[SKRIVA] Estcon, 22-24/7

From: Ahrvid Engholm <ahrvid@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <skriva@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <sverifandom@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 14:14:13 +0100

Nedan info om Estcon. En mindre, gemytlig kongress perfekt för en
semesterutflykt! (Jag har besökt den tidigare. Den är helgen efter Finncon, så
troligen drar jag först dit, sedan till Estcon.)
Sprid gärna infon vidare! Jag skall själv också göra det (men ni här får den
först!). Jag har haft kontakt med esterna och är litet medförfattare (Liisa
skrev grunden, sedan bidrog jag med en del kompletteringar). Jag hoppas att man
kan få en del från övrig nordisk fandom att dra till Estcon! Det kostar inte
mycket och det är liksom ett litet sf-semesterläger i solen, med bastu, bad,
lekar - men också kongressprogram. Den som undrar över något kan fråga mig -
jag vet en del om hur Estcon funkar.

--Ahrvid

-----

(The latest updated version of info below can also be found on
http://www.ulme.ee/Estcon/Estcon-2011/In-English .)

ESTCON 2011 - JULY 22-24
Welcome to Estonia and Estcon, the national Estonian science fiction convention
arranged since 1998. It’s a relaxing, comfortable convention when the Baltic
summer is at its best. “Small” but cosy and full of opportunities to make new
acquaintances in a vacation environment in a summer resort in southern Estonia,
while engaging in your guilty pleasures of science fiction and fantasy.
Foreign attendees to Estcon would be really appreciated, because it’s a chance
for YOU to get a grip of Estonian fandom, and for US to get a grip of you! And
that would be really exciting.

WHERE
The site is Saarjärve camping in South Estonia, which has a main convention
house (with cheap beds to rent, it's also possible to tent in the surrounding
pine forest) situated in a beautiful environment, by a small lake for swimming,
a sauna and other things. You can see photos or the site here
http://picasaweb.google.com/taevaskojapk/TaevaskojaTPKSaarjarvePuhkekompleks
and from last year’s Estcon here
http://picasaweb.google.com/genkykaia/2010071618EstCon2010 or here
http://public.fotki.com/dond/estcon-2010/.

GETTING THERE
Taking a car is a favourite. Have a look at this Google map,
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?doflg=ptk&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=207355436771137833554.00049e71805071f8cc5fb&ll=58.008598,27.169361&spn=0.040334,0.104628&z=14.
It’s ca 60 km from Tartu, 240 km from Tallinn, 260 km from Riga.
The registration page will have need ride/offering ride section and you can ask
the committee for car connection contacts at any time. If you don't leave it to
very last day, you will not be left behind.
You can also use public transport and and let us know you need to be picked up
at the nearest bus or train stop.
For planning a bus trip, use http:// www.peatus.ee or http://bussireisid.ee
Tallinn central bus station = Tallinna bussijaam. The closest local stop in
Partsi (formerly Partsi kauplus). You will have to change busses on the way.
You can buy tickets from the station or from the driver, cash only.
For planning a train trip, use http://www.edel.ee The closest you can get is
Polva (Põlva). Some trains go Tallinn to Põlva direct, some to Tartu only and
then you need to change. First class tickets are sold online, otherwise all
tickets are sold on the train, cash only.
Ask for help if you run into trouble planning your trip.

HOUSING
The site is fairly secluded, in the middle of the forest. The closest house is
across the lake. It’s in a pine forest, with blueberries. The lake is very
swimmable, but the water has a brown tint from peat so take a shower
afterwards. Beware of mosquitoes in the evening.
The main building has bedrooms on both floors, with rooms for 4 and 5. WC (but
also some outdoor toilets) and showers (with hot water) are on the first floor.
There’s also a furnished kitchen.
The number of beds is limited and first registered (and paid), first served.
No private rooms for two, sorry. The committee will allocate rooms – if you
have a request to stay with someone, say so. You’re given your room number when
you arrive and pick up your name tag.
The sauna is in a separate house with a room of six beds upstairs. The sauna
stands by the lake, it’s good and heated with wood, for both Friday and
Saturday nights.
You can pitch your own tent in the forest or set up a bedroll in the attic or a
corner, for free.

