Australians attending Pax '08

Mr_Snuffle

I'm starting to plan already for PAX next year. I'm super excited about flying over from Australia. I'm going to come by myself so I'm hoping I can find some other forumites to share a hotel room with to help reduce accomodation costs, and have some people to attend after-parties with.

Or anyone going to be kind enough to let me crash on their couch if they live near by? I'm a little hairy, but I don't shed too much. :P

Any other Australians thinking of going next year?

TNTrooper

Foreigners always make for a cool hotel roommate. You are welcome in my room when your plans for PAX are set.

Edit: Bring Australian booze.

Blamemonkey

From one Australian to another, go as an enforcer....

if you application is successful you will be hanging out with a bunch of Kick arse people, be able to see more of the Expo and Etc ETC!!1

P.s you are not a unique and delicate snowflake because I have done it twice already SO NAH :P

Mr_Snuffle

Well, booked and paid for my flights today, so I'm definitely coming next year

Blamemonkey

How long are you going to be in the states for? how much were your flights?

Mr_Snuffle

I'll fly into Seattle on the 27th, and fly out on the 2nd

The flights are a little expensive, because I'm also heading down to South America afterwards. I need need to buy the domestic flight to get from LAX to Seattle, but it's looking to cost around $3500 in total

Moe Fwacky

If you're flying into LAX, you might want to hit the West Coast Train Trip up the coast, if you get there early enough. I hear it's a great way to travel up the coast.

Mr_Snuffle

that's actually a pretty damn awesome idea. I could see more of the US that way. I get to LAX 7am on the 27th

Mr_Snuffle

What would be super awesome would be if I could actually be part of the west coast roadtrip, but I don't know if I would be there in time for that

TNTrooper

The train would be leaving sometime in the morning on the 27th. If you push your arrival back to the 26th I can offer you a hotel room in LA as well as Seattle.

Dublo7

I'd love to go to PAX. If I come across a lot of money sometime next year, I'll definitely consider it. Us Aussies could do a bit of a meet up.

devoir

Definitely thinking about it. I doubt I'm going to be able to take much time off before then with how work is going, and I've always wanted to visit the US especially for PAX.

Maccy

I came from the UK and did the West Coast Train Trip this year - I thoroughly recommend it. You get to extend your PAX by 2 days either side, which is very nice when you consider what you're paying to go as a foreigner, and you meet a whole ton of awesome people on the train, which means you have a crew of ~50 mates by the time you arrive at the con. On top of that, you do get to see the coast, which isn't amazing, but there is some nice scenery out there if you manage to look away from your DS screen.

I'd love to go from Australia next year (I'm over here now) but I suspect that the cost will be a little too high - kinda need my money to get home. I'll look into it nearer the time.

TimeCruiserMike

maccy my good man . . . if need be we may just start a fund to get you on that train . . . i can't speak for everyone . . but I'd donate

and mr_snuffle . . i hope to see you on The West Coast Train Trip 08 or as i hear we're calling now Train Con 08

TNTrooper

Google maps says the train station is a little under 19 miles from LAX and claims to only take a hour in traffic.

You guys put Maccy in L.A. and I will buy his train tickets and let him crash in hotel room.

Maccy

You guys rock so hard \m/

Gimme about 3 months to figure out exactly how poor I am and I'll get back to ya

Oh man, about 3 days ago I was just thinking about how I was going to manage to get home, now I'm thinking about going BACK to the USA to hang out with a bunch of geeks I met on a train. Sweet as.

Lindygamer

You guys find a way to get a way to get english (maccy) on the train and ill find some food to stick in him for the duration of his LA to Seattle stay. We never introduced him to the glories of in & out I think.

Mr_Snuffle

TimeCruiserMike wrote: »

maccy my good man . . . if need be we may just start a fund to get you on that train . . . i can't speak for everyone . . but I'd donate

and mr_snuffle . . i hope to see you on The West Coast Train Trip 08 or as i hear we're calling now Train Con 08

Do we have any dates for that? I might need to tweak my flights a little

Qs23

Mr_Snuffle wrote: »

TimeCruiserMike wrote: »

maccy my good man . . . if need be we may just start a fund to get you on that train . . . i can't speak for everyone . . but I'd donate

and mr_snuffle . . i hope to see you on The West Coast Train Trip 08 or as i hear we're calling now Train Con 08

Do we have any dates for that? I might need to tweak my flights a little

Don't quote me on these since I pulled them from the WCTT 07 thread.

Well last year, they left LA around 10 am on the Wednesday before PAX and got to PAX thursday night. And if you're interested in the return trip, they left around 9 on the monday after pax.

So if we use that same time frame for this years PAX...

They will be leaving LA on Aug 27th and arriving on Aug 28th and heading back home Sept. 1st

But again, it's not even 2008 yet, so nothing is set in stone other then PAX is going to be 29-31.

Mr_Snuffle

Right now my flight is looking to get in at 7am on the morning of the 27th. Might be cutting it a bit close, to get there with 3 hours to spare, especially concidering I'll need to deal with customs..,

TimeCruiserMike

Mr_Snuffle wrote: »

Right now my flight is looking to get in at 7am on the morning of the 27th. Might be cutting it a bit close, to get there with 3 hours to spare, especially concidering I'll need to deal with customs..,

i might bump it up to to the 26th if i were you . . but . . . like Qs23 said . . . nothing is set in stone yet

Mr_Snuffle

I've moved my flights back one day so I have more of a chance to catch the choo choo

Moe Fwacky

Who's running the Train Trip this year?

