Youth, Buzzfloyd and Katcal's husband) for seeing I get my train, or rather any train, and for keeping me company until it left. CY is a fantastic host - the last time someone took care I don't leave the house without something to eat was a looooong time ago. I'm glad I could make it and meet you all, and fun was had. I can't wait to see the photos myself actually!
Damage Report, Dutchcon 2006. 2 large blisters on right foot due to marching round Amsterdam in brand new cheap shoes bought in a hurry because the ones originally selected for the journey began absorbing more water than Sponge Bob Squarepants. One cold. Never walk round windy places in the rain with a woolly sweater and no coat. One half-deaf and painful ear, due to a bastard Ryanair pilot who was in a hurry to land. One out of breath husband, now recovering from a sprint to the airport with a heavy suitcase, because his dumb wife can't read and mixed up the departure and arrival times. :cooler: One displaced jaw and ab cramps due to laughing too hard. One sore memory card in camera, overfull with pictures. 3 dead packets of biscuits. No survivors. I blame Garner. One jealous rabbit who was greated with a cry of "Rabbit puppy !" on arrival of his long lost masters. -------------------------------------------------- Status report 1900 hours. Lush bath bomb has successfully reached target and soothed most aches and pains. Lush rocks. Mess sergeant is preparing evening meal, all limbs present and correct. Photo report is being processed. Brief ( you've got to be kidding) report of Operation Flanders : Coppe (CY) is the best host ever. As private Hsing said, he even worried we would have something to eat on the way home. Coppe is Piglet. With fluffy hair. Adele (Andalusian) makes great pancakes and hates football. This is a good thing. Also, she and Coppe are a really sweet couple of lovebirds, I wish them both many years of happiness and may things only get simpler from now on Yvonne (Hsing) is the greatest wampire cabbage sucker ever She has the perfect accent for reading Carpe Jugulum (well, the vampire bits, because Ben is just a natural Granny...) Clay (Garner) isn't that bad after all. ... Oh, ok, he's the best joke teller in the world. Ever. He never even reached the punchline. People nearly [i:7953dee5c3]died[/i:7953dee5c3]. Never let him near drums. Or walnuts. Or scientologists. Grace (Buzzfloyd) is Funny. I will thump anyone says anything against that. You have been warned, I am willing to travel miles to deliver biscuits... Ben (Electric_KettleMan...) makes wonderful tea. But only when threatened with a walnut. Puppies Rock. Evil puppy is a bitch. With a t. I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with T. Thank you all for coming and Coppe for having us. It was a great great weekend. I will now leave you all alone and stop talking. (dinner's ready) Anyone who wasn't there sucks.
i finally got to finish that joke today. also, i had the best calzonne in the world. lastly, adele is a VICIOUS board game player. absolutely vicious.
Here are three pictures. Of Amsterdam trainstation, and inner city. They've been taken with a badly damaged digicam with no flashlight that used to make crappy pictures even when it was brand new...
Sooo... a lot's been said already. I felt a little dumb-ed by the language barrier, because I really feel more comfortable with writing than I do with speaking. The reading-in-turns was quite funny, though, or at least I thought so. It was a very cool weekend, and I am very, very glad I made it despite the kid, the cold, the paper, and all. Thanks all of you guys for making it worth the effort, actually. There was also: - plenty of incredibly witty dialogues, which I got 60% of. -CY's very pitoresque little hometown. -a chocolate massacre. -my puppy... which CY's parents are about to keep, apparantly... at least I know where it lives! -a surprisingly lot of Pratchett-discussions considering the cons normally revolve more about getting to know the people behind the screen personas than around doing small PTerry-Cons. (Nothing against those, mind you, but there are quite a few of them, and most are better organized...) Of course, our plenty-logues also revolved around the world economy, silver prices, Harry Potter, the art of telling jokes, language, chimneys, literature all in all, RPG's, money, nutrition, music, monarchy, insomnia, ..... I'll leave picking up the funny quotes to those who'd actually get them right. Let me only add that there was a lot of mean gossip about each one of you who wasn't attending the con. I was -paradoxically- surprised at how much Buzzfloyd and Garner were like I had imagined them. Katcal was very quick at repartee, her husband was a little quited down by the language barrier (and got kicked out of bed at 6 in the morning to get me to the train station, with nothing as a thank you but a cup of automaton coffee - I am still ashamed). Andalusian and Coppe are both very silent sleepers - I woke up a few times and was actually worried they had vanished. (They put up with me sleeping at a matress in their room. The house couldn't have held another guest, I swear. Brave Coppe!) I loved Andalusians spelling of Hodgesaaargh... And her taste in boots. They're both worryingly intellectual, quiet people. Well, maybe in Andalusians case it was just the jet lag, which she heroically fought, but they seem very... alike in nature. Ben (E-Man) is a little quiter than I imagined him and occasionally threw in a dry remark into the conversation. And after all of your own descriptions you gave on how you looked during the last years, I imagined all of you at least half a head taller. Pft.
