My OperaAmandageddon; an experience all it's own.
Saturday, October 29, 2011 9:20:16 AM
This is Part 1 of a two-part sharing of my experiences at Armageddon 2011. The day described below is Saturday, October 29th, 3 and a half weeks after our little and precious daughter, Olivia Grace Alves McMillan, was born.
A NZ event like no other, we attended for no other reason than to greet a woman of immense talent, strength, integrity, humility and soul-felt generosity, Amanda Tapping, and the equally beautiful Alaina Huffman.
So, it all began one summery day in the City of Sails...
A NZ event like no other, we attended for no other reason than to greet a woman of immense talent, strength, integrity, humility and soul-felt generosity, Amanda Tapping, and the equally beautiful Alaina Huffman.
So, it all began one summery day in the City of Sails...
My GAWD. Where to begin?! From the first light this morning it didn't seem real, somehow. I mean, I've been to Armageddon before, met Amanda before, but this. This was a different experience altogether. Completely unexpected, a different energy, different vibe, different circumstances. It was unreal from the first moment we entered the looming modernity of the ASB Centre. As we shuffled along the quickly (!) moving queue, under the giant steel eaves and wove our way to the next available ticketing desk, neither of us had in real inkling of what was to come. Even the dreams and prospects of meeting Amanda and Alaina Huffman were intangible, somewhat incomprehensible and surreal, and so pushed to a tiny corner of my mind where the surrealism of dreams is archived.
Our experiences were momentary, purely in the present, as we shouldered our way through the (as usual!) densely milling crowds inside the exhibition centre. Maybe it was just a side effect of new-motherhood and sleepless nights (i.e vacant brain, a close cousin of preg-brain), all I managed to occupy myself with was the brightly moving figures of ardent cosplayers (WOW!) and sundry scents that wafted to my nose from the array of booths.
It took a full hour and a half to wind our way through the entire centre, watching tweens bouncing on Xbox Kinect, watching Dalek bloop his way between astonished onlookers. After much texting, I managed to reunite with the BEAUTIFUL Amanda Hunter (cosplaying at the Star Trek booth) and CarterMackenzie, who then joined our little family for the rest of the day as we went about the dire work of being fans.
BUT, I DIGRESS. Time was pushing! We decided, in a moment of rare intelligence, that it PROBABLY be smart to jump in the token queue to purchase our photograph tokens before the mad OMG-Amanda-Tapping-Is-In-New-Zealand-I-Must-Indulge-My-Every-Fandom-Squee rush! The queue was still short and fast-moving, so it wasn't long before we were installed in the cafeteria, munching on junk food. By this time, my little Olivia had begun to stir (I had her strapped, via Hugabub, to my chest), so we found ourselves in the food section (ALWAYS EXCITING!) feeding our many mouths.
Just being with other fans is electric. Gradually over the course of the morning, my chest had asploded several times with pulses of butterflies and joy, as I tortured myself sporadically with the thought of introducing my beautiful little daughter to our beloved Amanda. Try and think of what it would feel like for your heart to squeak. This is what it feels like. SQUEAK.
SQUEAK.
There it was again o.O...every seven or so minutes my chest pulsed in a giant heave of I-don't-know-what.
Of course, once in line for the photo session, all jitteriness vanished completely and we flung stupid jokes back and forth between fandom Twitterers and random fandomers around us. We counted the last four minutes until the Grand Empress's Grand Entrance...flipping whimsical what-ifs of rings installed in the ceilings, and how it would be entirely awesome for a stage lift to be installed with a blindingly bright spotlight....
Despite her desperate efforts to minimise her appearance by crouching behind some handler, I caught sight of the tell-tale soft brown hair traipsing behind a bright blue shirt. With her always broad smile and excitedly gleaming eyes she 'assumed the position', and so the snapping began! V.I.P's first of course...
As our spot loomed closer, we passed our luggage (COUGH) onto the Hunter ('because you're my mule! But really we love you!') and I unpacked Olivia to hold her in my arms ready for her debut on the fandom stage...
As the handlers held out their hand for our tokens and waved us on, I shuffled my way towards the bright light in front of us. Before we had made it halfway, Amanda strode towards me, arms stretched out front and eyes like saucers...and as I opened my mouth to form words, she exclaimed "Oh my God! IS THIS OLIVIA?!" All I could do was mimic her wide-eyed deer-in-the-headlights expression, "Wha...how did you know?!", "I'VE BEEN SEEING YOU ON TWITTER!!" and her face melted into a softness that only a mother can express, as her eyes moistened and she surrounded myself and my three-and-a-half week old daughter in a warm and enveloping embrace, and planted a massive kiss on my cheek. As she peered possessively at Olivia she passionately blurted, "AWWWW Congratulations you guys, I'm so, SO happy for you. Thank you, thank you for bringing her. Thank you so much" and more hugs, more kisses, Amanda's face fairly melting with compassion. All I could think was "what on EARTH are you thanking US for?", and I blurted: "Oh and by the way, we usually do have hot water, this isn't some war torn country in the back of beyond...". "OH RIIIIGHT *nodding emphatically*". Amanda embarked on motherly talk: "I saw you tweet something about a Hugabub?!", "Yeah! I've had her strapped to my chest, she's just been sleeping all day... Amanda's eyes widened again as she started gesticulating enthusiastically, "I HAD A HUGABUB FOR MY OLIVIA! Wore it constantly, doing the dishes, the groceries, she absolutely loved it! Loved being so close... I had two, two different colours and changed between them. They're amazing! Just to have them so close to you..."
I waxed enthusiastic, "I KNOW! Olivia just loves being so close to my chest, she's so content...oh and we're going to TRY and bring her to AT6..."
"AWWW ARE YOU GUYS COMING TO AT6 TOO?!"