TimeCruiserMike

last i heard ctishman and Augustus will be collaborating on it

Recky

I'm from aus and gonna try and save up enough to come to PAX 08, the train trip sounds like an awesome idea as I won't know anybody there (but will after the train!). If anyone else is flying out from melbourne and wants some company for the flight let me know! Otherwise see you all there!

Mr_Snuffle

I'm flying out of Brisbane, but maybe we could meet up in LAX for train adventures

Recky

Definately! As soon as more info gets posted about this years train ride I'll start to book up flights... be great to meet other PAX people on the way up for some beers and ds! Are you going to apply for enforcer?

Mr_Snuffle

Hmm... not too sure. I'm not 100% on what exactly an enforcer does. Does it normally involve heavy lifting? :P

Blamemonkey

Mr_Snuffle wrote: »

Hmm... not too sure. I'm not 100% on what exactly an enforcer does. Does it normally involve heavy lifting? :P

TWO WORDS
DO IT!!!

It is an awesome way to get exposure to the whole Con, Meet heaps of cool folks and I could add you to my Minions

I have been to PAX twice from OZ and both times i have been an enforcer I have not regretted a single second of it, I will (hopefully) be going back again this year

Mr_Snuffle

So what kind of things do you end up doing? Is there much competition to be an enforcer? How does the process normally work?

Recky

I read somewhere you get to wield cardboard tubes as weapons. That's enough convincing for me right there. :P

For real reals though, what I have read sounds pretty awesome, if I'm going to go to PAX from all the way over here I might as well try and be an enforcer.

Blamemonkey

Mr_Snuffle wrote: »

So what kind of things do you end up doing?

Mainly it is a customer assistance position, from just being in a position to answer questions on where stuff is and how do i get to X, to line management or helping with Registration, or assisting with PC, Console or Hand held areas.

There are heaps of things to do, but the best part is you are basically attending a convention with 300+ friends (being other enforcers)

Mr_Snuffle wrote: »

Is there much competition to be an enforcer? How does the process normally work?

there will be a call to Arms! well a request to apply what you need to do is then submit an application to our wondrous leader saying what you can do and why you want to help and you find out from there.

All in all it is AWESOME!

Liger

The only real requirement to being an Enforcer (that I can think of at the mo) is working your scheduled shift each day. It's a minimum 6 hours per day wearing the Black. Beyond that you can do double shifts if you're crazy/awesome, help where help is needed, or just enjoy the convention in your free time. You also get to take home A SWANKY TEE SHIRT and the most fantastic stories anyone could collect over a 3-day period (or 5 days, if you include setup/teardown).

ashridah

Hey.
Another Aussie here, going to PAX '08. Of course, I have an advantage, since I live in Seattle (well, over on the Bellevue/Redmond side, that is. Guess who I work for )

Looking forward to catching up with anyone else that comes up. If we get time, we can hit the Aussie/NZ pub north of Seattle, or something.

Snickers

Well its either Microsoft, or Nintendo. And if its Nintendo, then you don't work in the warehouse.

ashridah

Heh, nah, it's the less game-oriented of the two.
I'm just an ordinary test dev for MS, not in the games dept, sadly.

Looking forward to PAX'08 tho.

Arachnamus

Still trying to weigh up my options as a UK PAXer (still keep trying to type "goon" there) and the train trip from LA or similar is winning so far. I've still got some credit with Delta for internal flights so yay. Maccy, let me know if you need a flight pal.

Are there any fun places to hang out for a few days in LA? Will probably arrive early to make the most of it.

TimeCruiserMike

Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios, Six Flags Magic Mountain. and they are all within an hour or so of each other . . or if theme parks aren't your thing . . . you could catch a taping of the tonight show at nbc studios in burbank, um . . . there's always my house . . . tons of fun stuff to do there . . . we have a swimming pool . . . i know there are a few awesome laser tag places . . but their locations escape me at the moment


PS .oh and if you like pastrami . . .there is this really good place called Johny's Pastrami, prices are a little high but it's the best damn pastrami you can get in L.A.

Arachnamus

TimeCruiserMike wrote: »

Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios, Six Flags Magic Mountain. and they are all within an hour or so of each other . .

Pah, may as well stay at home!

TimeCruiserMike wrote: »

or if theme parks aren't your thing . . . you could catch a taping of the tonight show at nbc studios in burbank, um . . . there's always my house . . . tons of fun stuff to do there . . . we have a swimming pool . . .

Sweet! Sounds good. Might have to turn this into a "how many PAXers can I PAX prePAX" mission.

delwyn

Chalk up another Aussie making the pilgrimage to PAX (and GenCon too, since it's only two weeks earlier) Still working out my internal-US travel plans, but if there's going to be a group train trip up the west coast, that sounds like fun - I'll be coming over on my own, so the opportunity to get to know a few new people before getting lost in a crowd would be great.

What are the details for the train? (Date, time, place, how to book tickets etc)
Edit - nevermind, just found the train sticky thread, still not awake yet

Anyone still trying to decide on accommodation? I'd be happy to split a hotel room with someone.

Del.

Qs23

delwyn wrote: »

Anyone still trying to decide on accommodation? I'd be happy to split a hotel room with someone.

Del.

Did you post in the PAX Hotel Room-Share Thread yet?