Wow this was a weekend! A long one for sure. The convention started on Thursday with a precon party on Wednesday night. Almost four full days of conventioning is a thing. Tiring, exhausting even, but definitely worth it!
To Party or Not To Party, That is the Question
My readers know already that on one hand I love socialising at the con, and on the other I often leave parties early. Metropolcon Eurocon gave me the chance for both. I spent most of Wednesday on a train to get to Berlin. There are three good sides in that. Together with five friends we booked full compartment so we had great time together. We were also visited by friends travelling in the same train. Another good side was that I managed to avoid flying (which is always a good thing). And the last – our train was direct connection. Moreover it stopped at the station within a walking distance from my hotel and the con. It was a longish walk but not too bad.
Just before starting the Dublin 2029 party.
Another thing within a walking distance from the hotel was one of the most iconic places in Berlin – the Brandenburg Gate. Sadly, it was almost the only part of sightseeing I managed to do during the con. I need to keep Berlin on my “to visit list”. After the short sightseeing we took two cabs and drive all the way to the C-base where the precon party took place. It was a good evening with a lot of talking to the friends from close and from afar. We didn’t stay very long but I can definitely consider this a party evening.
Thursday and Saturday evenings were way shorter for me. On Friday evening, however, I was partying. To be more precise we started with Dublin 2029 party at the convention venue. To be honest, beginning of the Dublin party was a tad different. I received a duty of handing away the bid stickers to everyone coming to visit us. The social part started for me once the queue was over, but it was a great time.Afterwards we went to a nearby pub/bar. From there some of us made an excursion to one of the best kebab places in Berlin. At least local kebab connoisseur told us so. All those moments were great opportunities to socializing.
Not a Typical Venue
Three years ago at Eurocon in Uppsala we all heard about the proposed venue for the Metropolcon. team proposed to use silent green Kulturquartier. What was characteristic about the place is that it previously functioned as a crematorium. This made the con place feel a bit different.
I failed in making this picture properly but it shows a building when the second biggest room was located.
There were remnants of the old graveyard next to the venue. Some places within the con premises brought to mind what was the original purpose of the place. I am not sure whether my idea as to their function was correct. I even don’t know even whether they existed in the same form before. Still the place’s history brought some thoughts automatically.
Having said all that, the venue was a good fit for the con. There were a few small rooms, and two big ones. The biggest one was underground. The other, a bit smaller, was in the old mourning hall. I didn’t have issue with attending any of the program items I visited. One thing, however, required room change. Both ESFS Business Meeting had to be moved to the bigger room.
Interior of the building from the picture above (during a panel). At the balconies there are multiple niches, which, I believe, were places to store the urns before.
One thing that venue offered made me very happy. There was a sink in the volunteer lounge and thanks to that I was able to use the tap water instead of the bottled one. A small thing but it saved some plastic from going to waste.
The Programme
Speaking about the program, I must admit, that I didn’t attend too many items. It was not because of the convention not having anything interesting to offer. Right the opposite – there were plenty of interesting panels and talks. The issue is that I had to squeeze in volunteering for the con, volunteering at the Dublin 2029 table, socialising, eating, and catching a breath. As a result the amount of time left for programming was rather limited.
A dialogue ‘Ian Watson and his alternative German history’.
Having said that, I managed to visit some items. One of the most important ones was a dialogue about late Ian Watson and his alternative German history. Bernhard, who was the main speaker, was Ian’s friend. Probably quite a close one. I am glad that I managed to hear other speaking about Ian, and how great person he was.
I devoted most of my program time to two ESFS Business meetings. They are important to me and I do my best not to miss them at Eurocons. Among things discussed – we voted for the Eurocon 2028 to take place in Zagreb in Croatia. This is meaningful to me, as Kontakt in Zagreb in 2012 was my first Eurocon outside of Poland. Also, Croatian fandom is amazing and it will be a pleasure to visit them again.
A Lot of Talking
I spent large part of the con talking to others. Some conversations were short – barely words exchange. Others were longer – some even much longer. I am very happy that I managed to talk to so many people. Even though at some points my throat was reminding me that when I talk I need to drink more.
As you can see, I am not the one who does the talking here. But I at least presented the ESFS Awards nominations from Poland at that meeting. Picture taken by Rynvord.
A different way of talking is through fanzines. I was very happy to see the Confact crew having their table. For some years I haven’t seen them and I was wondering whether the project is still ongoing. For those who don’t know it – it is a collaborative fanzine created by members of the con. The team brings an old laptop with even older text editor and allows everyone willing to write their piece – short or long – doesn’t matter. Once there is enough material to a fill a sheet of paper, it is printed, and the team starts a new issue. I managed to get issue number 213 and am not sure whether there were more. (I need to check as I wrote my piece after the release of 213).
And a Lot of Having Fun
I had a lot of fun. Convention was very enjoyable in many ways. From the nice weather (most of the time) to attractions. I obtained some fandom memorabilia sold by the local SFF club in Berlin, and played a variant of the game of tag. Yet, what is the most important thing, I met my friends – some of whom I haven’t seen in a few years.
What I learned is that there is a convention in Kyiv organized during the war. It received the ESFS Award for the best event organized by fans. Italian delegate even withdraw their candidature and suggested voting for the Ukraine. I believe that the award was well deserved. Speaking of Awards – this year we brought to Poland only one statuette – for the Best Work for Children.
Julianna, chair of Polish umbrella SFF clubs’ organization, accepted the ESFS Award for ‘Fantastyczne Smoki’.
Convention went pretty well. Of course there were things I would do in a different, but my solution is not the only proper one. We spotted some funny typos in the materials but they added more to the enjoyment of the con. Chapeau bas for the whole team as they did a great job in bringing Eurocon to Berlin for the first time. They made us feel welcomed, and I had a great time. Thank you all for the Metropolcon Eurocon, and hopefully see you soon!
You can find more pictures in my FB gallery.
My next post will appear later this month.