As much as I enjoyed all the panels I do have to tell you guys that I completely fell for Samantha. Loved how she was going on about Paris Hilton and that people who have lots of money shouldnโt keep it to themselves. Rather they should do something good with it, spent it on some good reason โ a charity, research or what ever they are interested in.
(There was a mirror wall to Samanthas left and soon she saw herself in there when she turned or maybe she saw herself in on of the screens to the left and right of that curtain in the background. Anyways she didnโt like how her behind looked in those white pans and from then on she didnโt want to show it too us.)
Enjoyed her picking on the CW and how the girls in the film business have to look like sticks โ no bubs no buds unlike her.
At the end of the day there was a band from Madrid, Spain who was rather good. They played a lot of our favourite Supernatural rock songs. Unfortunately the concert was held in the panel room and the acoustic in that room wasnโt that good.
Afterwards I set together with some fans in the coffee lounge of the hotel watching the end of a soccer game of the world championship with them on TV. During that whole day I really didnโt talk that much to other fans not like the following day. And I regret that very much.
I got home to my place just before midnight. Luckily my bed-and-breakfast place had a computer set up for the guests and I opened up thewinchesterfamilybusiness.com in order to tell my friends on the cbox about the con. Guess what I saw first. The โThank you letter for Eric Kripkeโ. Immediately I had the urge of showing it to the guests. Tried to print it out but have way through the printer run out of ink. Would have loved to give it to Jensen and see his reaction to it. But, as you all probably know by now, I showed it to Jared. There was a reason to it..
I had a nightmare of a night (I phrased that correctly didnโt mean I had a nightmare that night). Looking back at the whole story it is rather funny but at the time I felt like I am in a Spanish comedy without knowing the script. For your better understanding: The place I stayed at was an apartment on the 4th level to American standards in a typical Spanish apartment building that very likely was more than 100 years old. It had the staircase going round in a circle and in the midst of it there was an elevator the type with a metal cage and inside the elevator with two little doors you had to open to the inside. Plus all the apartments had windows into that staircase. Hard to describe.
When I was just about to fall asleep that night at about 1:30 am somebody rang the doorbell. I didnโt get up. Not my place so why should I open. But nobody else did. They kept ringing the doorbell. Always only one short ring and then there was nothing for a while and then another ring. I was like: โOk there are 6 rooms in this place. Saw 3 couples earlier before I went to bed. So I am the only single woman in here, no way I was going to open the door. Somebody else shouldโ. Well after about 45 minutes the light in the staircase came on (I know that since I had one of the rooms with a window into the staircase) and I was like โGood finally I can go to sleepโ
But nooo! Right then there was a crazy knocking at the apartment door and somebody actually kicked against the door. Thatโs when I thought โNo way you will be able to go to sleep here. You better woman up, get dressed and open the door and find out what is going onโ What can I tell you I did just that. Outside the door was a little old Spanish lady in her nightgown who immediately started talking to me in Spanish in a complaining tone. Since I donโt speak Spanish I didnโt understand anything though I told her that I donโt speak Spanish if she could tell me in English. Which I of course didnโt expect her to do.
That conversation repeated itself a few times until there was a man coming downstairs in his pyjamas and he started yelling at me really angry like – in Spanish of course. So I told him calmly that I donโt speak Spanish, that all the guest in here are British and that I canโt help him if he is not able to talk to me in English. But that man only kept on yelling at me in Spanish. So finally I thought I walk through the hallway of the apartment calling out if there is anybody there who speaks Spanish. No answer, no motion behind any of the doors. Sure enough they must have all been wide awake by now but nobody came to my rescue. So I walked back and shrugged my shoulder. Thatโs when the man finally calmed down. Realizing I tried my best.
By then the windows facing that staircase were all opened. People looking out the windows and there was a lot of Spanish yelling up and down those 8 floors. Guess they were discussing what was going on. Right that moment the elevator doors opened and a British couple (a woman in her forties and her sixty somethingish husband on a stick) walked out of it. That guy was completely messed up. Guess he should have stopped drinking hours ago. And his manners โ my god โ if he would have been American I would have called him a hillybilly. He acted like it was the most normal thing that he wakes up the whole house and people yelling at me. The Spanish man and woman were really angry again and started yelling at the British guy. The Brit just said โI am sorryโ closed the door and walked back to his room while his embarrassed wife followed him (the next day I found out that they had lost the keys to the place).
By then it was nearly 3 am and I am wide a wake so I figured I just go downstairs for some fresh air walking up and down the street hoping I would get tired again. When suddenly at the cross light a Lotus started and got me to jump. Why the hell would you tune up a Lotus? At least thatโs what I thought since I just canโt believe that somebody owning such a car would drive around with a broken exhaust. That guy had fun speeding through the empty roads of Barcelona in the middle of the night. Once I got upstairs I met Rosa, the girl who took care of the apartment she had had her night off and just got home. Told her what was going on before and she just took it very graciously. Once in bed I heard that Lotus until 4 am. That dude must have been driving around in circles.
