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I attended Scintillation! Many events happened while I was there. I will recap some of them.
Okay, Actually I Do Remember Lots of What Happened Saturday! (6/11)
Part 1: Picnic and Board Games!
Caroline had suggested people who wanted to get some picnic-y things should gather for such and then we would find a spot to eat them. I decided I wanted to compare dumplings, so I got my second round of dumplings of the day while others got picnic-y foods. You already saw my review of the relative merits of the two dumpling places so I will not go into that again. Grace and Peter and Caroline and Emma and I had picnic-y times. While eating, it became clear that Peter had been so dedicated to helping with the puzzle he had neglected to play any board games. I could not allow this to stand, so even though there was not a huge amount of time before he and Grace had to go, we decided to play a quick game of Wingspan which I have never played before, but which I, of course, wanted to play!
So we played Wingspan! It was fun! I had no idea what I was doing, except that I've played other board games before so i wasn't totally at sea! It was great! I love playing board games! And learning them! Wingspan is a very aesthetically beautiful game! The cards are beautiful, the pieces are well designed, the game is fun! We were a bit under the gun time-wise, but that was fine. We played and got everything packed up in time. I did not win, but I did respectably for my first game!
It's been a long few years. I have friends in Buffalo that I get to see and play board games with sometimes, but it's very different than before the pandemic, when I used to have 7-8 people over regularly for board game nights. And even then, it was hard to get that super-routinely. So, getting to learn new board games is very exciting. Getting to play board games for five or more people, like I did on the first or second night of the con: its super exciting. A surprisingly moving video, to me, is this Brian David Gilbert piece from the Unraveled series, Almost presciently posted in December 2019, the video uses the conceit of exploring the Sims as a way to figure out how to improve one's apartment, but eventually becomes a meditation on isolation and sociality. In the context of the pandemic it winds up being an astonishingly meaningful video, despite (or perhaps because of) the silly lens through which it examines the issue, and because it managed to explore it mere months before the idea of social distancing would become a ubiquitous concept for all of us. A lot of my joy in the experience of this con came from the fact that I was making and solidifying friendships, that I was connecting with people, and that I was getting to share my excitement and joy with others.
Part 2: Certifiably Montrealeon
After board game, I am exhausted! It has been a long day. I sit down in a comfortable chair. I am not yet comfortable, but I am confident the chair is comfortable, because three different people walk by and immediately tell me I look comfortable. I am fairly certain I am going to walk up to my room as soon as I have the energy to do so, but I am invited to join Liz and Grant and Jon to "the bar with the best mixed drinks in Montreal, which has a terrasse" [that's a terrace, for you english speakers]. I am sure that I am going to go to bed but find myself at the bar with them. It is quite close to the hotel. We are seated, we look over the menu, the menu indicates the shape of the glass that your drink will be served in, and some of them are pretty exciting looking. The folks one table over eagerly share their thoughts on the drinks we are discussing. This is not everyone's preferred way of being out at a bar, but it is a that I enjoy it. I learned, for example, not to order the drink I was thinking about ordering! I ordered a Painkiller, and then later—the bar's eponymous drink Le Mal Necessaire—at one point other people at the table order the coconut and pine apple drinks. I am the only non-Canadian in the group, if I recall correctly, so I am informed about many things, such as the collective possession of Canadian celebrities generally, by all of Canada, and the local possession of Canadian athletes. So, a Maple Leaf is Toronto's, specifically, but Ryan Reynolds belongs to the whole Dominion. (I didn't name a specifically Maple Leaf because I don't know any sports people). Also during the evening, a story was related about the Canadian Conservative Party's Leadership election in 2017 being impacted by having the same location as Anime North. Delegates were distracted and/or unable to get to the voting because of traffic and anime convention goers, and the leadership race was tight enough that this, apparently, impacted the outcome. I thought back and I was at that Anime convention, contributing to the parking congestion and so on (and I vaguely remember the political things happening nearby, but, you know, I was trying to enjoy myself by watching anime with friends so I paid as little attention to conservative politicians meeting nearby at the time as possible). Anyway, I learned that I was at the site of an Anime Convention which allegedly literally changed the outcome of Canadian politics!
