I'm back after spending two splendid weeks in Europe, attending German RQ Con at Bacharach, and Nick Brooke and Julie's wedding in Chester. My trip was characterised by wonderful weather, friendly people and copious quantities of beer.
I'd like to publically thank the efforts of the German RQ Con organisers for a great convention, and in particular the tireless and extraordinarily hospitable Ingo Tschinke (and his wife Marion).
Some highlights:
*The astonishingly picture-postcard perfection of Castle Stahleck - great
venue guys, sure beats RQ Con Down Under's primary school setting for
resonant atmosphere! (though to make up for it we might be having the
next one in an abandoned infectious diseases hospital...)
*The amazing lightning and thunder show on the first night at the Castle.
*GMing a number of memorable and highly-amusing MGF events (including a
reprise of 'Embarrassment of Riches' up in Bremen with Ingo's gamer group, a
great gang).
*Refereeing a trollball game of epic proportions, culminating in sending
both teams of soaking wet players charging into the water bomb-lobbing crowd
to wreak their revenge!
*Turning my Sun Dome fop character in the 'People of Pavis' freeform into an
evil political manipulator, after the game's own Mr Morden, a disguised
Gim-Gim (Rick Meints) came up to me early on and said "What do you want?"
*Tasting the national dishes of Germany - the kebab - and England - the curry.
*Being generously gifted with more of that fabulous green beer (thanks Fabien!)
and a small jar of curious brown stuff (er, thanks Dan...)
Some lowlights:
*The nightly 8-piece wind symphony in the Megacorp bunkhouse (gawd, I hope
it was all snoring!)
*Managing to avoid - like Tony Curtis in the immortal pie fight scene of "The
Great Race" - the countless water bombs lobbed by the enthusiastic crowd during
the Trollball game, only to have a bucket emptied on my head at the end!
*Losing a button of my suit jacket and spilling saffron rice down my shirt, all
in the first few hours after my arrival in Britain thanks to perhaps 3 too many
pints of lager and 29 hours worth of jet lag. All fortunately fixed before the
wedding, so I looked suitably natty like the rest of the besuited Megacorp
delegation.
*On my last trip I discovered to my horror that famed English fried bread is
indeed bread that has been fried. This time I discovered black pudding (I was
too scared to find out what those curious white bits in it are) and 'icebein' - I
doubt I've spelt this correctly, but it is a German dish that seems to consist
of a huge softball-sized globule of quivering fat-enveloped flesh with a great
bone sticking out of it. Urrghhhhhhhh....
Black pudding and icebein aside, I had a great time, and look forward to doing it again if I get the opportunity!
Cheers
MOB
[XXIX.8900.soc.tasty-beverage.4] It is believed that the current classification of the Aldryami ("elves") is another mistake and/or rewrite of the the original by the God Learners. The original classification was obviously into green, yellow (oolong) and blask/brown based on the type of tea they produced for the Green Age peoples.
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