Of course I didnโt hear my alarm clock. Completely overslept. Woke up at 8:45 am and Jensenโs panel was supposed to start at 9:10 am. No way I would be there on time. But I rushed made it through shower and everything within 25 minutes. It took me 15 minutes to get there and then I had the idea of asking the woman at the hotel reception to print the Eric Kripke page for me. She couldnโt open the site. The hotel blocked it โ too much information. Then I asked one of the organizer girls of the con if she could print it and she said since they are using the hotel internet she would not be able to open it if they blocked it. Though I sadly walked upstairs and finally listened into the last 10 minutes of Jensenโs panel.
During the 15 minutes break between Jensenโs and Jaredโs panel I ran downstairs into the train station and asked the guy at the photo shop to print that page for me and he did. Charging 5 Euros for it. Made it upstairs in the panel room just in time before the line at the mic got too long. And then it happened. I got more and more nervous. Normally me and mics have a mutual agreement to stay out of each others way. They seem to not like me at all since they always start to whistle when I try to talk in one. And that makes me nervous even if I have to use one in a room thatโs filled with people I know. I was so sure that when it was my time at the mic I wouldnโt be able to say a word.
Jared answered some of the questions rather lengthy. At least that what it seemed to me. Not that I really got what was asked or answered. And then I got to the point where I checked the time. Only minutes left till his panel would be over. If he wouldnโt start to give shorter answers the panel would be over before it was my turn. Finally I was able to step up to the mic and the KLZ girl asked me what I wanted to ask. Once I told her she said I can not give anything to one of the guests. So I gave in and asked her if she could give it to him. Her answer was that she would have to ask first and I should step out of line and let the other girl go first. Help! My time was running out. The KLZ girl left but she was back rather quick. Actually right in time before Jared was done answering the question on the other side. This time I was thankful that he had a long answer for the other side. Except that I wasnโt in line anymore. But the Spanish girl stepped away and told me I was in front of her. That was so sweet of her. You just have to love Supernatural fans.
And then it happened: Jared looked at me and I had problems to resist the urge of clearing my throat. But I didnโt. Well from then on everything is more or less a blurr. To borrow some words from risenshine: โIt is funny how you stand there not moving, not doing anything but your pulse is racing at 200 anyways.โ
I remember asking him if he had heard of the Supernatural fan effort to collect money in order to post a whole page thank-you-Eric-Kripke-letter in the Hollywood reporter. He didnโt get it the first time so I repeated it. And when he finally got what I was going on about he was so amazed. I then told him that the fans did it. That it was posted two days ago and that I have a print out of it with me. He was so eager to see it. Though I gave my page to the KLZ girl and she walked up and handed it to him. โYou guys did this. Look at what you didโ or something to that account. (Told you it is all a blurr) And he walked all the way to the front of the con camera and held the page right in front of it. Put his face next to it and gave us one of his beautiful smiles.
From then on everything went wrong for me. I thought he asked where I found it and thanks to my nerves I messed up two websites. This one and winchesterbros.com. He asked then if he could keep it since he wanted to show it to Jensen and I answered โOf course if I could have it back that afternoon with their autographs on itโ He gave the page back to the KLZ girl. She came back to me, handed me the page and started talking to me. We both thought he turned to the other side when suddenly the girl behind me pulled my arm and said he is talking to you. When I turned he had already turned to the other side. Fudge the KLZ girl.
Anyways I told her that was a complete misunderstanding that he could have kept it. I even had it printed on a marbled page that looked like ancient paper. The girl then told me that she would be with the Js at the photo op after that panel and she would give it to them. After the photo op I looked her up to ask her if she did and she said yes and handed me my page back. She said she gave them a copy. Fudge that woman again.
Going back to my time after I had talked to Jared I was kind of fuming inside that everything went wrong towards the end of my time at the mic. But I also was beaming inside with happiness that I was able to give him that page and let everybody see his surprise and happiness about it.
It must have taken at least half an hour if not longer for my adrenaline level to drop again. I am such a chicken.
During the rest of the day I was talking in the breaks between panels with various people.
During lunch time I met Miguel and his girl-friend Noemi from Barcelona. Not only did they give me some tips what places I had to look up in Barcelona during Monday and Tuesday and which places I should avoid especially after dark but Miguel also allowed me to use his pictures for this page. Thank you Miguel.
Even the guests kept saying that there are barely men there. I was told by others who been to more then one con that this was the one with the most men so far. Even saw two guys who looked like Harley Davidson owners. Dressed up in black t-shirt and jeans vest. The following day they looked normal though.
The day ended with an ACDC cover band. Which seemed kind of strange to me since the original was playing at an out-door concert at the same time in my home town in Stuttgart, Germany.
After everything was done I started talking to some girls from Germany who where at the cons in Rom, Italy and Bad Neuenahr, Germany. They had twitter contact to Jim and tried to get him to come over and watch the first German soccer game that night with us. Unfortunately he didnโt come.
