Return of the Ring and Barrow-Downs Mega-moot - Celebrating Tolkien in 2012

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

Originally Posted by wilwarin538

Ahaha. Can you imagine? "Yeah, we just want to cross the ocean to meet some friends." "How do you know people from the other side of the ocean?" "Uhm....a literary discussion website?"

When Lauri and I went to Britain and met Downers there the customs agent asked us if we were meeting anybody there and, of course, the answer was yes. Then he asked where we knew these people from and my mother kindly blurts out 'the internet'. The customs agent, needless to say, gave us a very funny look and proceeded to give us a lecture about internet safety.

When we Americans go to Britain for this we must think up a creative way to say we're meeting people off the internet. I still like international book club, to be honest.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by TheGreatElvenWarrior

When Lauri and I went to Britain and met Downers there the customs agent asked us if we were meeting anybody there and, of course, the answer was yes. Then he asked where we knew these people from and my mother kindly blurts out 'the internet'. The customs agent, needless to say, gave us a very funny look and proceeded to give us a lecture about internet safety.

When we Americans go to Britain for this we must think up a creative way to say we're meeting people off the internet. I still like international book club, to be honest.

At NiagaraGate, when a certain Downer lost his license and didn't have ID to return to the US from Canada, I realised it had been very wise of all the Werewolfers not to admit to meeting each other through a game where they planned how to kill each other. (The license was soon found by someone else coming across on foot from Canada, who thoughtfully turned it in.)

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

At NiagaraGate, when a certain Downer lost his license and didn't have ID to return to the US from Canada, I realised it had been very wise of all the Werewolfers not to admit to meeting each other through a game where they planned how to kill each other. (The license was soon found by someone else coming across on foot from Canada, who thoughtfully turned it in.)

I read about that.
I think that we Downers may ponder not going across country boarders with other Downers...

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by TheGreatElvenWarrior

I read about that.

Yeah, but I was the only Downer (and Mr. Berry) who actually witnessed the gruelling interrogation the unlicensed Downer was submitted to. (What hospital were you born in? Um, um a smial? The Halls of Healing?) Everyone else went through customs and abandoned him!

Originally Posted by Ibrîniðilpathânezel

Alas, there is no way we could attend this. The summer of 2012 has already been booked for my first real chance to see Mountains, and even that might be financially dicey. I hope those who go have a splendid time!

That's disappointing. Our loss but your gain. Perhaps something closer to home . . .

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Call it a literary society. That worked very well when officious type people asked about folks we'd met via science fiction clubs and conventions. There are plenty of people who I know very well that I "met" through years of regular correspondence, and only saw face to face after we'd been acquainted for five or ten years. It's the Internet and its ease and the immediacy it can foster that makes people suspicious.

Alas, there is no way we could attend this. The summer of 2012 has already been booked for my first real chance to see Mountains, and even that might be financially dicey. I hope those who go have a splendid time!