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We are no longer a blogspot. We loved it here but we decided it was time for our own .com! So let me introduce you to:


NerdPilgrimage.Com!!!

Texas Wildfires & Almost-Zombie Dog

Photo: Mayra Beltran / © 2011

I'm going to take this time to discuss something non-nerdy today but something that has had a huge impact on my state.

In Texas we are dealing with massive wildfires that has destroyed hundreds of homes. In fact, I live so close to the fires that my entire neighborhood is covered in smoke. To help out, I volunteered at Austin Pets Alive and was just amazed by how much people were donating. In fact, we had to temporarily store some supplies because some shelters have too much stuff and we have to wait until tomorrow before they start accepting them again.

What else struck me was a dog I saw while I was helping with some Thank You letters. First of all, I kept hearing about some dog who got attacked by a snake. Everyone was horrified about what happened to this dog and despite being so badly damaged, he's still a sweet dog. So, as I'm finishing up some letters a volunteer comes in freaking out and yelling, "I shouldn't have looked!!!"

Curious, I got up to see what she was screaming about. In front of me was an adorable, but slighly roughed up dog that had patches of fur missing and some scars. The lady tells me that's the dog with the snake bite. My first thought is, "Awww, he's not all that bad."

Then the dog turned his head.

HE HAS A GOD DAMN HOLE IN HIS FACE!

 

Photo Courtesy of Austin Pets Alive

I could literally see inside of his face! It was like a dog from a zombie movie but it was real... and not trying to eat my brain. (I had to mention SOMETHING nerdy...)For the most part, the dog was surprisingly well and he'll have surgery this Thursday. 

Edit: Austin Pets Alive is collecting donations for Happy, the Almost-Zombie Dog. Any amount will help!

Anyways, I'll be spending some of my time the next few weeks helping out. If you live in the Austin area, please donate or volunteer. If you are outside of Texas but would like to donate, try these two links:

+ Texas Wildfire Relief
+ Austin Disaster Relief

It Shall Be Done

Hello visitor! If this website is acting a bit wonky it's because I'm working on the new layout. I'm getting annoyed with layouts so I'm determined to finish some time tonight.

Update: It is done! Unless there is any problems with this layout, I'm keeping it!

Harry Potter Conventions

This is a list of Harry Potter Conventions that are still currently active. Please contact me at nerdpilgrimage@yahoo.com if you will be attending any of these conventions and would like to write about your experiences there. Also, please contact me if you see any mistakes or changes in this list.

+ Ascendio - Orlando, Florida
Next Convention: July 12 -15, 2012

+ LeakyCon - Orlando, Florida
Next Convention: 2012

+ PotterCon - Online Convention
Next Convention: September 7 – September 9, 2012

Doctor Who Conventions

This is a list of Doctor Who Conventions that are still currently active. Please contact me at nerdpilgrimage@yahoo.com if you will be attending any of these conventions and would like to write about your experiences there. Also, please contact me if you see any mistakes or changes in this list.

+ Chicago TARDIS - Lombard, Illinois
Next Convention: November 25-27, 2011

+ Gallifrey One - Los Angeles, California
Next Convention: February 17-19, 2012

+ Hurricane Who - Orlando, Florida
Next Convention: November 4th-6th, 2011

Bookworm Heaven

What: Bookworm Heaven

Where: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Fandom: Bibliophile

Price: Varies

I have to confess that Buenos Aires was actually not my first choice of where I would spend my 4-day weekend. Now, I am so happy I went and can't believe what an amazing trip it was. At the time I was staying in Cordoba, Argentina for school and was trying to figure out the cheapest place to go. I knew nothing about Buenos Aires except what my host family kept telling me which was basically that I would have my stuff stolen and possibly kidnap if I'm not careful

Just image my surprise (and nerdgasm) I had when I saw a street littered with bookstores. I wanted to weep for I had accidentally discovered that Buenos Aires is actually Bookworm Heaven. Oh, dear reader, this one little street was just the beginning! Scattered throughout the city are bookstores of new and old. You can easily find a old, antique shop that has more stories within it’s walls than between the pages of the wonderfully dusty books on it’s shelves. Right next to it will be a cool, modern bookshop where the stories tell of art and music. Hell, I even found a sleek looking comic book shop where the walls were lined with mangas and comics. Of course, you’ll come across those crummy shops where you’ll just find books like Yo by Ricky Martin or the billionth biography with a “new” perspective of Che Guevara’s life. 

In the midst of this jungle of books, I had discovered what I believe to be the South American Bookstore version of the Holy Grail: El Ateneo.

Unfortunately, the photo above does no justice to the true beauty of El Ateneo. (Trivia: This was taken with my iPhone because my regular camera was stolen while in Cordoba, Argentina.) My dear reader, if you are a true bookworm, this is a place you must visit. While it’s selection is borderline average, the beauty of the building more than makes up for it.  At one time it was a theatre but now the stage is a cafe! The balcony seats were transformed into comfy little areas to sit and read the latest edition of psychology books or the newest best seller.