(This picture caused a little uproar. The language seemed to have been Katalan but he mentions Spanish girls in it. Barceloniens are Katalan and they are not much on the rest of Spain it looked like)
One of those girls then started to twitter about the panels that day. It seemed like there wasnโt much information about it there yet. Therefore we all tried to wreck our memories and come up with various things for her to twitter.
Just before the soccer game was over I finally met risenshine. She lives like an hour north from me in Germany. When she told me that she is from Heilbronn I asked her if she was the one that asked Jasminka where she learned her German. And she said yes. Her friends then wanted to know at what website that was and she told them. She even went further and said that it is the cleanest page there is. No weird women on there, no bashing and a lot of very good articles. Have to love her for that statement โ donโt we. (I did thank her for that on the behave of our writers) We started to talk and couldnโt quit for the longest. Her friends who stayed in the same hotel with her kind of got a little impatient so I handed them the print outs of Tigershireโs word search which I hadnโt gotten around to do yet. They where all over it.
Since risenshine had a gold ticket I asked her if she could write up a little something of her experiences during the photo op, autographs and her meeting room experience with Jensen and Jared so I could add it here. Luckily she did.
Again it was past midnight that I made it into my bed. Thatโs when I realized something. I caught a virus that weekend. I actually was able to make the diagnose myself. I didnโt need to see a doctor about it. The virus is called โcon feverโ and I am told that it is incurable.
I had another two days in Barcelona sight seeing. And if any of you ever has a chance to visit โ do it. All the tourists I talked to agreed on one fact. Barcelona is lots better than Paris or London. I completely fell in love with that town and I am sure it wasnโt the last time I was there.
Yeah Yirabah! Thanks so much for sharing and for drawing Jared’s attention to the Hollywood Reporter ad. Your efforts and success are appriciated. Sounds like you met some good folk and had some good times. ๐
Hi Yirabah
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Iรขโฌโขm glad you had a wonderful time. Someday I hope to be in the position to go to a Con and be able to have that magical experience.
Yirabah,
I was most impressed with two parts of this delightful article, first, your determination to get that article posted and into either Jensen’s or Jared’s hands. Wonderful on your part to miss parts of panels and catch trains and ask for assistance, and you say you’re shy?
Secondly, I love your comment in this article about that’s what Supernatural Cons are all about anyway, fans, friends who have become family coming together and sharing…what an amazing way to meet people and share in cultures and diversity and backgrounds that Eric and all involved have created and we the fans have embraced.
Thank you for sharing this experience.
Yvonne, Danny thanks so much for appreciating this so much.
Karen thank you for enjoying this. And if you ever have the chance to go to a con – do it. It most definatly is magical.
Elle2 I am not shy on a one on one basis. But I don’t like talking in front of a crowd and most definatly dislike talking into a mic. But normally I have no problems to start talking to people unknown.
But you are right Elle2 I am still surprised at my determination to get the crew to know about that article.
Cons are wonderful and as Jensen stated it there – especially if you have to travel far to get there. And is there anybody who doesn’t think we SPN fans kind of family? When I come in here to read an article it kind of feels like one family member writting a letter about the rest of the family.
Thank you Eric for giving all of that to us – it’s more than just a TV show.
Congratulations on the posting of this article, Yirabah! I know how important this was for you – sorry for not commenting earlier, had some trouble logging in the other day.
You had some great experiences in Barcelona, and some weird ones, and I want to thank you for sharing them with us in this manner!!!!
Love Jas
P.S.: Don’t worry about the standing-at-the-mike thing… you did a great job!
Thank you for sharing and posting your Rising Con experience, it’s always a pleasure reading the experiences of other SPN fans, ๐ I attended the JIB Con in Rome and it was my first time too, hehe…Traveled all the way from Puerto Rico to Rome to see our boys, lol..I too was nervous when I first stepped up to the mic to ask my question, my first panel Q and A was with Jared, we had traveled to Rome out of Philadelphia on the same flight ๐ of course, I didn’t even know about it until we had landed in Rome and I saw him standing in the First Class aisle waiting to deplane, hehehe…I gave both Jensen and Jared bracelets as gifts and had the opportunity, MORE THAN ONCE, hehe, to step up to the mic to ask questions, and each time it got easier….so, I totally understand your nervousness, and like everyone here has mentioned you did an AMAZING job handing the letter to Jared…thanks for sharing your experience with us…Hugs from a SPN fan in Puerto Rico ๐
Jas thanks again for your help with this and your input really wish we could do the next con together.
Jensenbabe42 I love hearing other peoples experiences at a con and by now I know that I am not the only one who has problems up there at the mic. And thank you so much for your support. That you liked Jareds reaction to it was worth everything.
Yirabah, dear, I did nothing, really, the work was entirely your own and you have every right to be proud ot it. Love Jas
jensenbabe de que parte de pr eres?? yo soy de alla?!