I got a room off Eltu. (Who had booked two, for reasons that still escape me) However, he and Unknown only turned up on (very early) Friday morning, whereas I'd been hanging around since Thursday afternoon. The hotel wouldn't let me in to a room without a credit card to hold the bill on, so mikko used his, which gave him both room keys. (Irayo again mikko. You're awesome. ;))

Earlier that afternoon, HNM and Moco had gone off to buy a pineapple. Since mikko now had the key to Eltu's room, the logical happened, ready for Eltu and Unknown coming in the next morning. (Also by way of Mikko, because the trains had closed.)

So yeah, blame/congratulate mikko for not only running most of the meetup, but also organising jokes on the side. :party:

I finally made it home after finding out that cable thieves had stolen the signalling cable near Bedford, resulting in me having to travel back via Euston and Birmingham. Think my 120 mile journey home took longer than the flight across the Atlantic!! Meh!

Anyway, once got home I couldn't help but watch some of the footage. It was great watching Jon Landau again. I also started my Na'vi lesson. I'm currently transferring the 8 hours of footage so I can start the long process of editing. It's goingto take a while, but I will push it out for everyone as soon as I can. (Note that the Jon Landau evening and Na'vi Lesson's will require approval before release.)

In the meantime, feel free to post up links to your photos.

Alan

I haven't been on ToS much since the meetup, been a bit busy, but the photos speak for themselves :D

Currently staying with Moco.

The meetup was amazing, and yes, we put a pineapple into Eltu's room :P

It was great to meet everyone, and hopefully even more people next year. I'm missing everyone already :)

PMD is almost worse than PAD.

Because the Meetup was real.

- Mikko

PMD is MUCH worse than than PAD. :'( I can always pop the disc in and watch it over and over, but I can't see everyone together again on a whim.

*Sigh*

There's always next year.... ;)

Man, I didn't even think about it that way.

- Mikko

that was a bummar about the longer journey Alan :( but glad you're back safe & sound as a pound! will be waiting for the videos :awesome: but take your time, you sure need it!

it was good to see you Sempu, and your family :D although for a couple of minutes each time but great nevertheless to 'put the face and the... post(s) together"! So to speak.
If there is a potential? I am sure there is loads. Example: we stopped at a juice stand during the cosplay, & people kept coming for the photos, eventually the juice guy asked: "Are you people selling something?" - "No." - "Are you working for the museum?" - "No." - "so why are you doing this?" - "Because... we love it! :awesome:" and of course we went on about the forums, the meetup, the 50+ persons from all over the world, that "we can change if we really want" and "send them a message". He listened very attentively & said that what we were doing was really, really cool. And this 'interview' happened quite a few times during the meetup. We ended up sending some people to the forums cos they recentlly (!) watched Avatar, were in awe & stricken by Avatar effect, & were feeling very lonely for not having anybody to talk to... :( :rolleyes:

same reason for not posting during the meetup.


hehe my first impression in the airport was ... that everything was so.... American! :shock::awesome: All the signs in English only, & people talking American (English + FAST + LOUD). I am not making value based judgements, not saying 'it was 'good' or 'bad' - I just found it different, curious & even exotic (& I've travelled a fair bit, but mostly Eastwards). In any case this journey was an avalanche of impressions. Still digesting but it was the best holiday ever, that's for sure. I just wish I had more time to talk to more people but better luck next time.

Don't remind me. :'(

I can't remember who, but someone (I suspect it was Mikko. Again.) suggested we say we worked for Lightstorm and were filming for the sequel and see who believed us. ;)

It's pretty much the same in the UK. (And we have a lot more accents in a smaller space.) Foreigners? What are those? :P

They're very different... but I guess so. But then, the meetup will happen again, and I can always look at all the photos :)

I've had some time now to reflect more on the meetup (immediately after departing Seattle I embarked on a long-ish backpacking trip) and I've found myself wishing I could have had more time there. There were a few friends that I had a great time meeting in person, there were others whom I had barely conversed with before but became good acquaintances by the meetup's end, and even a few whose (user)names I still can't recall but were awesome to speak to for the first time. It was all great, but it just would have been nice if I could have had more time to hang out and converse...if I had been able, maybe, to make the camping trip! There is indeed a kind of depression! Oh well - I am glad I went. :)

That is interesting to hear. It makes me wonder just how many people got stricken by that effect and aren't on any of these forums.

Yes, too true, Mikko. :(

Anyway, PMD aside, it was so great to see all my ToS Avatar clanmates in Seattle (those who could make it there), and I had a wonderful time at the meetup! It was truly awesome, from the cosplay and clan meal, to getting to meet Landau and Frommer, and everything in between! I also enjoyed the camping/hiking in Olympic Park -- newbie to it and all. :)

A massive Irayo to the AvatarMeet planning committee, the EMP museum, the hotel, Jon Landau & Kathy Franklin, Paul Frommer (and anyone else I can't think of at the moment) for making this very special gathering of the clans such a success! :D

Looking forward to next year's meetup, wherever it will be. ;)

I don't have any PSD, PMD, whatever, but like I said last year, I think I would be crushed if there weren't going to be any more meetups. Until the very last meetup, I have something to look forward to :) Last year, I didn't know any of you going into the first meetup, and this time, the ending was made so much easier for me because I got to spend time with HNM after.

Yes there were many "couples" there. :)

yeah, it sounds a bit surprising even - but then again, I only discovered the forums about half a year after watching Avatar; and my friend didn't want to watch it when it came out precisely because of all the excitement and 'noise' around it. It took her a good year to decide :shock: so heh people seem to keep discovering it... Avatar is not over! it's never over, not for me... *sigh*

you lucky swine(s). yes I guess that would have been a nice closure for quite a few of us 'couples brought together by Avatar' (*sigh again*)

As for the next meetup I give it 99.999% I won't make it to the US next year. Unless... unless... ah well I still don't know so I'd better 'oisss!'

:(

I hope you can be there.

I'm home now, and maybe PMD etc have hit me after all, ever since I got back I've had a huge headache and felt really cold :(