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Glen
Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 9481
Location: Where you least expect
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Ahoy hoy robo peoples.
This depressing weather has put me in the mood to type, so the report on the UK championships is now complete!
Take a look on the previous page and let me know what you think All of it was written 2 months after the fact so you'll have to excuse me if there's some artistic license taken with the summary of the event!
Hopefully no one minds, but I'd like to reflect personally on the entire experience in the rest of the post
Having a bit of a personal break from robots for a month or two now, the rush build of citizen flips after returning back from the even more intense Decimator rebuild was super tough on me, so need to recharge my own batteries.
Nonetheless, before deciding to go on that trip, robot building had left me burnt out completely much more so than i am currently, and wasn't so sure of competing at all this year in favour of working on some other projects ( finally building a turbo bike which is something I've wanted for aaaages!). The decision to go was crazily spontaneous, I hadn't even the slightest clue how much it would cost overall before registering, but having spent nearly 6 years unemployed and broke through my 20's and finally going through good times with my job and money etc, there was never going to be a better time.
Let me tell you, I've got zero regrets about going what so ever! Even though money is still tight 2 months down the track, I would have done everything the same given the time over again. The entire trip was my first real holiday full stop, let alone first one by myself, first time on an international flight.. in a foreign land etc etc. Being a collosal life n00b, to say getting everything organised was a task is the understatement of the year, along with organising the international shipping of the robot gear.
On the way over, every single step was a giant stress overload. Did i fill out the customs forms? Are they gunna not let me into the UK when they see the weird shit I've got in my suitcase, will said suitcase even show up?! lol. All of this compounded by nearly missing the connection at Dubai because of fog. Any idea how nerve wracking it is trying to find your gate with 15 mintues to spare after a 14 hour flight, amongst 3 of the biggest terminals in the world, when no one seems to speak English, all the signs are in Arabic and you are basically culture shocked as all hell. Yeah, A LOT!!
But looking back on it, all that craziness really made the experience. And as odd as it is to say, going most it alone excluding the robot event was probably the best decision I could have made.
The feeling of disconnection, being 17,000km away with your home of 27 years and the people and accents you familiarise yourself with, was properly surreal. Even just getting to the dodgy little terminal in Birmingham was mind blowing to me. The customs hall was empty by the time I'd made it there, cause I had to sit and look out at the airport wondering if I'd finally managed to get out of crappy Mt Druitt! The different look of the trees around the terminal, the airlines we don't have here, even the different things they have in the vending machines was basically, a bit of a mind-fuck to me lol. Looking back at it that's kinda sad, but I'll always remember that feeling
Adding to the otherworldly feel of everything was basically learning what jet lag is. What an unassuming term for something that basically KICKS YOUR ASS NON STOP FOR 3 DAYS But you know, that made the first couple of days there extraordinary. I'm a lazy shit as many will know and never wake up early. So to comfortably get up at 3am and go for a ride into a place you've never been was a-mazing!
Birmingham is a stunning place, same with London. The history and age of so many buildings are wild. There's buildings here from the 20th century being heritage listed and just walking down any old street you find things like this -https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Captain_Bligh_House_London.jpg I think people still live in there too!
So anyway, only had a day and a half to get ready for the event. Most of that time was spent scooting around Brum, trying out every fast food place, drink and anything else i could get my hands on that we don't get in Aus, hearing all the different accents they have, the different cars, trains buses shops etc! just trying to absorb as much culture as i could before meeting everyone at the event.
P.s. If anyone gets me the real deal IRN BRU i will love you, possibly forever! How awesome is that stuff.
Ah, and the robot crowd there. This hobby really is universal. I could've sworn it was our Nats, of course with slightly more adherence to the rules and some slightly more intensive safety checking haha ;P Don't think I met a single person there that wasn't beyond hospitable, throwing tools at me whenever i needed them, chatting about our robots helping fix them etc. Sure the competitiveness is there being a world championship, but the mateship is there everybit as much as it is here.
Except for Mouldy. That dude is a right bell end Nah, He and the Coopers in particularly we're fuckin awesome to us especially with the shipping. Of course a huge thanks to Nick in particular for zooming me out to pick up a much needed battery pack on the day of the event + all the lifts and company. Legendary.
Anyway, After the "power holiday" i had in the 4 days after the event, it was off home. Even after being there for a short 9 days, I'd really become attached to the place. Everything felt familiar to the point of me showing other more noob tourists where to go and how the train ticket machines worked haha, i wonder if that's a common thing? The thought of heading off home was a bit of a downer. Though maybe that was just at the thought of a 22 hour flight Had the last of my irn bru and smashed a terrys chocolate orange FINALLY (we apparently have them here? why was i not informed!) and it was on the big bird home where i proceeded to sleep for 3 days straight. Did i mention jetlag is mega? Damn.
So. Do i recommend it? You fuckin' betcha. The event is super professional and in a big tech convention so there's plenty to do between the long waits, the robots and roboteers are amazing, the competition is at such a high level. Even though the event was 5 days i felt like i didn't get the chance to properly meet most of the people there, i guess you have to make the most of your time! London and Birmingham as well are fantastic. Highly recommended My perception of the place as a dingy miserable shithole was totally broken.
I'm so immensely looking foward to next year like you wouldn't believe. Of course i did things stupidly at times being a hapless tourist, like paying 160 pounds for the train to London unwittingly when it really only costs 30, getting my maccas robbed by a homeless guy and getting mobbed by a bunch of foxes until i gave them all my subway etc etc. But I don't regret any of it. It was a hell of an experience and one I will 110% look to beat 10 fold next year! Will be freaking awesome for sure Perhaps even more Aussies will tag along
If you have the foozbooks and haven't seen already check out the pics from the trip here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153274366918700.1073741830.583983699&type=1&l=5b01f94920
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153274403203700.1073741831.583983699&type=1&l=251adf0fa4
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153274434048700.1073741832.583983699&type=1&l=f0bf29a656
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153274455838700.1073741833.583983699&type=1&l=06349f94eb
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153274499188700.1073741834.583983699&type=1&l=bf722cf9ec
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153274529553700.1073741835.583983699&type=1&l=1955f8f25e
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153274558818700.1073741836.583983699&type=1&l=1ff00647a9
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153274567563700.1073741837.583983699&type=1&l=f01387e40a
Peace,
Glen _________________ www.demon50s.com - Minimoto parts
http://www.youtube.com/user/HyzerGlen - Videoooozzz
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Fri Jul 17, 2015 12:13 am |
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