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Wrapping up WFC 2021
Nov. 7th, 2021 08:59 pmSo that was World Fantasy Convention 2021.
( Signing In )
Yesterday evening, after getting some dinner, rather than going to the party for the 2022 WFC planned for New Orleans, I decided to make the most of that extra hour of sleep that having the US-Canadian end of Daylight Time happen this weekend, and went to bed relatively early. I got more than eight hours of sleep again — something that almost never happens at a convention but something for which I was very grateful to happen.
As I mentioned yesterday, WFC 2021 arranged for rapid COVID-19 test for those flying out in the next few days. I had my test done, and to my surprise, the results (negative, thank goodness) arrived only a couple of hours later, while I was sitting in the World Fantasy Awards banquet.
( Breaking Out the Suit )
As I've mentioned, everyone attending WFC had to present proof of vaccination in order to be allowed into the convention, which made me feel a lot more confident about buying a banquet ticket.
The banquet food itself wasn't bad, although like all banquet food, it was overpriced. I went ahead and spent the money because I knew that this WFC really needed to pick up a lot of F&B. Thanks to COVID, attendance was dramatically down, and while the hotel cut the convention a fair bit of slack, everyone was encouraged to buy banquet tickets and buy drinks from the convention-area bars. (For example, C$5 for a 12 oz can of Diet Pepsi.)
There were more people attending as virtual members (or attending members who didn't come to the convention but attended online), but otherwise turnout was rather sparse. It may be possible that more people physically attend Westercon 74 next year than attended WFC in Montreal this year.
WFC is normally a moderately intimate convention, but with so few people here, even moreso. I had some nice conversations with John Picacio (a real gem and asset to our entire field). Yves Maynard was at our banquet table. Toastmaster Christine Taylor-Butler gave a very nice speech, and I got to talk with her for a few minutes after the event to tell her how much I liked it. Similarly, of the people who were here, you usually could find them if you were looking for them.
Personally, I feel safer here in Montreal than I do when I'm in Reno shopping. Mask wearing here in Montreal appears to be widespread, and restaurants require you to provide proof of vaccination to be seated. I did, however, get some food and beverages from the convenience store in Gare Central across the street and store them in the hotel room's mini-fridge. There is no microwave oven, but I found that I could get the cup-at-time coffee maker to produce hot water, and the amount it produced was just about right for a single Cup-o-noodles, so I had backup for when I didn't want to go out to eat.
I'll be here until Wednesday because I figured it would take a couple of days for my COVID test results to come back. On well, I'm sure I can find things to do while I'm here Monday and Tuesday, even accounting for still having to do Day Jobbe work each morning. I don't have to be up as early as I am when I'm at home because I'm in the Eastern Time Zone, which is nice.
I'll pop over to the convention Dead Dog party for a short time, but sleep is on my mind. What this says about how Worldcon will be for me, I don't know. We'll find out next month, I guess.
( Signing In )
Yesterday evening, after getting some dinner, rather than going to the party for the 2022 WFC planned for New Orleans, I decided to make the most of that extra hour of sleep that having the US-Canadian end of Daylight Time happen this weekend, and went to bed relatively early. I got more than eight hours of sleep again — something that almost never happens at a convention but something for which I was very grateful to happen.
As I mentioned yesterday, WFC 2021 arranged for rapid COVID-19 test for those flying out in the next few days. I had my test done, and to my surprise, the results (negative, thank goodness) arrived only a couple of hours later, while I was sitting in the World Fantasy Awards banquet.
( Breaking Out the Suit )
As I've mentioned, everyone attending WFC had to present proof of vaccination in order to be allowed into the convention, which made me feel a lot more confident about buying a banquet ticket.
The banquet food itself wasn't bad, although like all banquet food, it was overpriced. I went ahead and spent the money because I knew that this WFC really needed to pick up a lot of F&B. Thanks to COVID, attendance was dramatically down, and while the hotel cut the convention a fair bit of slack, everyone was encouraged to buy banquet tickets and buy drinks from the convention-area bars. (For example, C$5 for a 12 oz can of Diet Pepsi.)
There were more people attending as virtual members (or attending members who didn't come to the convention but attended online), but otherwise turnout was rather sparse. It may be possible that more people physically attend Westercon 74 next year than attended WFC in Montreal this year.
WFC is normally a moderately intimate convention, but with so few people here, even moreso. I had some nice conversations with John Picacio (a real gem and asset to our entire field). Yves Maynard was at our banquet table. Toastmaster Christine Taylor-Butler gave a very nice speech, and I got to talk with her for a few minutes after the event to tell her how much I liked it. Similarly, of the people who were here, you usually could find them if you were looking for them.
Personally, I feel safer here in Montreal than I do when I'm in Reno shopping. Mask wearing here in Montreal appears to be widespread, and restaurants require you to provide proof of vaccination to be seated. I did, however, get some food and beverages from the convenience store in Gare Central across the street and store them in the hotel room's mini-fridge. There is no microwave oven, but I found that I could get the cup-at-time coffee maker to produce hot water, and the amount it produced was just about right for a single Cup-o-noodles, so I had backup for when I didn't want to go out to eat.
I'll be here until Wednesday because I figured it would take a couple of days for my COVID test results to come back. On well, I'm sure I can find things to do while I'm here Monday and Tuesday, even accounting for still having to do Day Jobbe work each morning. I don't have to be up as early as I am when I'm at home because I'm in the Eastern Time Zone, which is nice.
I'll pop over to the convention Dead Dog party for a short time, but sleep is on my mind. What this says about how Worldcon will be for me, I don't know. We'll find out next month, I guess.