I then asked if it was possible to get poutine (the other famous carb of this region). I was concerned because it was late!
I was laughed at. "There's a bell pro two blocks away" I was told, as if this clearly answered my question.
"What is a bell pro?"
"A Belle Provence"
"is that fancy?"
::more laughter::
In my defense, things should be named that fancy if you are going to laugh at people for asking that question. I was eventually told it was a greasy spoon diner, that I would not be able to miss it, and that it was the best option for late night poutine to sop up the alcohol from the Tiki Bar we had been spending our time at. I asked if there was a specific type of poutine to order, and it was clarified that there are varieties available but I should not order any gussied up poutine. I should just order straight up regular poutine. (I was also told how to pronounce it correctly but, as covered previously, a basic strategy I had adopted was to ensure that no one mistook me for a person who knew how to speak French, so I promptly forgot this).
I walked off, while they got another round of drinks got my poutine, returned with it, and commenced eating it. At this point, somewhat more than tipsy from the drinks, I asked Jon if eating poutine after drinking at this bar made me a true Montrealler, and he laughingly, non-seriously said it did. So I told him I was going to quote him on that on my instagram. And my twitter. "Jon says I am a true Montrealeon now" I posted. "A regular 'les habitant'". I'd eaten the bagel, and the Poutine. And I had now publicly accused Jon of suggesting that this was enough to grant me citizenship! Jon told me that I should claim to be a Voyageur, which was a very complicated hockey joke, having to do with teams that don't exist any more and also more accurate in the literal French translation, so, I hereby correct the record and affirm Jon's joke, rather than mine.
We stayed out a while later, which would have been a big problem if the Con started earlier than 10, or if I was going to sleep later that 7 am any morning. The waiter was very friendly and also shared a shot with us that tasted like froot loops somehow.
Secure in my status as a faux Montrealler, I retired for the evening.
Tomorrow: A second Montreal Bagel. I discover the true hero of Montreal carbohydrates! Paperwork, Papal Elections, Tacos in the Rain! And then, probably two more posts after that!
Okay, Actually I Do Remember Lots of What Happened Saturday! (6/11)
Part 1: Picnic and Board Games!
Caroline had suggested people who wanted to get some picnic-y things should gather for such and then we would find a spot to eat them. I decided I wanted to compare dumplings, so I got my second round of dumplings of the day while others got picnic-y foods. You already saw my review of the relative merits of the two dumpling places so I will not go into that again. Grace and Peter and Caroline and Emma and I had picnic-y times. While eating, it became clear that Peter had been so dedicated to helping with the puzzle he had neglected to play any board games. I could not allow this to stand, so even though there was not a huge amount of time before he and Grace had to go, we decided to play a quick game of Wingspan which I have never played before, but which I, of course, wanted to play!
So we played Wingspan! It was fun! I had no idea what I was doing, except that I've played other board games before so i wasn't totally at sea! It was great! I love playing board games! And learning them! Wingspan is a very aesthetically beautiful game! The cards are beautiful, the pieces are well designed, the game is fun! We were a bit under the gun time-wise, but that was fine. We played and got everything packed up in time. I did not win, but I did respectably for my first game!
It's been a long few years. I have friends in Buffalo that I get to see and play board games with sometimes, but it's very different than before the pandemic, when I used to have 7-8 people over regularly for board game nights. And even then, it was hard to get that super-routinely. So, getting to learn new board games is very exciting. Getting to play board games for five or more people, like I did on the first or second night of the con: its super exciting. A surprisingly moving video, to me, is this Brian David Gilbert piece from the Unraveled series, Almost presciently posted in December 2019, the video uses the conceit of exploring the Sims as a way to figure out how to improve one's apartment, but eventually becomes a meditation on isolation and sociality. In the context of the pandemic it winds up being an astonishingly meaningful video, despite (or perhaps because of) the silly lens through which it examines the issue, and because it managed to explore it mere months before the idea of social distancing would become a ubiquitous concept for all of us. A lot of my joy in the experience of this con came from the fact that I was making and solidifying friendships, that I was connecting with people, and that I was getting to share my excitement and joy with others.
