Nico's Journal

I'm hardly involved in fandom these days - so many people have left and gone elsewhere - and the interesting things in my life, like festivals and trips, would pretty much all call for photo posts, which are a pain. I do put those photos up on Facebook though, if people are there and interested.

Two friends do a set of daily questions which don't seem too bad (and I reserve the right to change them if they're irrelevant or intrusive) and I thought this would be a way to get me posting again. This month I'll try to catch up with the July ones. Some answers may be very short, others may go off on a tangent. BTW I have no idea where the questions come from, but I can cadge them each month off one of those friends.

1. Have there been any periods in your life that could be described as being chaotic?
No. Varied and exciting, sure.

2. What was the last thing you bought used?
A retro handbag at the steampunk market during our annual festival last month. I'm told that it's probably 60s, but it's also been punked up with beads, both sewn on and hanging, and looks older to me. It doesn't go with my steampunk airship-pilot persona but will be perfect for November's Victorian heritage festival when I get dressed up in various second-hand finds.

3. Has anyone ever told you that you get too competitive over minor things?
No, but I've sometimes thought that about people I've played cards* or board games with. I like to have fun, but some people get very cut-throat and serious, and to me that takes all the fun out.
* I haven't played cards for years because a certain shit-head ruined the terminology for me. If you can come up with a good monosyllabic alternative ('override' is too long), then let me know. 

I've tried to select photos that are different from last year's, so none of tea duelling for example, though I did watch again (but didn't compete this time).

( The parade, steampunk morris, a chap on tracks, a wizard and an author, and Splendid Teapot Racing )

The annual expedition in search for the elusive antipodean tree octopus took place in the Oamaru Gardens today. It's a fun steampunk event starting with a splendid (a very steampunk adjective) picnic and tea, then armed with a list of clues we ventured forth in search of octopodes. Why yes, that is the correct plural, the word being Greek rather than Latin.

We had to follow cryptic clues taking us all around the gardens answering questions on our forms and keeping an eye out for Octavia and the more rarely seen Septimus. Our team found them both, plus a third unnamed plushy. It was a fun day, but very hot and humid; I admired the fortitude of those sporting more elaborate and heavier regalia than I did.


Music for our picnic in and around the rotunda was provided by this chap with his gramophone.

( More photos of splendid explorers and octopodes )

Behold: just in time for the last steampunk post, an icon showing me in wig, leather helmet, obligatory steampunk goggles, and raygun. The raygun also has its own icon.

On Saturday night I attended the League of Victorian Imagineers Mess Dinner, a huge function full of adults having fun cosplaying and just plain playing. There were hobbyhorse and teacup races* and a bizarre and illogical murder mystery with about 12 corpses.

* Teacup races? See this Victorian picture for the idea. Contestants were selected ladies wearing corsets, but they only had to balance one (empty) cup and saucer.


Lady with blinged-up Dalek handbag. Yes, it did say, "EXTERMINATE, EXTERMINATE!"

( Two more of the dinner )

Yesterday it was the Moments in Time fashion parade at the Opera House in which contestants also have to have a story about their persona. I didn't take photos as I knew they wouldn't come out well, but the overall winner was a chap in top hat and goggles - and a wonderfully retro spacesuit. The fire angel with wings he could ratchet out to be HUGE was also wonderful; hey, they all were!

Afterwards I had coffee with Katelin from Budapest (now living here).

( Two photos of Katelin and her magnificent hat )

Links to the Otago Daily Times reporting (I didn't make the cut, I'm relieved to say):

• Eighth Steampunk festival biggest yet - shows Katey and the Viscount at tea duelling
• Steampunk spectacle - has photos of several events if you scroll through them
• Two time travellers visit from faraway - a couple from Wisconsin whom I kept running into at the tea duelling, dinner, and show.

That's it for this year, but it's board games night tonight so that's good.

At last I live somewhere here that has a winter festival - Steampunk Festival Weekend! It starts tonight with Fire and Steam.



I haven't been able to find my leather helmet*, but I have the rest of the gear I need: goggles, wig (see icon), leather cap and jacket, army jacket, pocket watch, flask with compass, and raygun. I realised I also needed a persona, like the other steampunkers here, so I'm Lucinda Augusta Throgmorton. I toyed with Henrietta Buckleton which was the magnificent name a school friend rejoiced in (she wanted to be a truck driver when she left school) but decided I'd create my own.

Other things I'm going to:

• Tea Duelling tomorrow morning, as a competitor
• League of Victorian Imagineers Mess Dinner, Murder Mystery and Airship Racing tomorrow night
• Steampunk NZ Moments In Time: a series of tiny theatre pieces at the Opera House on Sunday
• Assorted markets and demos

* Found the helmet which is good because my leather flat cap didn't fit over my wig.

And now for some more retro. Weight Watchers recipe cards from 1974: both terrifying and funny. I can only assume they were trying to put people right off food.

And some steampunk!

( My steampunk style )