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diff --git a/_posts/2024-07-31-awoostria-2024.md b/_posts/2024-07-31-awoostria-2024.md index ad104e8..14b541d 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-07-31-awoostria-2024.md +++ b/_posts/2024-07-31-awoostria-2024.md @@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ layout: post title: Awoostria 2024 date: 2024-07-31 14:24 +0200 +last_modified_at: 2024-08-01 20:00 +02:00 lang: en categories: ["furry"] --- @@ -17,22 +18,24 @@ do this at home", so conventions are a great excuse for me to get out. I see some new cities / locations I wouldn't usually get to see, and at the same time I meet new people with a common interest. Sounds like a good deal. -**Wednesday** +**Wednesday, July 24** I went the "early arrival, late departure" route. Might be to do with FOMO, but it's also more relaxed. I was *really* surprised Vienna is only 5.5 hours of train travel away, and it's a direct connection. So I went with Deutsche Bahn. -It went relatively smoothly, no major delays, and in the Telegram group chat I -even got some nice tips to switch to metro at Wien Meidling instead of going to -Main Station. Was a good tip. +It went relatively smoothly, no major delays (30 minutes), and in the Telegram +group chat I even got some nice tips to switch to metro at Wien Meidling +instead of going to Main Station. Was a good tip. A not-so-nice experience, at Wien Meidling I was approached twice by people who went like "uh, hey, excuse me please…", but I have enough of this experience here in Würzburg to already assume it's probably just going to be begging, so I -went into full ignore mode and simply went on to the subway. +went into full ignore mode and simply went on to the subway. During the +convention, I got really impressed by Vienna's public transport. You can get +"pretty much anywhere" (along the routes of public transport) pretty quickly. +This proved really valuable on Friday when I went sightseeing with other furs. -During the convention, I got really impressed by Vienna's public transport. The -hotel was conveniently located. So I could get there by walking from the +The hotel was conveniently located. So I could get there by walking from the station Wien West easily. The day I arrived there was still some setup going on, regarding the decoration. On this day, I played some nice card games with other furries already at the convention (sadly, the only time I did that). Got @@ -40,68 +43,142 @@ something small to eat as well. Otherwise, I walked around near the venue, found a nice spot with a bit of a view over the city, but not much else going on. -**Thursday** +<a href="https://pics.uvokchee.de/picture.php?/152/category/9"> +<img + src="https://pics.uvokchee.de/_data/i/upload/2024/08/01/20240801165108-5168e829-sm.jpg" + alt="Awoostria main banner, showing an anthro wolf holding a diamond, lit red and + green, with a bird, cat, raccoon and marten in the background" +/> +</a> + +<a href="https://pics.uvokchee.de/picture.php?/153/category/9"> +<img + src="https://pics.uvokchee.de/_data/i/upload/2024/08/01/20240801165109-3c0d7509-sm.jpg" + alt="Another Awoostria banner, hanging from a balcony, showing the con's name and theme" +/> +</a> + +<a href="https://pics.uvokchee.de/picture.php?/154/category/9"> +<img + src="https://pics.uvokchee.de/_data/i/upload/2024/08/01/20240801165109-a0c2c05b-sm.jpg" + alt="A panorama view over the city from above, taken from the city hall's steps" +/> +</a> + +**Thursday, July 25** First day, already some digestion issues. "Not off to a good start", I thought, but it probably just was the excitement, the other days went by without -problems. Went around the city a bit on my own and even got a week ticket for +problems. I went around the city a bit on my own and even got a week ticket for the public transport (20 Euro, eh, might be an okay-ish price for a vacation). -Saw some of the horse-drawn carriages as well (didn't go in one for the whole -time). Took some photos of some fursuiters (on Thursday and all of the following -days), watched the opening, tried to go to the cuddle panel, but it was too -full, watched the karaoke, then the day was already over for me. - -**Friday** +What's kinda annoying, if you get a "paper ticket" at the vending machines, you +pay 5 € more than what you would pay if you get an "app ticket" (or PDF). Which +is kinda understandable, I guess, since the electronic ticket is personalized. +That is, I could've resold the ticket to someone else for the remaining days I +wasn't in Vienna anymore (Monday-Wednesday). I originally planned to do that, +but forgot about it in the end. + +I saw some of the horse-drawn carriages as well (didn't go in one for the whole +time, there was no time, but I guess I wouldn't have wanted to spend the money +anyway). I took some photos of some fursuiters (on Thursday and all of the +following days), watched the opening, tried to go to the cuddle panel, but it +was too full, watched the karaoke, then the day was already over for me. I got +to bed between 10 o'clock and midnight all days. Sleep is important. :) + +<a href="https://pics.uvokchee.de/picture.php?