Part 2: Certifiably Montrealeon
After board game, I am exhausted! It has been a long day. I sit down in a comfortable chair. I am not yet comfortable, but I am confident the chair is comfortable, because three different people walk by and immediately tell me I look comfortable. I am fairly certain I am going to walk up to my room as soon as I have the energy to do so, but I am invited to join Liz and Grant and Jon to "the bar with the best mixed drinks in Montreal, which has a terrasse" [that's a terrace, for you english speakers]. I am sure that I am going to go to bed but find myself at the bar with them. It is quite close to the hotel. We are seated, we look over the menu, the menu indicates the shape of the glass that your drink will be served in, and some of them are pretty exciting looking. The folks one table over eagerly share their thoughts on the drinks we are discussing. This is not everyone's preferred way of being out at a bar, but it is a that I enjoy it. I learned, for example, not to order the drink I was thinking about ordering! I ordered a Painkiller, and then later—the bar's eponymous drink Le Mal Necessaire—at one point other people at the table order the coconut and pine apple drinks. I am the only non-Canadian in the group, if I recall correctly, so I am informed about many things, such as the collective possession of Canadian celebrities generally, by all of Canada, and the local possession of Canadian athletes. So, a Maple Leaf is Toronto's, specifically, but Ryan Reynolds belongs to the whole Dominion. (I didn't name a specifically Maple Leaf because I don't know any sports people). Also during the evening, a story was related about the Canadian Conservative Party's Leadership election in 2017 being impacted by having the same location as Anime North. Delegates were distracted and/or unable to get to the voting because of traffic and anime convention goers, and the leadership race was tight enough that this, apparently, impacted the outcome. I thought back and I was at that Anime convention, contributing to the parking congestion and so on (and I vaguely remember the political things happening nearby, but, you know, I was trying to enjoy myself by watching anime with friends so I paid as little attention to conservative politicians meeting nearby at the time as possible). Anyway, I learned that I was at the site of an Anime Convention which allegedly literally changed the outcome of Canadian politics!
I was laughed at. "There's a bell pro two blocks away" I was told, as if this clearly answered my question.
"What is a bell pro?"
"A Belle Provence"
"is that fancy?"
::more laughter::
In my defense, things should be named that fancy if you are going to laugh at people for asking that question. I was eventually told it was a greasy spoon diner, that I would not be able to miss it, and that it was the best option for late night poutine to sop up the alcohol from the Tiki Bar we had been spending our time at. I asked if there was a specific type of poutine to order, and it was clarified that there are varieties available but I should not order any gussied up poutine. I should just order straight up regular poutine. (I was also told how to pronounce it correctly but, as covered previously, a basic strategy I had adopted was to ensure that no one mistook me for a person who knew how to speak French, so I promptly forgot this).
I walked off, while they got another round of drinks got my poutine, returned with it, and commenced eating it. At this point, somewhat more than tipsy from the drinks, I asked Jon if eating poutine after drinking at this bar made me a true Montrealler, and he laughingly, non-seriously said it did. So I told him I was going to quote him on that on my instagram. And my twitter. "Jon says I am a true Montrealeon now" I posted. "A regular 'les habitant'". I'd eaten the bagel, and the Poutine. And I had now publicly accused Jon of suggesting that this was enough to grant me citizenship! Jon told me that I should claim to be a Voyageur, which was a very complicated hockey joke, having to do with teams that don't exist any more and also more accurate in the literal French translation, so, I hereby correct the record and affirm Jon's joke, rather than mine.
We stayed out a while later, which would have been a big problem if the Con started earlier than 10, or if I was going to sleep later that 7 am any morning. The waiter was very friendly and also shared a shot with us that tasted like froot loops somehow.
Secure in my status as a faux Montrealler, I retired for the evening.
Tomorrow: A second Montreal Bagel. I discover the true hero of Montreal carbohydrates! Paperwork, Papal Elections, Tacos in the Rain! And then, probably two more posts after that!
