Continuum 2017

I had myself the loveliest little nerdy writerly day today. I went to Continuum 13, the Australian speculative fiction conference.

The con runs over the Queen's Birthday long weekend each June, and I have wanted to go for literally *years*. But the kids were too little to leave for a while ... then I was too sick for a couple of years ... then it collided with OzComicCon, at which I have standing duties helping out at a friend's merch stall.

This year, the stars finally aligned and I was able to get in for a full day today. Truth be told, I could've gone for two days if I had wanted to, but I felt bad about leaving my family for too much of the long weekend, and I have found in the past that two days of a con often exhausts me. So, after perusing the program, I picked today to go, and I had just the best time.

Writer / reader cons like this are such a different beast to the pop culture nerdcons like ComicCon and Supanova, with their teeming thousands. This was a small, intimate con - panel audiences ranged from maybe 25 to 80 in size, and there was ample opportunity to talk to panellists both within sessions and afterwards. People were chatty, and the atmosphere was friendly. Blessedly, it was not crowded at any time - that was a huge plus for me.

The con's guest of honour was prolific urban fantasy, horror and sci fi writer Seanan McGuire (who also writes as Mira Grant). I have read, and liked, several of McGuire's books, and really enjoyed her Newsflesh canon as Mira Grant (it has the distinction of being literally the only zombie series I have EVER enjoyed, or indeed finished). I was perhaps not as huge a fan as some of my friends, although after her highly engaging, entertaining and insightful (not to mention funny) keynote, I am now! I'd heard she was a good speaker but the reports failed to do her justice - she was excellent. Her session was my biggest highlight of a day that wasn't short on good moments.

I also went to panels on:

- Fairytales and fairytale retellings: This was terrific, and has inspired me to go back to my Month of Poetry poems from this year.

- White-washing in speculative fiction: This was interesting, if a little diffuse.

- Journey to the West: This was a great session on the Chinese classic novel that has been adapted multiple times for multiple media - the best-known version to Western viewers being the Monkey TV series.

- Cli-Fi: This panel, about climate change fiction, was probably really good, but as I couldn't hear most of it, I wouldn't know. The room it was in had no soundproofing and was directly adjacent to the very noisy dealers' area.

- Women in Star Wars: This was just pure fun. One of my friends was a panellist, and I could've listened to the 5 panellists talk for a LOT longer.

- Cityscapes: I almost didn't hang around for the last session but I am so glad I did - this was fantastic, probably the most thinky panel of the day, and I am still musing on it.

Overall, it was a day exceedingly well spent in terms of enjoyment, inspiration for my own writing, and connection. I will 100% be back next year!

City day with the eldest

Today I took a day off work (a massive ONE DAY after returning from my week off - it's a hard life etc) to fulfill a promise to my eldest daughter and spend a day in the city with her.

My eldest is 13.5 years old - prime Early Teen, if you will - but has yet to cease wanting to spend time with me, which is kind of nice. (She's a bit lukewarm these days on family outings, although she can usually be persuaded if nice food is involved).

Following on from her sister's ice-skating expedition on day one in the holidays, I had asked her if there was anything specific she wanted to do this break. She asked for a day in the holidays to go to the city with me, just the two of us.

Her key agenda was:
1. Go to Starbucks (why are all my kids obsessed with Starbucks I don't know it's weird)
2. Go to the State Library to do some research on ancient Egyptian mythology
3. Have a nice lunch somewhere
4. Hit at least one nerd shop

My partner has this week off work, and I structured my work week to shoehorn my tasks onto three long days (Mon, Weds and Fri), which left Tuesday (today) for city trekking with my eldest, and leaves Thursday for personal training and a catch-up with friends.

It's not a perfect solution (by long days I mean 12-hour days ... I sent my last work email just after 9pm last night) but needs must when you are balancing multiple commitments.

So today, we set off a little after peak hour on a pleasantly uncrowded train to spend a day in the city.

We ended up having a great day. Starting off with a stop at Mind Games (Nerd Shop #1, TICK), we purchased some birthday presents for my secondborn's coming birthday.

Then onwards and upwards to Starbuck's, for average coffee (me) and a frappacino and cheesecake (her).

The State Library was next up - she thrashed me at outdoor chess as a taster, then we spent a happy 90 minutes doing research and reading in the Redmond Barry Reading Room. The 13 year old took copious notes on her phone and wants to go back better equipped (with laptop) for more research. I read magazines that I normally get no time to look at and enjoyed the soft hum of the space.

In an unexpected and lovely surprise, I was hailed while reading a copy of New Scientist by a longtime blogging / writing friend who I haven't seen in years, the wonderful Karen Andrews. We had a nice little natter and I have been reminded that I must procure myself a copy of her new book, On the Many Shapes Bodies Will Take.

