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(Now what)
 

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Nii-in! Niin sitä lähdettiin Etelä-Italiaan edustamaan Suomea ja Niskatuki-projektia. Kulttuurishokki oli taattu, sillä Napolin Comicon on laajudeltaan monta kertaa täkäläisiä festivaaleja ja coneja isompi ja pyrkii palvelemaan samalla montaa erilaista yleisiöä. Pelaajille, animu-nörteille ja sarjisnörteille oli kaikilla oma alueensa ja ohjelmansa.

Yup! That's us leaving for South Italy to represent Finland and the Headrest exhibition. Culture shock was guarannteed, because the Napoli Comicon is far bigger than the local events, cons and festivals and aimed to cater to many different audiences simultaneously. Gamers, anime geeks and comics enthusiasts all had their own areas and festival programs.

 

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En ole ihan varma, mutta huhujen mukaan con-alueella kävi ensimmäisen päivän aikana lähemmäs 60 000 vierailijaa (korjatkaa jos olen väärässä). Silti, vaikka tuo 60 000 ei pitäisi paikkaansa, niin hirveän kaukana noista luvuista ei oltu. Parissa conissa räplänneen näkökulmasta Napolin massat olivat ihan toista luokkaa. Sitä voi jokainen pääjärkkäri miettiä hiljaa itsekseen.

Ensin sinne Italiaan piti päästä, lentäen. Irlannin matkasta lukeneet saattavat aavistaa, ettei ulkomaille matkustaminen näin yleensä vielä luonnistu hirveän hyvin eikä se mennyt ihan nappiin nytkään...

I'm not entirely sure, but the rumors tell that during the first day there were closer to 60, 000 visitors in the con area (please correct me if I'm wrong). Still, even though that 60,000 might not be true the actual number must be something closer to tens of thousands. As a person who has been involved in organizing cons I saw that the number of visitors in Napoli Comicon was on a whole different level. All of my friends who have been the head organizers to festivals and cons can let that information sink in, slowly.

However first we had to make it to Italy, by plane. Those who have read about my trip to Ireland last summer may expect that traveling abroad isn't my second nature quite yet and it wasn't 100% perfect this time either...

 

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( Traveling or more like flying is problematic because Emmi's weak delicate body can't handle G forces all that well. Take-offs (or amusement parks) can be even painful.)

 

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(Imagine for a while, that you have somewhere in the middle of your body this delicate core. The kind of thing that would look like a really pathetic kebab spit. Or actually, of course everyone has a delicate core inside them but try to imagine that spit even though it sounds fucking stupid.
Well these G forces come and it's kind of tearing sensation in that inner kebab spit.)

 

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(The take-off was a lot kinder this time than on my trip to Dublin last year. On top of that there was a chance of missing the connecting flight even if we'd run, because the flight to Munich was 30 minutes late.)

Jotenkin me päästiin Napoliin asti. Hotelli Palazzo Esedrassa Mostra D'Oltramarella oli ihan hulppeat oltavat, ainakaan opiskelijana en ole tottunut tällaiseen menoon!

Somehow we made it to Naples. Our stay in Palazzo Esedra in Mostra D'Oltramare were more than fancy, at least as a student I am not used to this!

 

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Sängylle olis mahtunut vielä n. 150 cm pitkä ihminen nukkumaan poikittain mun viereen.

There was enough space for a 150 cm tall person to sleep next to me in a horizontal position.

 

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Awww.

Niin, se kävijämäärä
Right, the number of visitors.

 

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(Oh God)

 

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(Aw hell no)

 

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(1:There are so MANY people here!! 2: Help)

Mitä tapahtuu sosiaalisesti tökerölle suomalaiselle 3 miljoonan ihmisen kaupungissa? Onko Pompeiji niin siisti kuin väitetään? Kai meidän piti töitäkin tehdä?
Tämä ja moni muu asia selviää "Emmi meni Napoliin" -sarjan seuraavassa osassa!

What will happen to a socially awkward Finn in a city of 3 million people? Will Pompeii be cool? Surely we had some work to do here as well, right?
This and many other things will be revealed in the second part of "Emmi Went to Naples"!

// Ulkokuvista kiitos Ville Hänniselle
// Many thanks to Ville Hänninen for the pictures of the con area