So, I caught up on the sleep now, so I better keep my promise while I still remember how the con was.
Thursday
I travelled with my younger brother and we left early on Wednesday morning. We arrived after an almost nine hour long bus trip to Uppsala at around 5 pm. I spent the bus trip reading, while my brother slept most of it.
When we arrived to the convention area, we sat down in line and waited. In the line we met some people from the convention last year, and I made friends with the first-timers both in front of us and behind us in the line. I only later got the contact information to two of them (SuperHappyHorror and Sonazgirl), as I didn't meet the others after we got in at the convention.
You might wonder why I would like to come the day before, but the line is actually kind of like an event in its self. If you wish to meet people, the line is the best place to do so.
The night was tough, as it was really humid that night. I actually didn't expect that - if I had, I would had gotten somewhere to sleep instead of waiting in line during night.
Friday
Half of the Friday was spent waiting in line. Me and my brother (among many others) had gotten our convention tickets early, to get in quicker. So around 8 am all of us started migrating form the "official line" to a new one. In the confusion me and my brother ended up in the front of the line. Which is very good, as people tend to cut in line the ours before the convention!
When we finally got in - the convention opened late - I hurried to the wardrobe to get my things in there before another line would appear. For some reason Swedes really love lines. I have to admit I like the line before the convention, but that's only because everyone is really nice and pumped up. All other lines aren't anything I like to go through, as people are never well-behaved enough to not cut in line.
After getting my things into the wardrobe, I checked out the whole convention building, to get an idea of what was where. When I had done so, I went to the Artist Alley, since it was at the top. There I met Valerei and Nelly, who had a table there. Beside them were Malika, but I don't know most of the other people that was there. It's not until now I actually realize I should have taken all of their names. I do know that Gabbi and Nosebleed Studio was there though.
I met Akai and Ceres and a friend of Ceres'. Not at the same times though. I and Akai had a goal to meet 100, times but in the end we left the con with 96 or so times left to meet. Ceres I actually spent most of the convention with, I think. We had planned to have a table together, but it just didn't happen. I met her and her friend after I had been to the merchandise tent and bought 4 posters.
I left the convention area to sleep at around 6 pm. I was exhausted, and was so with reason.
Saturday
The Saturday was spent a lot alone, actually. I had a reserved seat at the Olivia concert and Ceres had reserved seats for the cosplay contest. And as I had gone to bed early I was also up early. I bought prints from Nelly and Valerei during the day and of course I was at Olivia's concert. She was awesome! I was tired in my legs and I wasn't really up to standing up to the music, but rather listening to eat with my eyes closed. I got my wish, as half of the people with reserved seats actually sat down. It was on the side I had my seat. (laughs) The only negative thing with the concert must have been the fact I yawned. The reason for people to yawn is actually lack of oxygen to the brain and I yawn really easily. And so I was yawning maybe 15 minutes into the concert. (As a small side note, my issue with blood circulation had me yawning in lectures in school and got me in trouble a few times. But I can't help it, you know?) But it sure wasn't because olivia was bad or anything! I have never been so happy in my life. Or so I thought...
Other than that I didn't do much. My brother found two games I had wanted for ages. At least I think that happened during the Saturday. Anyway, I was allowed to borrow money to get them! I can't believe I would actually regret it later.
Sunday
The Sunday is the last of the convention and also the calmest one. At least if you're in the actual building and not the marketplace with the tents and outdoor stage and similar. I took it easy and basically did nothing at all during the day. And in the midst of doing nothing - Okay, I was drawing a bit - I heard that Olivia was going to have a sign session in the merchandise tent some time later. I kept doing nothing and then just casually went to the tent and there she was! The session hadn't started yet and I walked back and forth trying to decide whether to get her signature or not! (laughs) In the end I got a pamphlet signed and also got to hug her and I was close to tears when she wrote my name and drew some hearts. (laughs)
I met Akai for the last time and went to the karaoke room. I still haven't sung anything, because I'm too shy. Maybe next time, maybe next time. Afterwards I watched the ending being streamed to the outdoor stage and after that I spent a couple of hours walking with a sign saying "Baibaihug?" and received hugs from both Swedes and Japanese. I met up with my brother around that time too, so we could go to the bus stop together. We had to wait for around six hours for the bus, but it was okay. I spent most of that time getting fried by the sun without knowing it and reading. And then we returned some time before 6 am. I didn't get to sleep until later in the evening, as I was helping out with selling doughnuts and drinks for a couple of hours. My brother was supposed to help, but was instead sleeping...
Possible Improvements
There where a lot of lines. A lot more than usually. They had tried to get rid of them by people being able to reserve seats, but they didn't get it to work, I guess. Last year things worked out well with the lines, and even though the Artist Alley and the entrances to the big hall were at the same level last year, the artists weren't too bothered by it. This year they closed the level, so that people couldn't access the alley either, even if it got closed to get rid of the line. Also, some of the personnel didn't have enough information to help out. When i asked when I could access the Artist Alley again I was told different things by different people. I even was told at one point I should be able to access the artist alley, even though I just moments earlier had been kicked out from there, even though I wasn't there to line for whatever event was going to start two or so hours later.
Other than that I don't have much to complain about. After all, it was a good convention, overall. And this is also the end of this report. I hope there will be another convention I can attend soon. And I hope to see some readers then, if possible!
