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Old 08-20-2003, 05:05 PM   #196
Sharkû
Hungry Ghoul
 
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Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,721
Sharkû has just left Hobbiton.
Sting

You know you're in great company when train or car rides, or evenings on the balcony (with the added advantage of generously served cold beer) seem so much more attractive than the actual sight-seeing.
Such was definitely the case for me at the first "official" Barrow-Downs gathering in Trier. Having known BW, Esty and Squatter as well as can be online for quite a while, I was pretty sure we were the right number of members and the perfect people to make the meeting both fun and interesting. Barrow-Wight, Squatter and me already met the day before we hit Trier with Esty, so we actually got in two boys’ nights. We spent both in a generally jocular mood, recalling old forum and chat antics and anecdotes; but it was also obvious that we all enjoyed the opportunity to talk to others with the same interests in real life for once, whether these were Tolkien, the Site; of an ‘academic’ manner, or the wonder that is good funny television.

Meeting people you’ve known online for a while was fortunately only strange for a few minutes, after which the excellent company I was in even made me gladly drop my usual –away status.
Of course, the fact that we were a small group, and definitely what I would call a group of online friends, made that comparatively easier and more enjoyable. Furthermore, this also accounts for my not really being surprised by the personality of anyone; some people you just know to be cool, and I wasn’t disappointed.

At least since I’ve known of BW’s “German history”, it was evident that we really should meet up some time when the chance should arise, which finally did after some three years of my sojourn on the site. Just as I said, the Wight was pretty much not only like I imagined him, but also like I knew him: about the funniest person I know, an excellent host, and both clever and wise in any discussion. Even though we talk about site matters frequently, the chance to do so face to face, and even start a “Barrow-Downs brainstorming” on some occassions with Estelyn and Squatter was very welcome.

Ever since the latter popped up on the forum and especially the chat, I’ve often experienced that it doesn’t take much at all for me to get into a deep conversation with him. With a person like Squatter, “deep” can be relative, since he is a walking treasure vault of knowledge of very high-brow academic matters just as much as of a wide range of anecdotes and amusing pieces. Such was one night when we decided to trade in sleep for discussion, and paid the price for it the following morning.

Even though she lives considerably closer to me than the little Englishman or BW, Esty and I never met before, either; and I can now say with absolute certainty that failing to do so is my deep regret. Esty proved a great interim guide through Trier and Heidelberg, but an even greater conversationalist with an opinion worth listening to on just about everything we ventured to come up with. Plus she’s head of my fanclub (no kidding), and that says a lot, mainly what a cheerful and amiable person she is. And that she has good taste, obviously, except for that REB thing which I never really understood. The three of them could talk on hours about that!
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