After our revel in books, we headed down to Fed Square to late lunch at the paradise that is Chocolate Buddha. I have never, ever been glutened by this fantastic restaurant, and the meal is always superlative. Today was no exception - we rolled happily out at 2:15, but somehow found a spare corner for chocolates at Ganache (because really, who doesn't reserve a corner for deluxe chocolate??)

We then proceeded to Minotaur (Nerd Shop #2). I was interested to see what my 13 year old would make of it, given that she has never been there before. I well remember my own reaction the first time I went in there, many moons and suns ago now.

She did not disappoint - her eyes went wide and she raced around from sci fi books to manga to Doctor Who and Star Trek merch to Pokemon, overwhelmed by choice and nerd happiness. I told her she could select one item for herself, which was perhaps unduly challenging in the context of SO. MUCH. NERD. MERCH. but the process of selection was itself enjoyable (I think!)

I ended up buying two novels for myself - N.K Jemisin's The Fifth Season, of which I have heard many good things, and Ursula Le Guin's The Dispossessed, which is one of the few novels of hers I didn't already own (and I haven't read it since I borrowed it from the Monash University fiction library in 1994, so it's well due a re-read!)

The 13 year old eventually selected Pokemon cards for herself after much deliberation, and I bought another thing to put aside for the almost-12 year old's birthday (indeed, after today, I am basically sorted for that birthday - woo hoo!)

After that, it was a tram ride to Melbourne Central for frozen yoghurt and a stop at the bewildering yet mesmerising Kit Kat Chocolatery. (Yes, they have Hot Cross Bun flavoured Kit Kats. No joke, really!) The 13 year old selected two flavours after much consideration, and those that can eat them (ie not the Coeliacs) have pronounced them good.

A crowded peak hour train ride later, we arrived rather footsore but very pleased with ourselves at our home station, to be collected by the rest of the family.

It was a really good day - not just because of what we did, but for the chance it gave us to talk and spend some quality time together. We have compatible interests in the main, so the day was genuinely fun for
me as well as for her (game shop, library, delicious food, Minotaur nerdvana - what's not to like!)

I can't see myself ever not relishing these opportunities to spend time with each of my kids. My youngest's turn next!

Oz Comic-Con 2015: Day 2

We headed into Jeff's Shed this morning for day 2 of Oz Comic-Con ... the whole family this time, which was, as anticipated, a very different and vastly more expensive experience than two adults spending most of their day serving customers.

Once again, the superpower known as "the exhibitor's wristband" got us in the door before the hordes and without queueing, which worked extremely well with our kids (especially the youngest, who is not noted for her patience-in-queues skills). We divided forces today, with one adult helping on the stall while the other was out and about with the kids.

The three key questions about today were always going to be:
1. Did the kids enjoy it?
2. Did the adults also have an opportunity to enjoy it? (1 and 2 can be mutually exclusive, although happily not always)
3. Did we have to re-mortgage the house to pay for all the expenditure?

Broadly, I'm going with:
1. Yes
2. Yes
and
3. No, but it was not cheap

Altogether not a bad result!

The kids were vastly entertained, as I knew they would be, with the cosplayers. I got far more and better photos today, but they are all full-face photos of the kids, so not for here. They got to hug Daleks, pose with Baymax (from Big Hero 6), and get photographed with multiple superheroes and anime characters.

The free kids area at the con also came into its own today, with all three getting faces painted, playing giant chess, and doing some drawing. It's good that a space like this is provided - it gives a welcome break for kids and their carers from the intensity and crowding of the show floor, and lets kids relax in a space designed for them.

However ....

The kids also loved the show itself, and both my husband and I (taking turns) got to see more of the stalls today than yesterday. While interesting, this led, inevitably, to requests to buy ... well, maybe not ALL the things, but let's go with, Quite A Lot of The Things.

We compromised in the end on one item each paid for by us, and they could use their own birthday / Christmas money from relatives for extra items if desired.

My eldest chose a Doctor Who poster and Doctor Who miniatures as her item from us; I also bought her some Mockingjay and Tardis earrings as part of her birthday present for her forthcoming birthday.

Second girl chose a Doctor Who apron from us, and used her own money to buy a Dalek necklace and get a henna tattoo.

The little one chose a Baymax figurine from us, and used her Christmas money to buy a plush Dalek and have a henna tattoo just like big sister's.

I also treated the whole family to an ice cube tray which makes Tardis and Dalek ice cubes.

(If you're thinking there's a theme running through this, well, you'd be right - they practically mobbed the BBC stall, or, as I like to call it, "The Doctor Who Shop With A Small Side Order of Sherlock, What Do You Mean The BBC Has Other Shows?")

