Furality Somna
Jun. 9th, 2025 09:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lupestripeThe post-con illness seems to have lasted much longer this year, despite regular COVID tests proving it's not that. I'm not sure what this is, some low-level lethargy, but for a whole week after the con, I don't think I have ever felt so tired. I haven't fully recovered even now, which is one of the reasons why I was prompted to go to the doctor last week. They have agreed to run some tests, which will see me bouncing back and forth most days this week, but maybe I'll get an answer to why I have been so knackered for the last few years. My gut feeling is it's probably stress from an undiagnosed but suspected case of ADHD, but it would be good to have something physical. This has also tied with increasing stomach pain and general bloatedness, which has me wondering whether all this is connected. I have decided to try and reduce my bread intake, as well as mid-week snacks, in an attempt to lose weight and see whether it's a gluten intolerance. Maybe that'll be the key. Of course, we were going to go to Qualgeist tonight too, but these new symptoms means I cannot risk it. With this weekend's furry event also out due to a friend visiting and the high heat, I'm wondering why I still bother sending them €20 a month. I haven't been since my birthday and that was nearly seven months ago.
I am not particularly thrilled to be back in Germany, but I don't know whether it's a return to normality after three weeks in the UK or something deeper. Certainly, we made the most of our trip back home, doing up the house as well as seeing a few friends. We had hoped to see a couple more before we went, as well as call in at the new cheese restaurant that's just opened up, but the tiredness and illness precluded it. Indeed, the Thursday and Friday after ConFuzzled I had to take off work, such was my absolute sense of lethargy. Riffing with so many friends at ConFuzzled and feeling completely at ease has highlighted the stark contrast between our social life in the UK and Germany. I am hoping that a trip to the BerlinFurs Sommerfest next month will rekindle a few friendships here, not least because I decided going to the Pony Play camp the same weekend was prohibitively expensive. The other reason for not going there is my handler can't make it either, and with Blacksnip on holiday, I'd have no-one to go with.
This weekend, like this month, has been an attempt to remain frugal. The accountants are still taking money out of my account so I am having to watch my spending. Fortunately, this weekend was Furality Somna, an online furry convention that usually takes place in early June. I wish it happened in the middle of winter, but the weather this weekend was sufficiently bad for me not to mind. Indeed, I spent most of my days editing two pesky stories that I need to submit this week, then most of the evenings bouncing around their Arabian-themed worlds. The theme was sleep, with some attire to match for our avatars, but the theme seemed to be more around Alladin. The world was not as extensive as normal, but it was still rather cosy, while the late-night fireworks show on the final day was the highlight. I ended up watching this 20-minute show over three successive showings. The first time I had the super loud explosive version, but preferred the gentler one as the sound of the tamborine when the fireworks exploded complemented well with the classical music. The fireworks were great, but the laser show beams at the end forming arches over the sky was perhaps a little anti-climatic. I liked the three constallations of the fox, dog and stag though, they made me smile whenever they appeared. I also got to speak to one of my writing friends Synthwave for the first time, which I also enjoyed.
I stayed online for around eight hours in total over the weekend and would have been longer had I not had to work today. It is a German national holiday so Wolfie is off, meaning he at least could stay up late. Meeting people was really easy, with the website easily showing where everyone was. I was introduced to loads of new people and enjoyed chatting with Laii while watching the Furry Showcase, which was small video clips of VR-furs singing songs or presenting small films. Another highlight in the Events section was Whsprs. I saw him live four times last year, but this was my first opportuntiy in 2025. His acoustic set was largely the same as that from last year, but it was still a rather fun 45 minutes. Wolfie got to listen to him for the first time too and enjoyed it, even if it wasn't quite his thing. I also enjoyed watching a VR furry version of Hollywood Squares, but sadly I didn't get to any of the other specific events. There seemed to be quite a few, while there was also a wide range of meet-ups. Alas, the Writers one was 7am this morning, which was right in the middle of the night for me so I couldn't do it.
One of the highlights of Furality is the dances, but as usual, most of the genres didn't appeal. I did pop into ADA's metalcore set early Saturday morning, which I really loved. I thought his ConFuzzled set had been a little disappointing - we left 10 mintues in to get beer - but this was right up my street. I also utilised one of the outdoor chairs rather than my swivel leather chair, allowing greater freedom for my arms (one of my issues on VR is I just let my arms rest on the chair handles and I'm not very responsive). I met loads of the VRFF group in here and ended up staying for another two sets after that, even if it wasn't quite my music. It is rare for me to not leave VR after a few hours, but I really struggled to put down my headset this weekend. In a way, it was fortuantely made easier at 5am on Sunday when VRChat crashed for a few hours. This knocked all of the events over, with the closing ceremony for Furality now a day later. It also meant I was trapped in a taydum avatar I was showing Mr BumbleBee as Wolfie was reminisicing about the Crayon Crew. I couldn't change back into my Lupe avatar for a good half hour. Another good thing about VR now is you can set your pronouns in the main settings, which makes misgendering far harder. I do have a female avatar and so it should be obvious, but it's always good to make people aware.