"Ya! We got cocktail tickets as well!! *clapping hands exmitedly*"
"AWWWWWWW YAY! *staring at Olivia*. Her face melted again, "Awwww, congratulations you guys! I'M SO HAPPY. Thank you for bringing her..thank you...thank you so much!" And her finger went up apologetically to her handlers as she put the photo session on hold to absorb my little bundle. Somehow, without her asking or my suggesting, Olivia ended up in her arms as she mumbled 'aww bubba...', and we all (except Olivia, who was contentedly relaxed and dozing) turned toward the camera for the photo.
Amanda wrote on the photo: To Champa, Ben and sweet Olivia!
With my love to you,
Amanda Tapping xo
Pressed for time, Amanda reluctantly transferred the sleeping bundle back into my arms as she wrapped her arms around me and planted numerous soft kisses on my cheek, her eyes moist with emotion, "Congratulations you two, so happy, and thank you...thank you so much!". Ben copped the wrath of her hugs one last time before we shuffled back to the awaiting fandom Twitterers to once again return Olivia to her sacred place on my chest...
There was no squee. No selfish pride in having grabbed Amanda's hugs and kisses all for ourselves...it was merely the peace and comfort that comes with confiding in an Aunt, a sister, a close and beloved friend. This is how it was to be. Forget her career, her prolific acting profile and incredible accomplishments...this meeting was not between actor and fan, but from mother to mother...heart to heart, one human to another. The best kind.
For the rest of the day my mind and heart were in a blissful state of zen, calm, peaceful. As we once again queued, this time for autograph tokens (the line was about three point seven miles long...and some!), my zen state was momentarily electrified, and after being silent for some time would blurt "I'M SO HAPPY!!!" to the snorts of Beth who was grinning at my side.
Tokens acquired: One each for Amanda and Alaina (I MEAN, YOU NEED PROOF OF MEETING NO?!), and then the queue-fest continued. By the end of Amanda's insanely massive auto queue (who was surprised! All the other tables appeared empty o.O) Ben calculated that we had been queueing for an hour. Not much to complain of after Melbourne Amandageddon HAH!
Just before we approached Amanda's desk, the handler tried to intervene with another fan (V.I.P) who had missed her shot for an auto, but her eyes settling on Olivia she emphatically insisted we go first, bless her soul! Such a gracious lady...
Amanda's smile was huge and gradually over our meeting her eyes welled up all over again. I, typical derpface, quickly produced two small gifts. "This is a bit tongue-in-cheek, but..." and I thrust a bottle of waterless foam shampoo in her hands. She fairly snorted with a xD and put it in her bag while I held out a small jar of good ol' Kiwi Mamrmite. "It's COMPLETELY different to English Marmite, seriously!"
"Wait...is it?! Really?"
"Vegetarian!"
Beth interjected "YEAH TOTALLY DIFFERENT
"and Amanda eyed up the jar hungrily before also thrusting it in her bag. YES OKAY GUYS, SHEESH I CAN HEAR YOU CLAMOURING. I DID... with a massive grin on my face, share the hugs and messages of love from everyone on her website, on Twitter and Facebook ("if you have any hugs leftover from Melbourne!" "OF COURSE!
". So there...xD. Again, I explained that we were going to TRY and bring Olivia to AT6, but it all depended on how she would travel. Amanda, motherly and business-like, did warn that traveling with a little on IS hard, but we want to make it try and happen if it's the last thing we do!
Quickly business-like, Amanda grabbed the photos and messaged them, before she gazed at the bundle strapped to my chest, motherly emotion simply pouring out, as she kept thanking us again and again for bringing Olivia. As her hand reached out to lay gently on my nublet's back and her eyes caught mine soulfully,I placed my hand over hers and with a full heart poured out, "No, thank YOU...thank you so much for coming all this way to us, we're such a long way from everything, you make us feel loved and count for something. Thank you so much, thank you". And with one last heartfelt look at us and Olivia, we left her and shuffled along to visit the unbelievably gorgeous Alaina...
Ah, ALAINA. Flaming red hair, nine months pregnant, with a tell-tale L.A tan all over, Alaina Huffman fairly glowed with stunningness from her quiet station behind the signing desk! It's hard to believe that this beautiful creature was five weeks away from her due date with her fourth child! Before I even opened my mouth, she exclaimed "OH is this Olivia?!" and barely able to contain the giggles we embarked on a mahoosively fun discussion. She remembered me from Twitter, said she had been looking forward to meeting me and my bundle (we had had numerous pregnant discussions over Twitland), and I enquired enthusiastically about her holiday downunder. Apparently all her kids had wanted to see here was volcanoes, and her husband John was an absolute gem. She LOOOOOOOOOVES napping (it's a pregnancy thing o.O), and tells the kids "Hey, you just go over there and colour quietly at the table *SNORRRE*, don't make any noise! *SNOOORRRRE*" while her John takes charge of everything. She asked about Olivia's birth weight, how things had been going, how she was, and described each of her newborn children with a business like motherly air that I could never replicate xD
Being a Melbourne girl (and I said as such) I asked what her stay in my favourite city had been like, and explained just how awesome the arts and theatre scene is there. Unfortunately, she hadn't had much of a chance to explore that side of it but was genuinely interested, her husband being much more of the producer/entrepreneur type. If she ever goes back I hope she manages to revel in the artsy fartsy vibes yonder!
After thanking her enthusiastically for her long journey to come and see us (she was so happy and excited to be here!), I wished her all the best health for the coming weeks ("AW THANK YOU!") and we reluctantly left her desk to face the real world once again...
The end of a heartfelt, emotional, soul-soaring and inspirational day...we drove back to our lodgings immensely content with peace and love in our hearts, ready for slumber.
