Post-Puerto shakedowns

[janestarz]

I had an amazing time at Puerto. I realise that some people might not have had such a great time. I read cabaray's post about it, and I am sorry to hear he didn't have such a good time.
The truth is: you don't know how an event will be unless you go there. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it isn't. As a roleplayer you can influence the play, you can go look for play, and you can talk about the play. But you can't judge a book by its cover and you never know if an event is any good unless you've been there. You might have an inkling whether it is your type of play, but you won't know if it is fun.

I can't say if somebody did a good job, because I don't know enough of what others have done in the game to be able to judge that. I can say something about my own performance, if you will, because I can review what happened and what I did. I think I could have done a lot more. I could have spoken to dozens more people. Gossiping, talking, joking, fun, French Antoinette.
The store kept me pretty much tied to 'my house' during the Saturday, which is a problem. The store also generates a lot of play. Numerous people coming over to buy fabrics to make bandages, asking if I sold hats.

The food... I still can't wrap my head around the food. Puerto has a different way of serving food than what we're used to. Instead of just making one long line where everyone has to wait, Puerto divides the feeding frenzy into three time slots. The first one at 6 pm is the one I always choose, because the second at half past seven is just too late for me.
There's three tables that will each hold eight people. In the week before the event you choose from the menu: starter, main course, and dessert. This year I could choose from French mustard soup, salad with fruit and nuts, or pastrami with rucola as a starter, and meatball with spinach-potato 'stamppot' (mashed together), grilled chicken with ...er...mixed salad, or redfish fillet^* with noodles as a main course. At Puerto you sign up for a time slot, trying to decide who your table company will be.
Last year's Puerto I chose the salmon as a main course, and it was so very delicious I decided to choose the fish course again. My choice was influenced partly by the fact that the French like to eat seafood, that I often eat vegetarian at home, and light dinner can be very satisfying, and the fact that the fish course was amazing last year as well.

And amazing it was. By the heavens it was so damned tasty I wanted to lick my plate clean afterwards. I'd never had redfish before, and it surprised me. It was a very meaty kind of fish, very solid indeed, and it was probably cooked in the oven. It was near perfection, so very tasty! I am still loving the cook, and it's been a few days!! Loved, loved, loved the food!

I also enjoyed my costume. It was a lot more comfortable than last year's stays and although there are some things that I can do better concerning the bodys, they were comfortable enough that I could wear them throughout the weekend! This is very good news indeed. A more thorough breakdown of the bodys after wearing, which I hardly ever see online, will follow later.
I even received compliments on my cleavage. I never receive compliments on my cleavage! Of course, when I'm wearing the bodys my cleavage is really the in-your-face kind, because I am really that tall. So I felt really good about that all.

I am left with this rosy feeling of contentment. I have realised that I need at least one roleplay session a week, preferrably D&D, to keep me happy. And I need one live roleplay event each month to keep me sane. It was way too long ago (six weeks since my last) and the next one is too far away (august 7), but the sun is warm and life, right now, is pretty good.

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*) Redfish fillet = roodbaars filet in Dutch. Also known as ocean-type redfish, golden redfish, Norway haddock.

Comments

[virginiadear.livejournal.com]

"
I also enjoyed my costume. It was a lot more comfortable than last year's stays and although there are some things that I can do better concerning the bodys, they were comfortable enough that I could wear them throughout the weekend! This is very good news indeed."

That *is* good news. I had referenced 18th century, rather than 17th, in a private e-mail to you, but I did tell you that if they are properly fitted (and earlier than the Victorian era) you would be able to wear them forty-eight hours at a stretch.
I'm very glad for you on this score.

[twilightbanana.livejournal.com]

Is the food from a catering comapny, or does someone cook on site? If the latter, I could understand why they would want to spread the dishes out a bit, especially if some of them are a bit more involved than "cook in kettle, scoop onto plate".

Mind you, I think having food with smaller groups would add to the atmosphere. Instead of everything screeching to a halt while everyone queues for food and eats it, the bustle of the town continues while some of the inhabitants are eating.

[janestarz.livejournal.com]

I believe it's the Arcana cook, and he's used to cooking for large groups. It's very tasty partly because he doesn't have to make 20 pieces of fish, 60 pieces of meat and 30 pieces of chicken at the same time.
The bustle of the town does continue, somewhat, but the game does kind of slow down during dinner, especially if you're in the first slot and you're one of the first that has a full belly. But no matter, after dinner there was no dip because of the fire in the barracks!