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+layout: post
+title: 'Convention Report: EAST 12 (2024)'
+date: 2024-09-04 20:00 +0200
+description: My convention report of the furry convention "EAST 12" in 2024
+---
+It's time for another convention report.
+I've been going to the EAST convention since EAST 7 (except EAST 10, which was
+canceled due to COVID. Apparently that number was altogether skipped as a
+consequence). This years topic was "The 90's and beyond". Being born in 1989,
+the theme appealed to me (kinda).
+
+**Monday, Aug 12 (Day -1): Rerouting / Traveling via…**
+
+The previous years I've been going by car, i.e. my own. This year, I planned to
+go by train, but alas: Deutsche Bahn did some construction work on this track,
+so I had to change plans. Furr Shadowwolf was kind and offered me to go with
+him, so I went to him the day before Early Arrival - via train. Which was delayed
+by about 30 minutes. DB really makes it hard to love them. Anyway, I
+enjoyed his hospitality, and had some nice dinner.
+
+**Tuesday, Aug 13 (Day 0): Early Arrival**
+
+Somewhat later than planned, but still before midday, the journey started. No
+major events, but it was quite warm, the car (which also was on the motor car
+show) didn't have an AC - really like back in the 90s :3. This brought back some
+memories from my childhood. (Insert some old man ranting "Children these days
+don't know how good they have it" here ;) ). With no major events, the
+destination Suhl was reached somewhat after noon (I think).
+
+What's different, this year I didn't reside in the main hotel (Ringberg) but in
+the overflow (City Hotel), completely voluntarily. It was clear to me the
+moment I heard EAST 12 was gonna be in August. Ringberg doesn't have (regular)
+AC'ed rooms, and since sleep is very important to me, I decided for the
+"cooler" option. Thankfully, the organization was able to secure a shuttle
+service between city hotel and Ringberg, which made things a lot easier. After
+having lunch, roaming in the lobby for a bit and registering, I went down (with
+the regular bus), and first got myself a nice iced chocolate.
+
+<img
+  src="https://pics.uvokchee.de/_data/i/upload/2024/09/04/20240904171911-8af93ef5-me.jpg"
+  alt="A cup of iced chocolate, nicely decorated with whipped cream and a kind
+  of cookie."
+/>
+
+Then I continued to check-in the hotel, unpack and have a well-deserved nap. I
+don't have any further notes for that day, I think I went back up again for a
+few hours.
+
+I was member of the conops team again, but I scheduled my shifts in the evening
+this year. It kinda happened "automatically" since there were little other shifts
+left the when I had time to take a look in the planning tool. I didn't miss
+anything, so it was alright with me.
+
+**Wednesday, Aug 14 (Day 1)**
+
+"Why not do my own panel", was a vague idea I already had a few weeks prior to
+the convention. I was kinda hesitant, and also caught in my "everyday routine
+and job". On-site panel registrations are possible, so I went and registered
+a "tinkering furs meetup" the day before. I was kinda surprised that still quite
+some furs showed up, even on such "short notice". The idea was that other
+furries could present their projects. I scheduled around 90 minutes, which was
+barely enough time. I guess that's not enough for next year if I properly register
+this event. Anyways.
+
+We basically had
+
+- a working dial-operated telephone (connected to an old Siemens or Nokia mobile
+  phone, the impulses were converted to inputs to the phone's keypads). You
+  could make calls and also receive calls with it.
+- A very interesting cooling device for making "liquid air", basically. To
+  roughly quote the maker, "because it's possible". The talk about this device
+  actually covered quite some time of the event. I mean, it's not every day you
+  see something like this.
+- LED balls/cubes. Built using these popular WSxxxx LEDs, to either display
+  certain patterns, or even react to noises in the surroundings. There were
+  various variants. If I remember correctly the "structures" themselves were
+  3D-printed.
+
+<a href="https://pics.uvokchee.de/picture.php?/159/category/10">
+<img
+  src="https://pics.uvokchee.de/_data/i/upload/2024/09/04/20240904171912-c7e539c5-me.jpg"
+  alt="An apparature including some lamellae surrounded by a metal cage."
+/>
+</a>
+
+Earlier, I was also in the games room, where a fellow furry brought a remodeled
+slot machine. Yay. Very cool. Also, I met
+[Karpour](https://conreports.karpour.net/) and Henrieke there.
+
+<a href="https://pics.uvokchee.de/picture.php?/161/category/10">
+<img
+  src="https://pics.uvokchee.de/_data/i/upload/2024/09/04/20240904171913-a78a20ea-me.jpg"
+  alt='A slot machine (as used in gambling) redesigned with furry pictures,
+  named "furrymint"'
+/>
+</a>
+
+Then there was of course the opening. I remembered wearing ear plugs this year,
+and thus could enjoy the show very much, with a very nice light show.
+In the evening, we had another nice light show in the sky, made by nature. Played a
+round of Uno with some furs, and then I went back to my hotel with the Shuttle.
+
+<a href="https://pics.uvokchee.de/picture.php?/160/category/10">
+<img
+  src="https://pics.uvokchee.de/upload/2024/09/04/20240904171913-1493b692.jpg"
+  alt="Landscape with sky during the late evening, a cloud illuminated by
+  lightning can be seen."