/155/category/9"> +<img + src="https://pics.uvokchee.de/_data/i/upload/2024/08/01/20240801165109-6bf9405a-sm.jpg" + alt="A horse-drawn carriage. The horses are white. The carriage is light brown." +/> +</a> + +**Friday, July 26** Sightseeing time. A local fur offered a small group of us furries a sightseeing tour. Castle Schönbrunn, Karl's church (from the outside), Hofburg, Spanish -Horse riding academy, Amusement Park Prater, if I remember all of it. Did the -"wildwater ride" (?) in the Prater, actually the only attraction I'm comfortable -with in amusement parks. I don't go for roller coasters. Got a nice leopard -lanyard and a magnet in the dealer's den. Went to the snack exchange and the -"fursuit striptease", which was a funny event as well. I was a bit sad that I -missed the WHSPRS concert, but I can't split myself in two. I think I even -checked out the dance on that day. - -**Saturday** - -The day I realized I could use the hotel's wellness area. Took a nice break in -the infrared chamber. The Broadcasting panel was very interesting. For me, it's -always fascinating to see in which fields other furries work. Had some nice -cuddles, joined the disability meet-up, went to the dance for a bit again and… -that's it, I guess? - -**Sunday** +horse riding academy, amusement park Prater, if I remember all of it. Did the +"wildwater ride" (?) in the Prater, which is actually the only attraction I'm +comfortable with in amusement parks at all. I don't go for roller coasters. + +I got a nice leopard lanyard by Emily Creative (it was just too cute!!!! I +couldn't resist!!!) and a magnet in the dealer's den. Went to the snack +exchange and the "fursuit striptease", which was a funny event as well [1]. I +was a bit sad that I missed the WHSPRS concert, but I can't split myself in +two. I think I even checked out the dance on that day. + +[1] What the hell is a fursuit striptease you might ask? Uh, it was a charity +event where some fursuiters initially had some clothes on, suggestively danced +to some music and removed their clothing, and went to people who donated money +and… I dunno… imitated a lapdance? I wouldn't know about stuff like that, I +never went to an actual strip club <.<. + +<a href="https://pics.uvokchee.de/picture.php?/156/category/9"> +<img + src="https://pics.uvokchee.de/_data/i/upload/2024/08/01/20240801181735-a9ee958e-sm.jpg" + alt="A badge lanyard being worn, showing a happy leopard" +/> +</a> + +**Saturday, July 27** + +The day I realized I could use the hotel's wellness area. I took a nice break +in the infrared chamber. The broadcasting panel (as in, TV broadcasting) was +very interesting. For me, it's always fascinating to see in which fields other +furries work. Unfortunately, the panel had to be cut short due to time +constraints with the following event. I had some nice cuddles as well, joined +the disability meet-up, went to the dance for a bit again and… that's it, I +guess? + +**Sunday, July 28** Charity auction, Powerpoint karaoke, closing (which involved some serious queuing), spend the evening outside where there was some music being played… uh… did I do -anything else? +anything else? I think I went to the infrared chamber again in the afternoon. -**Monday** +**Monday, July 29** Time to say goodbye, after breakfast. Originally I planned to depart early and visit the Manner factory shop, but I had a nice talk with other furs during breakfast, time went by, I still had to pack (just throw stuff in the suitcase), so in the end, I didn't have time to do that. Also, the factory shop was inconveniently located, in regards to public transport. Much sad. -Travel home went by without significant delays. +Travel home went by without *significant* delays (again, 30 minutes). + +**Food** + +Hotel breakfast was wonderful. I missed that when I got back home and had to do +my breakfast myself again. Otherwise, I didn't have exactly a healthy diet +during the convention. Ate lots of cookies, got bananas in the store nearby and +had some cake in a café next to the hotel (they also made a cute "Welcome +Furrys" [sic] sign on the last day of the con). My dinner consisted of Backwerk +(a bun with camembert), Burger King (chicken nuggets), Subways (turkey +sandwich, if I remember correctly) and the hotel bar (french fries). The only +actual lunch that deserves being called that was the one I took on the +sightseeing tour, original Vienna Schnitzel with french fries. **Overall** In retrospect, trying to recollect what I did, I am a bit shocked to realize that there are some "black holes" in the timeline. No, I didn't drink any alcohol. Probably more happened, by my brain is not used to this amount of stuff -happening. - -Hotel breakfast was wonderful. I missed that when I got back home and had to do -my breakfast myself again. +happening, I guess? Vienna is hecking **clean**. I not once saw dog poop or trash lying around. - -I had enough sleep, had enough food and drink, still, I still spent a probably -significant amount of time "milling around"? There's kind of a nagging feeling -that it should be easier to form connections, sit down somewhere by a group of -prople and simply join in a talk? And a slight nagging feeling of FOMO might as -well have been present. That's a me problem, nonetheless, nothing to do with the -convention itself. And I also go to conventions to try to cure that. +And, as I said, public transport there is nice. Would I want to actually live +there? probably not. Too much hubhub, the metro was kinda uncomfortably full +at times, and it's probably hecking expensive. + +The convention staff and helpers did an amazing job at the first edition of +Awoostria. From the opening and closing I gathered they didn't expect 700-ish +furries from turning up. Also, I was blown away by seeing the diversity of +attendees (when it comes to age, gender, nationality), something I didn't +experience before. + +I had enough sleep, had enough food and drink, which is positive. However, I +think I spent a significant amount of time "milling around"? There's kind of a +nagging feeling that it should be easier to form connections, sit down +somewhere by a group of people and simply join in a talk? And a slight nagging +feeling of FOMO might as well have been present. That's a me problem, +nonetheless, nothing to do with the convention itself. And I also go to +conventions to try to cure that. |