Even with the one-item limitation we placed, we also bought lunch and snacks today, so it was not by any means a cheap day. Think quadruple yesterday's effort and you'd be in the right general vicinity. It was almost comparable, price-wise, to the bundle we dropped at the Royal Melbourne Show last year, an event we enjoyed but have agreed will have to be an occasional treat only.

That said, though, the kids did really have a great time. We were there just under 5 hours, and although they were flagging by the end, they remained enthused and good-humoured throughout.

So, Con again with kids? A yes, with reservations. (Mostly financial!)

OzComic-Com 2015: Day 1

 

My kids spent today at my parents' house, while my husband and I had a novel experience for us - we went to Oz Comic-Con for the first time ever.

Cons are one of those nerd rites of passage that has somehow managed to pass us by until now. It's been an odd parade of circumstances that has led to this omission, but it is now rectified.

I was a hair's breadth from going to the uber-con - San Diego Comic-Con - back in 1994, when I was in the US researching my Honours thesis, but somehow it just didn't come together. (I think, from memory, that I had to be somewhere else to do some interviews the day after, and I decided it was all too hard).

Then, when we were younger, the Australian cons were just really getting started, and we did not have spare disposable cash for stuff like that (not so much the entry fees, which aren't generally heinous, but the inevitable purchasing of cute but unnecessary pop culture paraphernalia). Then we had babies, and although yes I know people take babies and toddlers to these things, it wasn't something we wanted to do. Then I developed more intense claustrophobia and was concerned about how I'd cope with crowded venues, etc etc etc.

However, today, the non-con streak was finally broken as we ventured to Jeff's Shed (The Melbourne Exhibition Centre) to spend the day assisting a friend run his stall at Oz Comic-Con. Our friend sells a range of pop culture collectibles and toys, and the nerdventions are always big business for him. We volunteered to help out.

It was an extraordinarily busy day - sales were manic and constant, and the number of people surging through was immense and overwhelming. I don't know how well I would've coped if we had come in at 9am with the flood of general admission (badly, probably ... tooooo maaaaaaany peeeeeeeeople) but we got in at 8am with our exhibitor's wristbands while the floor was still sedate and empty, with stallholders pottering around setting up their gear. Being inside the stall and therefore protected from the horde worked pretty well for me psychologically; I recommend it to nerd claustrophobes everywhere :-)

Aside from working pretty hard, we did each get a chance to walk the floor a little, and in my case, I spent $40 on having my photo taken with Jewel Staite of Firefly fame (she played Kaylee Fry). Now, my love for Firefly is deep and enduring, despite its undeniable weaknesses, and Kaylee was my favourite character in the show.

The photo came out really well, Jewel was very nice, and frankly, it was worth the money to me as a once-off experience. That said, some of the punters there were getting photos and autos from multiple guests, and my mind started boggling adding up what it would all be costing. To each their own, I guess, but [instead loud arggggh noise as cash computation completes]

My favourite bit of today was undoubtedly the cosplayers (or, as my 6 year old called them, "the grown ups in dress ups!") There were some terrific costumes - so much effort went into them and they made the whole show floor seem colourful and playful in a way that events that are actually just huge markets rarely do.

I was annoyed not to get a photo of the fantastic Groot (from Guardians of the Galaxy) in costume - on stilts, this person had recreated Groot in such detail that they could've just walked off the set. (At 8 feet tall, they were somewhat hard to miss, too!)

Because I was working on the stall, I didn't get to go to any of the panels or talks today, or look properly at many other stalls. This probably wasn't a bad thing - it meant that other than $15 for a salad, water, and a piece of fudge, the only money we spent today was the $40 photo fee. It also underlined the part of Comic-Con that is less explicable and less comfortable for me - the quite staggering amount of consumption on what are, no exceptions, profoundly discretionary items.

Of course there is no particular moral value or dis-value in spending money on a boxed set of Star Wars figurines rather than high literature or a piece of art - tastes and passions differ, and nerds will be nerds, til the end of the world, amen. And you could well argue that these items represent a democratisation of collecting as a hobby - entry-level pieces for those with a collecting bent can be afforded, and enjoyed, by people on very modest incomes. (One of the bestselling lines was the Pop Vinyl figurines, which go for $17 each - not a king's ransom. Lots of them were bought by kids, using crumpled up Christmas-money notes, or by parents who wanted to give something fun TO their kid, but clearly weren't overburdened with disposable cash).

I guess, for me, it probably comes down to the fact that I don't have a collecting bent or an acquisitive instinct when it comes to objects. I do, however, value experiences, and things that remind me of them - which is why I wanted the photo, and why I enjoyed the cosplayers so much.

We're going back tomorrow, but taking the kids - I expect that to be a very different experience indeed!