Sunday, 14 October 2012

Scenes From A Blogging Conference.

Blogging conferences are weird things for weirdos.

Beautiful weirdos. 

Walked around marvelling at how poised and grounded everybody else was. I suspect everybody else thought that about everybody else.

There were lots of panels to go to, keynotes to hear, new twitter handles to learn, crap coffee to drink.

Valerie Khoo, Kerri Sackville, Allison Tait talk blogging and writing. 

It was a pleasure to hear Sarah Wilson talk. She was interviewed by ex-journo Nikki and they both spoke so well about media and blogging. 

Practically twins!

Meeting Sarah has made me want to get fit again, for my mind and spirit as well as my body. To eat well. (As soon as I finish my cake.)

The conference went for two days, so I got the chance to catch up with people I haven't seen for ages, as well as meet some new ones. 

Smaggle, me, Lizosaurus, Rah, and Rhi (Liz I am SO sorry for spitting ice on your leg. I was nervous.)

I flitted around for a little bit, wishing I could go get my photo taken in the photo booth but then I saw Anna Spargo-Ryan in front of me like a beacon of hope. She offered me a lift back to my hotel and I said yes. Then no, than maybe. Then yes again ... so I followed her out, and didn't say goodbye to anybody. (See: weirdo.)

Anna dropped her parking ticket and went to pay and fumbled with money. I told her that the physical world was bullshit.

She said, "I know. I should have stayed at home in my computer."

We chatted and swapped some cool snippet stories. When I got out, I walked up the Docklands, found my hotel, but couldn't open the sliding glass door onto to the street. Friday night was in full merriment swing but it was also a bit deserted and I felt scared. I almost started crying because the whole time I was in Melbourne I couldn't stop thinking about Jill and wondering at the senselessness of her death. I felt fear, standing there in the cold while people and groups of guys walked past me. I NEVER feel fear like that. Sucked. I don't know that guys will ever truly know how vulnerable a woman can feel sometimes. Regardless of how tough she is or where she lives or if she knows kung fu.

Finally I got in, after ten frustrating minutes.

The next day I caught up with Richenda, who I'd met exactly a year ago at last years Problogger Conference.


Richenda has left World Vision now and started up ntegrity. "A social media agency with a difference." Richenda was instrumental in getting me to Africa this year .... we still can't believe we pulled that off.

Mrs Woog, Lorraine, Nikki and I were on a panel together, Nikki wrote about it here. 


Double-shot blogger selfie.

Got the chance to catch up with these ladies and do a Hands Up For Health!


Joy from World Vision Australia, Louisa Claire, Annabel Candy, me and Emma Stirling. It's nice to get involved in causes and feel a bit of passion about things ... makes me feel included and useful.

I love this photo of Problogger sitting at his own conference, listening and learning.


Bono once said that he hopes he always remains teachable .... I hope I do, too. There's always something new to learn, some fresh way of looking at things.

Darren took us all outside and told us to look around Etihad Stadium.



Said to imagine this as the blogosphere.

"Nobody is better than anybody else. Every "big" blogger started small, and every one of us has the potential to do something. Make a difference, start a new thing. So go home and do something."

Ok Darren, I will.

Thanks, weirdo.


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Write to be understood, speak to be heard. - Lawrence Powell

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