Speaking of music, it has been like the 1990s all over again with new releases from Garbage and Pulp. I have really enjoyed both albums, particularly the former, which is brooding and moody yet also defiant and optimistic. Pulp, meanwhile, feel like they have never been away, despite this being their first new album since 2001. It certainly enhances their back catalogue and is engaging in its own right, particularly the catchy Spike Island. It has all of the charm and charisma you'd expect from Jarvis Cocker, so it's another huge triumph.
I am not particularly thrilled to be back in Germany, but I don't know whether it's a return to normality after three weeks in the UK or something deeper. Certainly, we made the most of our trip back home, doing up the house as well as seeing a few friends. We had hoped to see a couple more before we went, as well as call in at the new cheese restaurant that's just opened up, but the tiredness and illness precluded it. Indeed, the Thursday and Friday after ConFuzzled I had to take off work, such was my absolute sense of lethargy. Riffing with so many friends at ConFuzzled and feeling completely at ease has highlighted the stark contrast between our social life in the UK and Germany. I am hoping that a trip to the BerlinFurs Sommerfest next month will rekindle a few friendships here, not least because I decided going to the Pony Play camp the same weekend was prohibitively expensive. The other reason for not going there is my handler can't make it either, and with Blacksnip on holiday, I'd have no-one to go with.
This weekend, like this month, has been an attempt to remain frugal. The accountants are still taking money out of my account so I am having to watch my spending. Fortunately, this weekend was Furality Somna, an online furry convention that usually takes place in early June. I wish it happened in the middle of winter, but the weather this weekend was sufficiently bad for me not to mind. Indeed, I spent most of my days editing two pesky stories that I need to submit this week, then most of the evenings bouncing around their Arabian-themed worlds. The theme was sleep, with some attire to match for our avatars, but the theme seemed to be more around Alladin. The world was not as extensive as normal, but it was still rather cosy, while the late-night fireworks show on the final day was the highlight. I ended up watching this 20-minute show over three successive showings. The first time I had the super loud explosive version, but preferred the gentler one as the sound of the tamborine when the fireworks exploded complemented well with the classical music. The fireworks were great, but the laser show beams at the end forming arches over the sky was perhaps a little anti-climatic. I liked the three constallations of the fox, dog and stag though, they made me smile whenever they appeared. I also got to speak to one of my writing friends Synthwave for the first time, which I also enjoyed.
I stayed online for around eight hours in total over the weekend and would have been longer had I not had to work today. It is a German national holiday so Wolfie is off, meaning he at least could stay up late. Meeting people was really easy, with the website easily showing where everyone was. I was introduced to loads of new people and enjoyed chatting with Laii while watching the Furry Showcase, which was small video clips of VR-furs singing songs or presenting small films. Another highlight in the Events section was Whsprs. I saw him live four times last year, but this was my first opportuntiy in 2025. His acoustic set was largely the same as that from last year, but it was still a rather fun 45 minutes. Wolfie got to listen to him for the first time too and enjoyed it, even if it wasn't quite his thing. I also enjoyed watching a VR furry version of Hollywood Squares, but sadly I didn't get to any of the other specific events. There seemed to be quite a few, while there was also a wide range of meet-ups. Alas, the Writers one was 7am this morning, which was right in the middle of the night for me so I couldn't do it.
One of the highlights of Furality is the dances, but as usual, most of the genres didn't appeal. I did pop into ADA's metalcore set early Saturday morning, which I really loved. I thought his ConFuzzled set had been a little disappointing - we left 10 mintues in to get beer - but this was right up my street. I also utilised one of the outdoor chairs rather than my swivel leather chair, allowing greater freedom for my arms (one of my issues on VR is I just let my arms rest on the chair handles and I'm not very responsive). I met loads of the VRFF group in here and ended up staying for another two sets after that, even if it wasn't quite my music. It is rare for me to not leave VR after a few hours, but I really struggled to put down my headset this weekend. In a way, it was fortuantely made easier at 5am on Sunday when VRChat crashed for a few hours. This knocked all of the events over, with the closing ceremony for Furality now a day later. It also meant I was trapped in a taydum avatar I was showing Mr BumbleBee as Wolfie was reminisicing about the Crayon Crew. I couldn't change back into my Lupe avatar for a good half hour. Another good thing about VR now is you can set your pronouns in the main settings, which makes misgendering far harder. I do have a female avatar and so it should be obvious, but it's always good to make people aware.
Speaking of music, it has been like the 1990s all over again with new releases from Garbage and Pulp. I have really enjoyed both albums, particularly the former, which is brooding and moody yet also defiant and optimistic. Pulp, meanwhile, feel like they have never been away, despite this being their first new album since 2001. It certainly enhances their back catalogue and is engaging in its own right, particularly the catchy Spike Island. It has all of the charm and charisma you'd expect from Jarvis Cocker, so it's another huge triumph.
