TELEFANTASTIQUE 2 23-25th July 1999

Usual disclaimers apply: I don't own any of these people (oooer missus); all incidents here are purely anecdotal and this con report as a whole is copyrighted by *me*, kangeiko, 1999. Please do not distribute, archive or post this report anywhere without my prior permission. (I'm not likely to say no, but would like to be asked....) Anyway, again, no transcripts or suchlike, just memories and so forth...

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Another chapter in the 'insane convention' chronicles... Let me say something here and now. I did not mean anything that Saturday! No!

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FRIDAY 23rd JULY For me, T2 started two days before the convention.... when, on Wednesday morning, I sent Ali Hopkins the less-than-reassuring email of

"Ali, darling, I have no ticket, no hotel room, and no time. What do I do????"

Ali, being a darling, organised it all for me, stopping just short of giving me a ride to the hotel. Well, she *did* inquire if I would be all right getting there. Ah, the advantages of having important friends. ;-) Anyway, the convention started on Friday afternoon. Wednesday night I went to fetch Stef from the train station, and we spent all night (and the next day) giggling over the upcoming convention.... I'm afraid we had more than a few wicked ideas (some of which got carried out.... don't ask. *g*). In any case, Thursday morning I realised that there was a fancy dress theme for every party this convention.... A fact that shocked and dismayed me. What the *hell* could I wear???

And this is how innocent little me ended up wandering around Kensington Market, trying on various corsets, bodices and cut off T-shirts in the Goth section. It was a new experience... I've never met such persistent salespeople! I mean, I nearly ended up buying a pair of handcuffs just to shut them up! (Luckily Stef showed up at this point, having purchased a long black skirt for the Goth theme and dragged me away. Cheers doll!)

Anyway, back to the con. Thursday night I decided to make up a goddess costume... well, something like that, anyway. Ancient Greek theme... oh dear oh dear. I had fun with a long stretch of black shimmery fabric before giving up and deciding to wear a long black outfit instead. I was gonna go as Cassandra... all black outfit, and a permanently horrified expression on my face.

Well, the horrified expression came in handy late that evening when I felt a bit peaky. My mother stuck a thermometer in my mouth and got *that* expression on her face. You know, the hugely disapproving one that means all my plans are ruined. But would I be put off? No! And that is how I went to the con on Friday afternoon - a *very* sore throat, a fever, stiff neck, cold feet and a few other symptoms. So, naturally, Stef and I headed straight for the bar (well, wouldn't you?) We were intending to drown our sorrows and wait for someone we knew to show up. As far as we could figure, we didn't recognise a single person from Wolf... not a good sign. Would this mean introducing ourselves to a whole new bunch of people???

Luckily, Stef spotted Shaz running around with about ten drinks, heading up to the third level of the Rad (the T2 people had decided to occupy the entire third floor of the hotel.... Fun!). Shaz dragged me off with her and Stef followed, looking very confused. After wandering around the hotel aimlessly for a while, Stef realised that the opening ceremony would start in five minutes, and discreetly suggested that we should all be making our way towards the main hall and get good seats... Shaz just waved her concerns away. "We'll go there in a minute," she assured. file://Have faith,// I thought. And my faith in Shaz was rewarded (cheers Shaz!) when we finally headed into the main hall... straight towards one of the front-row tables. That's right, Shaz was helping the committee.

Let me explain. I knew a few people on the committee and the various other departments - Shaz, Ali Hopkins, Michael and Lynne Buckley, etc etc etc. Of course, when I say I knew them, I am lying. I spoke to them via email, chatted to them over the phone and had finally met Shaz at Wolf. I had not met anyone else. All of a sudden I was meeting people I had spoken to for close to half a year and had never met... it was a very strange experience. I was actually really shocked to find out that everyone I had been chatting to - all the people who had been trying to convince me to come to T2 - were in fact helping to organise and run it. And I *still* hadn't met Ali...

Anyway. There I am, waiting patiently with Shaz and everyone else for the opening ceremony to start (and being introduced to a whole host of other people I have spoken to for months but have never actually ever seen) when Shaz sends me off to get drinks. I left Stef behind in the tender care of one the guys (they meant well, honestly!) and wandered out into the bar. All the while, I kept worrying that I'd miss the ceremony... but then, there was the alcohol. And one must have alcohol. ;-)

And, knowing this little fact, the bar staff decided to torture me by serving me the slowest Becks and a Malibu and coke in existence. I've written essays in less time! I take this opportunity to fall asleep on the bar and nearly didn't notice the crowd of people rushing past. But, being a well brought-up little girl ;-) I smiled and politely said hello anyway. A tall guy gave me a lopsided grin and half-waved back, and a slight brunette greeted me back. It wasn't until I saw John Rhys Davies walk past me that I realised I had seen the opening ceremony party walk past... and been greeted by the delicious Michael O'Hare and the lovely Mira Furlan. *Sigh*. That was well worth the price of the drinks, let me tell you!

Back to the opening ceremony. Big cheer for Mira. *Big* cheer for Mira. In fact, it was such a big cheer for Mira that you didn't actually hear any of her greeting, apart from the last word - fun. After which the cheering started up again. *G* Michael O'Hare informed us that he was imagining us all naked and looked forward to seeing more of us in the near future. Well, *I* was intrigued! ;-)

I must end this particular section of the report... there was too much stuff happening to me personally that is of no interest to anyone else. Let it be known, however, that Michael O'Hare, upon my being introduced to him, leaned down the foot it took for him to stare me in the eyes (his nose about two centimetres from my nose) and inform me solemnly that, "as the saying goes, I'm *loaded*." Strangely enough, the fact that he was swaying and waving a drink around had suggested this fact to me...

Other highlights of the party later include:

1. Ruth (Michael's wife) swigging down a Becks in one go (to much cheering);
2. Michael, Shaz and I discussing the merits of various universities and job possibilities. I was feeling very insecure about my A-Level results coming through in a few weeks time (no, they still haven't come out!) and somehow ended up discussing this with Michael. And there was the mutual bitch about the under-appreciation of people with PhD's (apparently, I shouldn't get one). The discussion ended on a very thoughtful comment from Michael. He declared, after careful consideration, "I think, *swings drink*, that you should, *another swing*, go to university!" Thank you Michael. ;-)
3. Jane Killick, Shaz, Stef, I and a few others talking later on... I'm afraid that I rather picked on a waiter (waiter is carrying big tray of stuff, I smile, CRASH! Stuff all over the floor) and we all found this rather amusing. ;-) Shaz and Jane discussed writing and we all discussed... well, I'm sure we discussed something. Didn't we? Guys? What do you mean, I should remember? Remember what???
4. Stef running into Michael O'Hare...

In any case, Stef and I got home rather early and flopped into bed... trying to get an early night for the next morning. My throat was killing me - I could barely breathe. My fever was also climbing... things were not looking good for Saturday morning.

TBC in Saturday 24th July...