Finncon day 2

When the day slowly turnes inte evening it's time to prepeare myself to the Finncon Party. It takes place in Lozzi, a restaurant near the Conventin Center. It´s quite interesting because there will not be any music so the main focus on the evening is on performance, entertainment and discussion.

Todays program went really well. Arrived at Jyväskylä University a little before 10 and met a few friends. We talked about yesterdays Sowhi evening and so forth and then we all wen't off to watch the opening ceremony of Finncon 2010. The main information beside presentating the guests was the remind everybody attending Finncon the most importent thing. Enjoy and Have Fun! After this short openingceremony it was time for the first panel for the day.

The panel had the name Dinosaurukset mustielevat (The Dinosaurs remembers) and Ben Roimola, Pekka Sirkiä and Matti Roswall talket about the Beginning of the Finnish fandom. It was fun but made me feel very old. But what does it matter. Afterwards in the yeard we said that Finncon is the only place where a 50 year old man kan walk around with Badges on his chest without being laughed at.

The next post was the Atorox prize. (Atorox is the prize given for the best short fantastic short story published in Finland last year). I voted myself and it was quite fun the see the end of the voting and my voted walking quite hand in hand.

The Winner was Heikki Nevala and his story Koneesta sinä olet syntyvä. (From Enginde You will be Born). Second place was J. Pekka Mäkelä and his story Kolmekymmentä vuotta (Thirty year) and third was Anne Leinonen's story Pienen rasian Jumala. (Small Box's God)

Then it was time for the Swedish Speaking Finns program 150 years of Swedishspeaking fantastic litterature. The panelist were Ben Roimola, Kenneth Lindholm, Petri Salin and Vilgot Strömsholm and they talked about Swedishfinnnish fantasticbooks. A very good panel (if I my say it myself) and it was fun to see so many people watching the panel and that we all had so many books to talk about. And then we only scratched the surface. After that it was time to rush to a meeting with Swedishspeaking Finns. To bad that there were not that many ther but we got a few quite good ideas anyway about how to explore this majority of fans in Finland.

Then it was time for a coffe and strolling around in the audience talking to new and old friends and enjoying myself.

Finncon has been a fantastic happening and one thing that has done this convention so special is the lack of young teenage girls running around in the feets with fluffy ears and long cute tails. That Animecon is not a part of Finnncon this year has done the convention much good. Here are propably around 1000 persons anyway so it's a good convention.

Below is a few images from the convention

A few of the audience in the Panel about Swedishspeaking Finns panel

The Dinosaurs are speaking. From Left ot Right Ben Roimola, Pekka Sirkiä and Matti Roswall

The terrace at Sohwi is Filled with Finncon participates.

Icehockey is a serious business when You fight for the Bronze medal. Petri Salin in action.

And now off to the Finncon party. I'll be back