Once I became into QL – Lady Spain, playing was my very favorite activity. I can remember entire weekends playing, just stopping for eating and for get some sleep. It was funny to try to explain that war game playing passion at work to my female colleagues… and the wondered face of my male colleagues, maybe not even really believing me. (Hehehehehehe!). At the end of 2002 one of the Lords sent a mail talking about a LAN party that would take place in Hagen, in April 2003, the V [´ju:nien]. Hagen is very close to Dortmund, Essen and Bochum, places where several Lords live. Since I knew about the LAN party, I had clear I should go. At that time Germanwings was offering really cheap prices for going from Madrid to Colonia, I´m afraid they don´t have that route anymore. I also found very good prices at an Ibis hotel in Dortmund, because, of course, going there just for the LAN would be a bit silly, so I took some vacations days to stay a bit more, btw it was my first travel to Germany.
The Lords were really wondered about my decision of going to the LAN, some of them living just some kms. away of Hagen weren´t sure about going there and in my case, I took the decision so fast… even knowing it meant to go there carrying my PC (not a laptop at that moment, but a normal desk PC), they would bring me a screen, but I should bring the rest with me.
Curro decided to join us, but due his work, he should go just for the LAN… and yes, also carrying his stuff! (The first one wondered was myself!). And yes, sure, my family and friends thought I should be crazy for going to Germany, carry on my PC, just for meeting my klan and participate in a LAN party… well… what can I say? For me it´s just a matter of: if I want to do it and I can do it… why not to?
So, as far as the LAN was programmed for the weekend (from Friday night till Sunday midday), I decided to be there from Wednesday night till Monday afternoon. I´d arrived at Colonia´s aiport at 23:45, Voni and MadDoc went to picked me up. They made a banner for me to recognize them! :D
On Thursday morning I went alone to meet Dortmund, a city that I really like a lot. Yes! I think I should do a post about Dortmund some day! ;)
It was my first contact with Germans in Germany, I should say it wondered me a lot how well educate and how kind they are. Somebody told me that I think that because I can´t understand what they are saying, but I don´t think so. I´m sorry for saying this, but in that moment my point of comparison was Spanish people, I had gone several times to Germany and I confirm it, they are so kind, well educated and warm (that contrast a lot with the coldness image people all over the world have about them). Also was nice and wondering as well to see that foreigners living there are very well integrated, I even saw black people working in high positions, like if they would be just another German one (that from my point of view, they are, just that this is not exactly like that in Spain, that´s why I´m remarking it).
Voni took that afternoon free for being my guide in Dortmund. I had bought a tourist book about the city and already had choose the places that I would like to meet, so, when he asked me where I would like to go, I showed him the places I had selected… point was that of course I didn´t know that all of them were far away from each other, and even being like that, he showed me them all that afternoon! :P :D
Two of my favorite places I met that afternoon are:
The Bodelschwingh Castle
The Rombergpark
That night we had a Quake Lords Dinner. So, there I was! Finally meeting some my battles´ pals in real life! :D Yeap, the communication was a bit problematic due the language thing, but was really nice and exciting for me to share that dine with them. The really funny part was when I wanted to clarify a point of the menu before asking for my food, the menu was just in German and there was a word that I didn´t understood in a dish that at the first sight I liked and I asked them to translate it to me… but they forgot the word in English and started to try to explain me it as best as they could, even with gestures… what a pity not to have a video of that!! Especially when Maddoc tried to explain it was something the vampires were afraid of! Hehehe! The whole restaurant released that they were trying to explain me that word and finally someone of another table said “garlic! It´s garlic in English!” :PP
(To be continued)
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