rattfan | Going to a con

I've now paid for my flight to attend Conflux, Canberra's sf con in June. I went for the cheap when booking so if anyone else is catching the red-eye to our capital on a freezing winter night (Canberra is always freezing), I guess I'll see you there. You may have to stand in front of me and speak clearly, since 6am in Canberra will be about 3am for me and I won't have been to sleep.

It's been three years since I went east and I'm definitely looking forward to it, since work continues to be a somewhat unamusing soap opera and I could use a few days with some intelligent fannish people :-)

I hope the rats behave. They'll be staying with my friends and landlords, whom I'll have to warn about Jeremiah's propensity to enact fake death scenes in his cage. J is a very old rat who can appear to be at death's door and an hour later complain that the food bowl contains only boring food.

I've been reading up a little on Canberra, which I have never visited. It appears our capital only got the job in 1927 as a result of political rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne. Canberra was a voting bribe to Sydney to achieve federation of the states, despite Sydney having done the most to thwart the Commonwealth. That's why it is only 300km from Sydney, which a Melbourne newspaper of the time referred to as, "a national crime." These days it is known for breeding politicians and possessing the largest red light district in the country. No connection between the two. Of course.
[EDIT - I am informed by

chaosmanor that the more correct term is "porn district". I bow to superior knowledge!]

I'm still looking forward to the trip :-)

Ratfan

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I've been to Canberra a few times, and my experience of is that it has a porn suburb, not a red light district. while I'm sure it has its brothels, it's the entire industrial area full of warehouses of porn that make the place truly interesting.

I wouldn't have thought it had the population to support a red light district to match St. Kilda or Kings Cross.

We can, however, confirm that it is freezing in the mornings, though the days were quite pleasant.

We managed to find a good restaurant there because it was close enough to

lilysea's house that we could smell the cooking, but most of the others are obviously protected by the Official Secrets Act. For an interesting description of the city, I recommend Bill Bryson's Down Under.

Canberra is also one of the few places where you don't have to worry about taking your con membership badge off when you leave the venue: half the population still wear their ID badges when they go to lunch, so we fit right in.

All right, all right, I bow to your superior knowledge as regards the intricacies of red light district/porn district definitions! I was trying to boil a lot of information down briefly.

Thanks for the recommendation. My info to date is courtesy of Prof Geoffrey Blainey's A Shorter History of Australia, meaning shorter than the one he wanted to write but the length his publisher insisted upon.

Ratfan

The quality of Canberra restaurants can be attested to by the fact that all of my friends who live there have excellent and well-used kitchens.

I am neither intelligent nor fannish but if I happen to be in the area at the time we can probably catch up.

No nasturtiums cast upon the non-fannish! Come on, we shared a house for how long? Of course we have brains :-)

The con is happening from 9-12 June. I'm going to arrive on the morning of the 8th and will depart on the evening of the 13th so will be delighted to catch up if you're about.

Ratfan

Unfortunately now having sorted pre-race and post-race travel, I won't be back in Sydney until the night of the 13th myself anyway. If you extended your trip by a day or so or were flying via sydney it'd be possible but I'm not going to be able to get to Canberra during the con time or immediately either side of it.

The following weekend is my birthday party. :)

*envious*

Let me know if you need a hand looking after the fuzz whilst you're away.

prk.

I'd love to make it. Doubt that I will though. Was hoping to get to the Brisbane Conjure next week, but can't afford that. All depends on making some of that elusive coinage.

Hope you enjoy it, though I'm certain you will.

Canberra is freezing at night and in mornings... and you'll be there in mid-winter! Step out onto the crunchy, frozen grass in the morning. :)

Good thing you're not driving. Canberra is notorious for becoming lost in its circular roads. Maybe they've improved the signs now though. It has been some years since I drove there.

I hope you do get enough elusive coinage to get to the con. You can crash in my room if you need to!

Ratfan

Wow! That is very generous of you. Thanks.

I'll see if I can make it... though I am rather doubtful. I've been trying to create this VR language, which means not doing work, just surviving on the dole. Once it is finished it should make mountains of money, but that is still a fair way off.

No problem. People have done the same for me when I was broke. I'm a Heinlein fan. Clear as mud?

And if you can't make it this time, I guess there's always another con right after you make your pile of money :-)

We try to manage without a lot of $ but it's hard not to think about it, isn't it?

Sue

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