FOOD & DRINK
The house has a kitchen you can use to cook your own meals. There is also a
fridge, but competition for fridge space is tight.
We offer organised breakfast: cereal + yoghurt, bread, cheese, tomatoes,
cucumbers, coffee, tea - eat as much as you can.
We also offer organised lunch (soup, main dish, dessert, a drink) on Saturday,
but this is brought in by catering so you need to register and pay upfront a
few days beforehand.
Dinner on Fri and Sat is up to you – usually people grill meat and sausages
over the fire. The firewood is local, everything else you need to bring along –
like if you want to use coal.
The closest shops are 12 km away, in the town of Polva, shops close at 10 PM.
Selver http://selver.ee/kauplused/polva-selver and Säästumarket
http://www.smarket.ee/?op=body&id=27&cid=45 are next to each other.
Note that Estonia has just changed its currency to the Euro, so your Euros are
good. All shops accept card payments.
Drinking alcohol is OK so long as you’re an adult and don’t get aggressive or
stupid when drunk. In Estonia, alcohol is not sold between 10 PM and 10 AM, so
stock up accordingly. If you come by boat, you can buy your drinks tax-free on
the way, but in general alcohol is cheaper in Estonia than in Sweden or Finland
even with taxes - though foreigners may want to buy special brands of liquor
only available on the ferries.

LANGUAGE
Most fans speak (and read books in) either English or Russian or both. Most
fans from North Estonia also speak (or understand) Finnish – South Estonians,
not so much. Anyway, people are friendly and we can’t imagine language being a
problem.

SIZE?
Around 80 people, some of them only for Saturday. We have fans, writers,
publishers, translators, all sorts. The male-female ratio is roughly half and
half. Some of these people are old enough they have their teenagers along. If
you want to take a kid along, fine by us, so long as you keep an eye on what
he/she does and take responsibility.
Everyone gets a name tag, so you don’t have to spend too much time asking for
names.

PROGRAMME
We have some lectures and panels, three to four per day. Guest of Honour is not
decided yet - To Be Announced. You can suggest a lecture (given by you), too.
You are also welcome to suggest films, that you may bring along yourself.
Most of the programme will be in Estonian (some foreign lectures will be in
English) but attending is of course voluntary and there will be plenty of
people who can do translation, if you ask nicely. There will be other
activities - you can e.g. browse the second-hand book and DVD fair
(user-to-user, you may bring your stuff to sell), play board games (you can
bring your own games), try a hand at D&D, live action role playing, watch films
(in English or with English subtitles), enjoy the lake, forest, volleyball or
take a nap. The programme will be finalised in July.

INTERNET
The site as no Internet connection as such, but attendees will have Internet
connection devices with them to share with others. You may also use your own 3G
connection (beware of roaming costs if you are from abroad).

REGISTRATION
We open registration around April, when we know how much the site and food will
cost. Depending on how many people attend, it will be around 20 EUR to attend
(kids for free), 6 EUR for two nights in a bed, 2 EUR per breakfast, 10 EUR for
lunch.
Registration is necessary if you want to get a hot lunch on Saturday and sleep
in a bed. Otherwise you can just show up, pay, get a name tag and that’s it.
Registration is online and you need to register a username for
http://www.ulme.ee. If you are coming as a group, it’s enough if one of you
register and uses the comment block to mention the others (“my two friends also
want breakfast and chicken for lunch and their name tags should read Erik and
Juha”).
Registration opens in April. If you want to get a nudge when that happens, drop
a line to Liisa (see below).

MORE QUESTIONS?
We'll have more information up as it becomes available on the website:
http://ulme.ee/Estcon/Estcon-2011
Estcon has a Facebook group,
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=117178714986167- it's in Estonian, but
you're welcome to join the discussion in English.
You can contact Liisa Vesik for more information: liisa.vesik@xxxxxxxxx, mobile
+3756687913.

--
ahrvid@xxxxxxxxxxx / Gå med i SKRIVA - för författande, sf, fantasy, kultur
(skriva-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, subj: subscribe) YXSKAFTBUD, GE VÅR WCZONMÖ
IQ-HJÄLP! (DN NoN 00.02.07)
Om Ahrvids novellsamling Mord på månen: http://www.zenzat.se/zzfaktasi.html C
Fuglesang: "stor förnöjelse...jättebra historier i mycket sannolik
framtidsmiljö"! -----
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[SKRIVA] Estcon, 22-24/7

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