Steampunk Market and Tea Duelling

[vilakins]

My photos of the Fire and Steam event last night didn't come out well. Here are two anyway.


It was pretty cool, with various groups performing including Cook Island and Taiko drummers. I do love Taiko.

Steampunk market and probably more than you ever wanted to know about tea duelling


Market stall


For the steampunker who needs to be able to brew up anywhere: tea sets and single cups to attach to one's belt - never be without a good cuppa! I saw one young Scots woman with a set attached to her belt along with a small flask of milk.


Electrical devices. There are always kilted Scots at events down here as they were early settlers.


Steampunkers from the and North Island and US. These guys were on the front page of the Otago Daily Times today, snapped at the Fire and Steam. Their reporter was at the tea duelling and took several photos of me so I might be too. Eep.

Rules of tea duelling
1. Select your weapon (an Arnotts Nice biscuit)
2. Dunk for a count of 5
3. Hold up for as long as you can without it collapsing
4. A "clean nom" is getting it in your mouth without a collapse
5. If it lands in your tea it's a splosh, on the table a splat, on you a splodge (one gentleman got splodged trousers) - and you lose. The person who gets the only clean nom, or the second one, wins. Best of three!

Now you know...


Tea duelling arena


Tea duelling: the dunk.
Katey on the left duels a gentleman from Wisconsin. Katey was an expert and lasted an impressive 10 duels or so, by which time she was feeling the effects of too many sweet, sodden biscuits.


Tea duelling: the hold


Tea duelling: the final winner on the left.

I didn't do very well but got a large pack of Dilmah tea and a measuring spoon from the sponsors. :-)

League of Victorian Imagineers Mess Dinner, Murder Mystery and Airship Racing tonight!

Comments

[kerravonsen]

Oh that sounds all fabulous!
\o/

[vilakins]

It was! I might go back to the market tomorrow and watch more tea duelling, but not compete this time.

I need to make a steampunk icon, maybe with my raygun. It's bigger than that one. Several people recognised the model (The Righteous Bison) when I was out and about today.

[lost_spook]

Aw, it looks like a lot of fun, and the tea-duelling is very funny!

[vilakins]

It was extremely entertaining. I might go again tomorrow. The market was very good too.

[quarryquest]

I'm pleased you are getting a winter festival of sorts; itmmust be no fun doing Christmas in the summer and getting nothing to cheer up the dark cold days.

[vilakins]

Exactly! It's long been a complaint of mine, but at least Oamaru gets more sun than Auckland did.

[gwendraith]

It all looks terrific and I love the tea duelling, what we'd call dunking, a favourite pastime :)

[vilakins]

We call it dunking too, but when it's competitive, it's tea duelling. Me, I like dunking shortbread and gingernuts. This Nice biscuits were too sweet to enjoy.

[gwendraith]

I like dunking gingernuts too! Rich tea are also good for dunking due to their excellent dunking consistency, even better if the are the half chocolate covered variety but you have to get them out before the chocolate melts into the tea and makes it too sweet. It's an art :)

[vilakins]

Chocolate biscuits are banned from duelling, but the rich tea sound good. The oblong shape is important though. I know they tested a lot of biscuits before choosing the Nice ones.

Rich tea would be far better for my taste; those Nice were very sweet. Digestives are also good.

[tjoel2]

Very cool! I had no idea such a thing existed.

[vilakins]

Me neither, till fairly recently. It was fun!