06-30-2008, 09:54 PM
Well, I'm one of those who went there, with Leg X GPF.
I'm not going to write long angry paragraphs about expenses and payments and so on. Others did it already, and I'm sure we'll hear even more on this topic. Having to pay for the "privilege" of working for others is not a pleasant experience, but the amount it cost me is not that high.
What made me angry, I dare say furious, is the way we've been lied to. I've been deceived, cheated, taken advantage of...
OK, some might say we've got ourselves to blame - I should've been more paranoid. I should've listened to those little voices in my head, telling me not to go. But that's merely a lesson I've learned. The fact that we've been lied to remains.
I could've accepted the fact that Mr Cologni deceived a lot of people, including his own legion. I could've accepted the fact that his machinations deceived me. I could've accepted the fact that I'd pay it all out of my own pocket. But the fact that the organizers and the members of Leg I Italica didn't have the decency to openly explain their situation to us when we arrived, and resorted to evasion and delays, made me mad.
I can accept honest admission of a problem. Poop happens, we all know that. Repeatedly telling me that the problems are just temporary snags that will be solved "real soon now" (in an hour, this evening, tomorrow morning, this evening...), and making me work hard to discover the real scope and impact of the problem at hand, is a sure strategy for sending my anger into stratosphere.
OK, the event was chaotic, the program often ignored us, we had to look after ourselves... No problem with that. I've been through worse. But the fact that the bulgarians and LEG I Italica worked in unison to mask the problem instead of finding the courage to admit that someone fscked up... Heck, I worked to *help* them. I *deserved* truth, didn't I?!?
So I packed my things and walked away. Not because of the problems. It was because of the way those who *were there*, who didn't find the time and courage to *explain* the situation openly, acted towards my comrades and me... I *do* have some self-respect. Next year, count me out.
Rant over.
~~~~~~
The sad thing is this could've been a really enjoyable event. Even with all the problems. It still had some potential. We had romans, we had barbarians, we had a fortress, a battering ram, three siege engines, a stadium big enough for all the battles one might wish for... I got to sleep like a legionary, with my subarmalis underneath me and my paenula covering me... There were all those ruins of actual roman buildings there... I got to taste Bulgarian sheep cheese...
But too many people got too angry, and it sort of fizzled out. It was not a total failure, but it sure was a whole lot less than it could've been...
I hope I'll meet those I've met there during other, less trouble-haunted events, and we'll sit down and talk and find out we *can* work along each other. I hope I'll confirm my hope that all those who made me so angry were simply good people caught up in an unpleasant and difficult situation. We all make mistakes...
Oh - one more minor rant: why don't more members of LEG I Italica learn some English? I know, my own English is far from perfect, but come on, there were about three people in their *whole legion* willing to talk to us using English... And it is difficult to have a conversation when the two sides can't speak the same language.
I'm not going to write long angry paragraphs about expenses and payments and so on. Others did it already, and I'm sure we'll hear even more on this topic. Having to pay for the "privilege" of working for others is not a pleasant experience, but the amount it cost me is not that high.
What made me angry, I dare say furious, is the way we've been lied to. I've been deceived, cheated, taken advantage of...
OK, some might say we've got ourselves to blame - I should've been more paranoid. I should've listened to those little voices in my head, telling me not to go. But that's merely a lesson I've learned. The fact that we've been lied to remains.
I could've accepted the fact that Mr Cologni deceived a lot of people, including his own legion. I could've accepted the fact that his machinations deceived me. I could've accepted the fact that I'd pay it all out of my own pocket. But the fact that the organizers and the members of Leg I Italica didn't have the decency to openly explain their situation to us when we arrived, and resorted to evasion and delays, made me mad.
I can accept honest admission of a problem. Poop happens, we all know that. Repeatedly telling me that the problems are just temporary snags that will be solved "real soon now" (in an hour, this evening, tomorrow morning, this evening...), and making me work hard to discover the real scope and impact of the problem at hand, is a sure strategy for sending my anger into stratosphere.
OK, the event was chaotic, the program often ignored us, we had to look after ourselves... No problem with that. I've been through worse. But the fact that the bulgarians and LEG I Italica worked in unison to mask the problem instead of finding the courage to admit that someone fscked up... Heck, I worked to *help* them. I *deserved* truth, didn't I?!?
So I packed my things and walked away. Not because of the problems. It was because of the way those who *were there*, who didn't find the time and courage to *explain* the situation openly, acted towards my comrades and me... I *do* have some self-respect. Next year, count me out.
Rant over.
~~~~~~
The sad thing is this could've been a really enjoyable event. Even with all the problems. It still had some potential. We had romans, we had barbarians, we had a fortress, a battering ram, three siege engines, a stadium big enough for all the battles one might wish for... I got to sleep like a legionary, with my subarmalis underneath me and my paenula covering me... There were all those ruins of actual roman buildings there... I got to taste Bulgarian sheep cheese...
But too many people got too angry, and it sort of fizzled out. It was not a total failure, but it sure was a whole lot less than it could've been...
I hope I'll meet those I've met there during other, less trouble-haunted events, and we'll sit down and talk and find out we *can* work along each other. I hope I'll confirm my hope that all those who made me so angry were simply good people caught up in an unpleasant and difficult situation. We all make mistakes...
Oh - one more minor rant: why don't more members of LEG I Italica learn some English? I know, my own English is far from perfect, but come on, there were about three people in their *whole legion* willing to talk to us using English... And it is difficult to have a conversation when the two sides can't speak the same language.
Appius Solanius Pertinax
a.k.a. Martin Zdansky
a.k.a. Martin Zdansky