Hang on, are you telling me Australia's a real place ? :shock: Pfff, any minute now someone'll be trying to convince me Father Christmas doesn't exist. :cooler: I'm not falling for it, you hear me ! Funny quotes... hmm... "Sconner MacLeod !" was one of the best ones, but why it was so funny we will probably never know. "You see, Clay, when you're walking, your feet don't stay still..." was one of Grace's best. Garner's short unicycle one has already been reported, so I'll leave that one but it was good ! And one from after Hsing left : "I spy with my little eye, something beginning with B..." "Bdrums ?" "Bcandles ?" "I hate you all... assholes !" (edited four spullng)
Pictuuuuures !!!! This is maybe my favourite, pity it was too late to submit it to the connections competition
Yay, the return of the pirate avatar !!! Hubby also wants me to add that he's also rather quiet in French and with people he knows well, so it wasn't just a language thing and he did enjoy himself a lot during the weekend even if he didn't get all the jokes. Seems it's only with me that I can't get him to shut up. Lucky me eh.
Well, we flew out of Amsterdam as the sun was setting and watched it reverse-rise as we flew into London. Slightly surreal. We had a fantastic weekend. Coppe and Adele were incredibly good hosts and also very good cooks. They are also both very intelligent and mature and you'd think they were ten years older than they are if it weren't for the lack of wrinkles. Coppe you have my address to forward Evil Puppy on to me - thanks. It was brilliant meeting so many people who we hadn't had a chance to meet in person before. So many cool things were said and done, I can't remember them all at once. I hope to see more photos though! Also, everyone should eat poffertjes if they get the chance.
Next summer maybe? Also, if some of you get nasty colds within the next few days, you can blame it on me. It took the waitress this afternoon a few seconds to get what that "cobbeelabbe" was I kept ordering.
I seem to be the last one home from a most excellent weekend, the only hitch was the two hour flight delay on the way in, but massive thanks to Coppe's mum for bailing us out at a time when the trains had stopped. I can't really add anymore to the things done as described by my colleagues, there were various suggestions that Coppe and Adele should open their own Vegan Restaurant - given their hospitality, I reckon that should just be part of their hotel. Pictures from me shall be forthcoming once I have the time to sort through them all and properly resize everything. Videos too!
One puppy corpse on the way! We really had a great time. Everyone was pretty much as we expected them to be. Clay is insane and a lot of fun. Grace is incredibly English and also somewhat insane. Ben is very witty, and a helpful Chore Weasel. Bauke knows Utrecht better than I do and is talkative and intelligent. Yvonne has a huge bag, brings good chocolate and insisted on helping out, which was very much appreciated (her reluctance to accept hospitality made it very rewarding to go out of our way to do something for her). Kat and Reg make a very cute couple. Reg is an excellent driver and I'm glad I got to practice my French on him. Kat is energetic, friendly and makes tasty biscuits (it's a shame Clay happened to them). Overall, we are surprised that we managed to feed and house everybody with so few problems, and grateful that so many people came. Ben and Bauke should get their photos up soon. Btw, we prefer the photo of us on the couch. Adele looks exhausted in the one Kat posted and like she's about to destroy me for the ice cream. I look equally strange.
VIDEOTIME! Flickr still doesn't like me, but YouTube loves me, so: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx1ysFjnkI8 That's Ben and Yvonne in the first shot, the rest is narrated, with Garner doing a nice little twirl after I finally catch him on camera. I also forget to mention Adéle. Shame on me. No excuse for the crappy quality. This thing is basically a glorified webcam on batteries.
I love Hsings giggle. At least I think that was her giggling after showing what she had in her bag. Thanks for the video, Tephlon and the pics Katcal!! Its always nice to see the faces that go with the names.
Hsing (if she is the bagged one) does not look like I've imagined her. I always pictured pale skin, fangs and black capes with a close resemblance to bat wings.
She has pale skin, a vondeffull german accent and chocolate-eating fangs. The evening dress is optional, she vas probably traffelink inkognito
Verdammt. Well, black capes so help to hide the extra bit of hip fixating on chocolate gains you. Chehe. And we were all giggling, well, some of us, so I'm not sure. I peak at sec 19, though, so, just in case - thanks, Anj. I was very fond of that bag, too. I didn't notice the "nice little twirl" from the Garner(s?) - I was too groggy and also a little nervous.
Unbelievably, I have actually had a busy week. Tuesday I had to go watch footballing history, then on wednesday evening I had my work's christmas party, yesterday evening was dedicated to recovering from those. But luckily, I had a half-day today. Lots and lots of pictures! Use the mini-preview button on the right to advance.
I had to blink twice before I realised that in that second picture were two single-headed dogs rather than one with two heads. I blame...the Hatster.
The answer to the great tree debate, from my pappy: Yes, that's a Sycamore. There are three species. The American Sycamore has one fruit ball per stalk, the London Plane Tree has two balls per stalk, and the Oriental Plane Tree has three. This one appears to have had a single ball, hence, Platanus occidentalis, American Sycamore.
What a clever man! Thanks, Ben, expertly captioned as usual. Bauke, where are yours? Also, Kat, can we get a shot of lemonhead girl from the biscuit tin?
That, dear Grace, all depends on who has the biscuit tin Not meeee ! Edited to add an a. Grace is not german or male.
I got around showing the pictures to my husband, finally. His comment: "Those people look nice. And the one where you hold the ice cone... " Look, mummy bought me an icecream! Two scoops!"" He agreed to Adele, that she looked like she was going to eat Coppe in the other ice cone picture.