Regardless of what bookstore you choose, you’ll have the time of your life as you sit down, sipping amazingly good Argentinean coffee while badly translating some random book! Maybe you’ll end up on the highest level at El Ateneo, people watching and creating characters of your own to write about. Perhaps you’ll be like me and have a fine time geeking out over “¿Dónde está Wally?”

Oh Wally, you're so silly.

More Reading on El Ateneo and the bookstores of Buenos Aires, Argentina 

+ Article: City of Bookstores

+ Article: Buenos Aires is the City for Book Lovers

+ Guide: Find English Language Books in Buenos Aires

+ Guide: Art Bookstores in Buenos Aires

Confessions of a Nerdy Volunteer #1: Pros & Cons

My first article on a brand new website! Are you as excited as I am? Yeah, you are. So what’s my first post about? Volunteering. 

Excited yet? You should be. 

I can’t stress how much I love volunteering for Sci-Fi conventions. In the past three years, I’ve made it a point to not pay for any major event, and I haven’t. Along the way, I have learned a lot of lessons and wish to pass some of that knowledge on to you. For today, I’ll just discuss the Pros and Cons of the wondrous world of volunteering: Nerd Edition. 

Pros:

“Look, ma! I saved you loads of cash!” Don’t have $75+ laying around for the Comic-Con that finally rolled into your town or $200 for the fandom centered convention? Yeah, neither do I but I still get in. You should use all that money you saved not paying for a ticket to get that limited edition, super cool action figure you wanted since you were 12 or whatever.   

“You spent how much on that thing? Well, I got it for free. Sucker.” Now, I’ll admit you may not always get free stuff, but you usually do. So far I’ve gotten free toys, more posters than what I know what to do with, movie tickets, free autographs and art (which I’ll discuss more below), t-shirts, movies, and hugs.  If there is something you got that you don’t want, then you could just sell it. (Anyone want 20 Dungeon & Dragons booster decks?)

“Oh. My. Gawd. I loved you in that one movie! Sign my boob?”  Laugh as those poor suckers wait HOURS in line to pay $25 for an autograph and/or a photo.  Most actors are kind enough to do that stuff for free when it comes to the volunteers. Don’t pester them for the stuff though, you’ll have to be patient and sometimes wait to the end of the show. The other option is to assist the actors. (If you’re a newbie to the convention, don’t expect to get this job right away. It’s sought out by 85% of the volunteers.) I got to hang out with Lou Fucking Ferrigno for two hours! For two hours, The Hulk relied on me. I had a chat with Luciana Carro of Battlestar Galatica about pie. I got to hear Tom Felton say a couple of rude words about William Shatner because he was treating fans badly. It was awesome. 

“Can you draw Batman fighting Predator in space?” While most people go crazy for helping the actors, I personally have more fun with the artist. Hell, I even made out with one! … but that’s another story. I have gotten so many things either discounted or free. One tradition amongst volunteers is to have our t-shirts signed and drawn on by the artist. It’s just another special little treat. 

“True story, bro.” You have so many adventures, you could write a novel. 

Cons

“Wow. William Shatner is a douche bag.” It has been said many times, don’t meet your heroes. While I am happy that I’ve meet all these wonderful actors, I don’t see them as anyone special. (Besides Lou Herrigno. He’s THE Hulk!) I blame that on my first convention where I met an actor I adored (not William Shatner) and he was a total jerk. At another convention, my poor fangirl heart was broken to find out one of my heroes is a womanizing creep. I wasn’t allowed to help him out because other women had issues with the way this particular actor was treating them. 

“Work, peon! Work!”  At the end of the day, volunteering is still work that you are pretty much doing for free.  Depending on the convention, you may even be treated like crap. If you’re a newbie, you might not always get the job you want. No matter how cool and relaxed the place is, you have to remain professional and make sure you please as many people as possible. 

“Yeah… that panel finished an hour ago.” The worst thing that can happen is that you miss something you were really looking forward to. You get caught up with juggling a million things and forget to take a break during the one panel you were looking for.

So there you have it! A whole, organized list of pros and cons about  volunteering for conventions (or anything, really.) In the end, you'll know if volunteering for super cool stuff is for you or not.

Nerd Pilgrimage

Hello,

My name is Steffie and I am a nerd. I love books, movies, video games, manga, comics books, and musicals of the Harry Potter persuasion. More than anything though, I love to travel. A thought cross my mind one day and I found myself asking, "Can't I combine my insanely nerdy addictions with my love of travel?" As it turns out, yes I can! There are many nerdy destinations to visit all over the world, you just have to find them. My goal is to make it easier for others and myself to find these places and events.

I was shocked there was not a single place dedicated for traveling nerds. I am here to change that. I will actively seek out the best places, hangouts, and conventions for nerd-kind everywhere! I will make it easier for nerds everywhere to get to the holiest of places within their fandoms.

This is Nerd Pilgrimage.