+/>
+</a>
+
+**Thursday, Aug 15 (Day 2)**
+
+<img
+  src="https://pics.uvokchee.de/upload/2024/09/04/20240904171914-8c857db5.jpg"
+  alt="Outside / Barbequeue area, showing 4 banners featuring a skateboarding
+  lynx, a hyena and a husky playing with two GameBoys, a husky looking
+  contemplative out of a window, and a dragon flying in the sky."
+/>
+
+I shared a ride with Nox to the Ringberg, who also took me back in the evening,
+and then my quest to hug fursuiters and shoot selfies with them began (a
+"tradition" that I started at GLC, where it was part of a scavenger hunt). I
+also went to the games room again, only to find there was an actual Windows 95
+(?) PC with Moorhuhn running on it. Awesome. I remember I played the "Winter
+Edition" as a child. I also briefly went to a balloon panel where I helped
+inflating balloons, and finally learned how to properly tie them by hand. Took
+some time, and I'm not sure if my fingers will remember the movements for very
+long. Luckily, these days there are small machines that help you inflate
+balloons, otherwise I would've been out of breath pretty quickly.
+
+<img
+  src="https://pics.uvokchee.de/upload/2024/09/04/20240904171913-f8a08967.jpg"
+  alt="Four inflatable creatures looking out of windows of the hotel."
+/>
+
+Dinner was spent with some other furs, one of them went to my tinkering panel,
+talking about their jobs and the technical challenges they solve, which was
+pretty darn interesting. 
+
+Reflecting that day, it briefly occurred to me whether I should start tinkering
+with GameBoys (as if I didn't already have enough half-started projects…), and
+that I need to calm down more (working my conops shift), not to get too…
+overzealous?
+
+**Friday, Aug 16 (Day 3)**
+
+I had a **very** bad night, probably both because I ate french fries late and I
+forgot to take my meds. I didn't need much of a breakfast, still forced something
+down. Sadly, I missed the Kaiserschmarrn that way. (But they had it again on
+Monday!). Even if I didn't eat much, I had a nice talk with Elenir and Shippo.
+
+<img
+  src="https://pics.uvokchee.de/_data/i/upload/2024/09/04/20240904171914-b3b2101a-me.jpg"
+  alt='A poster showing a boyband, the "Barkstreet Boys" featuring staff
+  members.'
+/>
+
+Back at the Ringberg, I played a round of "Exploding Kittens", I think we were
+seven or eight furs playing together? That took quite some time, but was funny.
+There was also a behind-the-scenes tour by the stage team (which was kinda
+mind-blowing, when you think of the money, time and energy that goes into it). I
+have some photos I took for myself, but as I'm not sure what I can show.
+This was also the day of the dance competition which took
+place in the evening. The winner was ToxicFox with a very impressive and
+energetic dance.
+
+**Saturday, Aug 17 (Day 4)**
+
+Breakfast I spent with entirely different folks again (I'm getting better at
+this… socializing… thing. I hope. ;) ). Back in the Ringberg, the queue for the
+Dealers Den was finally short enough (actually non-existing) for me to get in.
+The other days I just took a look at the queue and immediately noped. I kinda fell
+in love with a brown cheetah partial fursuit by Sasa creations, which led to an
+episode of me "losing" my backpack somewhat later, luckily I just left it
+somewhere where it still was when I looked.
+
+<img
+  src="https://pics.uvokchee.de/_data/i/upload/2024/09/04/20240904171912-dbeea8e0-me.jpg"
+  alt='Yet another fictional boyband poster, this time announcing "The power of
+  (paw icon)"'
+/>
+
+
+I think I didn't have lunch that day, and have a complete black hole in my memory
+what I did during noon/early afternoon. Then, there was already the fursuit
+parade with lots of locals (non-furries) showing up. And… well, then there was
+already the closing.
+
+**Sunday, Aug 18 (Day 5)**
+
+That was a weird day, it kinda had a sad mood to it, the weather at the
+Ringberg didn't really help (it was foggy and rainy), a lot less people
+wandering around in the lobby, made me a little "moody" actually. I regretted
+not bringing a jacket at this point - I didn't need one the other days. I went
+down to the cellars the closing party for a bit where I spent some time talking
+to JackHusky I know from back-in-the-days when I was still living in Saxony.
+Got to shoot a selfie with "Bruce" (omg, suit crush incoming) as well. I said
+goodbye to the people I still met around and know, and was surprised at how
+many I should've said goodbye to but didn't see anymore.
+
+**Monday, Aug 19 (Day 6): Goodbye**
+
+Since I packed the evening before, it was a calm day.
+
+I enjoyed another excellent breakfast at the City Hotel, in the company of Nox,
+said goodbye, checked out and then waited in the lobby in the company of Elenir.
+We chatted for a bit until Delta arrived, whom I had asked for a ride. The
+journey home went by quite fast. And then I was suddenly at home in my usual
+environment.
+
+The effects of the con still lasted for the rest of the week (I worked again
+from Wednesday), but already the week after ("previous week" from now, when I
+start writing these lines) it was "back to the normal daily routine". Meh. It's
+quite a shift from having dozens of other kind people around me all the time
+to going back to my rural live.
+
+It kinda occurred to me that I should probably switch jobs at some point in the
+future. Though what to, I haven't got the slightest idea. It feels, I dunno,
+kinda draining/unfulfilling(?). But that's for me to sort out… sometime.