...or to be more specific, the geeks here.
It has been a couple days but I am finally getting around to posting on something that happened last week.
Last week I went to Geeks After Dark. And I had fun. Beyond the simple enjoyment, however, is just some of what I find awesome about this geek community in the Lower Mainland I seem to have stumbled into, some things I want to share with you.
1) The club experience. Seriously, I usually hate clubs. The music generally sucks, they're too crowded and they're wayyy impersonal. And I went to the Celler expecting I would find this particular club experience as unsatisfying as I generally do. But it kinda rocked. The music was NOT horrible. The club was filled with people but it wasn't packed to the degree that you feel like a sardine and...well, impersonal is a matter of making the effort and once I said "fuck it" and dived in, I found myself welcomed by random dancing strangers. Also, the girl who accosted me outside the washroom to talk about an event that was going on later in the year and casually groped me before she took off didn't hurt. :P
2) Speaking of music, the people there were extremely tolerant of whatever random thing was put on next. Don't get me wrong, the music was pretty fun. It largely consisted of requests made by different people and so contained everything from the ducktales theme to pop culture stuff to Queen. Most of the stuff I liked. One or two I didn't and one or two others didn't. But we kinda kept dancing anyway. It was kind of a forethought, in a way. You wouldn't want people to vacate the dance floor in hordes when your own request came on so you do the courtesy of not doing so when something you maybe don't like as much plays. The lone exception was when they put on..I'm not sure if it was trance or what but the word "dirge" came to mind. We all tried to dance to it for a bit but ended up staring at each other blankly for a few seconds before the DJ got the hint and went on to the next song. Ah well, live and learn. At least the music wasn't dubstep which is just becoming a personal dislike for me.
3) Randomly made dance floor friends. Sometimes it just occurs that you dance and you look across at the stranger near you and your eyes meet and you smile. That was kind of the way it was but on a larger scale. I had been extremely nervous going to something that had a "dance party" alone. It meant that I would have no one to dance with, which sucks. Happily though, these random people I had never met before made room for me in their dance circles. and the dancing wasn't just "la la la we're moving to the beat" since it wasn't "regular" music. Instead it was overdramatic and action-y which is superfun when everybody was doing it.
4) Burlesque. Yes, you heard me. every community has its quirks and things, i suppose and a geek commuinty is no different. I mean, the geek community for Dragoncon has kilt blowing which is a bit unique. And, apparently, the geek community here has their burlesque. This fact kinda rocks. Partially because the last thing most people think about when the word geek pops into their heads is "naked women." Here's the thing though. The geeks here aren't really your stereotypical shut-ins. Yes, some of us spend more time alone or with only electronic company than some would deal necessary or healthy. I'm one of them. We're also, though, a little crazy and wild, in ways sometimes no other geek would get. I'm a bit new to the whole con thing and community stuff in general but the more I do it, the more I like it. For those who are geek-impaired, let me impart to you a few truths. Anime geeks are crazy. They are adorable and hyper and just a little off their rocker. Sci-fi and fantasy geeks are crazy fetishists. They are excitable and creative and just a little bit wicked in their heads. Pretty much all geeks have their crazy awesome side. However, adding burlesque into this mix just makes it even more awesome. Seriously, more than anything, watching this was the most fun I'd had in a while. The girls loved doing what they were doing and the audience was extremely supportive. The rapport was just great.
Also, there was a girl wandering around afterwards wearing nothing but balloons, which you could pay to pop. Every time one did, the sound would make anybody even slightly near her turn her way. I was amused.
Anyway, what I'm really trying to say is that this was a really fun experience. One I wouldn't mind repeating. Maybe I'd even be able to talk someone into going with me, next time. Any takers?
