Beta Photos
I'm that person who only starts doing something long after it was cool. That makes me either a Reverse Hipster, or an Early Adopter Hipster. Amirite?
I got to the Instagram party late, but pretty timely, too, because for my first few photos, I got GeekFest Jeddah Beta stuff.
My very first photo from my new phone was of our UNorganizers game-changer meeting. Khayra, Omair, and Squeek are the people who made this event happen. Haphazardly, yes, BUT HAPPEN IT DID.
Last-minute IKEA shopping with Geekling Sara Grace for the event.
GeekFest Jeddah Beta officially started 5pm at Tashkeil. Souma, the event's official photographer, took this photo of me.
Testing the Twitter Feed with our 1st GeekTalker Danya Al-Hamrani of Egg Dancer Productions. We posted tweets with the #GeekFestJED hashtag just to see our names on the screens.
The girls' venue had a special feature: No Photography. These orange sashes were provided for the ladies who were not okay with their photos being taken, so our click-happy friends steered clear of them. Well... except me.
Our TechnoCase Nokia was a major hit. They launched their new smartphone and gave away lots of phones to attendees who answered geeky trivia right. I won one for knowing Adama's call sign, but I guess that was practically cheating as it was a really easy one. #humblebrag
Other winners of Nokia Asha phones, checking out the features of their new gadgets.
Our food sponsor Lite Bites! I loved the cookies. There are no pictures of them because I ate them all and took the rest home. I actually found 4 cookies this morning that I had stuffed in my bag from the event. Fatass win.
I think it's safe to say that this was a successful Beta event. The next one will be bigger better faster stronger, so watch this space. Gamma is up next.
In retrospect, it's true that real geeks don't even call themselves geek, or don't care about the labels. Some people have even gone so far as to say that if you feel the need to call yourself a geek, you probably aren't one. Putting this debate aside, I just like the idea that GeekFest Jeddah provides smart people with a time and place to get together and have great conversations about mutual interests. That's what it is about, first and foremost.
But I also appreciated the experience of being a GeekFest UNorganizer with my friends because it gave us a chance to work together outside of our social trysts. I liked having my BSG knowledge tested by Hakeem (and failing miserably - how could I not have known what colony Gaius Baltar comes from?! I should never be invited to GeekFests GODDAMNIT), and more importantly, I liked talking to people without having to dumb things down.
Best of all, this is the first event I've gone to where I didn't have to worry about hair and make-up, because I was too busy focusing on awesome discussions about technology, the internet, and literature. It's like being back in university, but with free food and free phones. HOLLAH.
There will be more GeekFests, even if I'm not an UNorganizer anymore, because the only other thing more awesome than the turnout is the enthusiasm of the geeks who went. They will push this machine forward.
Contact me if you're interested in the next GeekFest Jeddah!
Check out Omair's post-GeekFest Jeddah blog entry HERE, Souma's post with her photos HERE, and check the #GeekFestJED hashtags on both Instagram and Twitter to find out what went down at the event.
I got to the Instagram party late, but pretty timely, too, because for my first few photos, I got GeekFest Jeddah Beta stuff.
My very first photo from my new phone was of our UNorganizers game-changer meeting. Khayra, Omair, and Squeek are the people who made this event happen. Haphazardly, yes, BUT HAPPEN IT DID.
Last-minute IKEA shopping with Geekling Sara Grace for the event.
Night before GeekFest Jeddah Beta, we had a little touch-base meeting with the Geeklings and UNorganizers. It was mostly an argument about gaming between the boys. Clockwise from 12:00 is Tareq, Hassan, Hakeem, Khayra, Omair, my seat, and Faisal.
GeekFest Jeddah Beta officially started 5pm at Tashkeil. Souma, the event's official photographer, took this photo of me.
Testing the Twitter Feed with our 1st GeekTalker Danya Al-Hamrani of Egg Dancer Productions. We posted tweets with the #GeekFestJED hashtag just to see our names on the screens.
The girls' venue had a special feature: No Photography. These orange sashes were provided for the ladies who were not okay with their photos being taken, so our click-happy friends steered clear of them. Well... except me.
Our TechnoCase Nokia was a major hit. They launched their new smartphone and gave away lots of phones to attendees who answered geeky trivia right. I won one for knowing Adama's call sign, but I guess that was practically cheating as it was a really easy one. #humblebrag
Other winners of Nokia Asha phones, checking out the features of their new gadgets.
Our food sponsor Lite Bites! I loved the cookies. There are no pictures of them because I ate them all and took the rest home. I actually found 4 cookies this morning that I had stuffed in my bag from the event. Fatass win.
I think it's safe to say that this was a successful Beta event. The next one will be bigger better faster stronger, so watch this space. Gamma is up next.
In retrospect, it's true that real geeks don't even call themselves geek, or don't care about the labels. Some people have even gone so far as to say that if you feel the need to call yourself a geek, you probably aren't one. Putting this debate aside, I just like the idea that GeekFest Jeddah provides smart people with a time and place to get together and have great conversations about mutual interests. That's what it is about, first and foremost.
But I also appreciated the experience of being a GeekFest UNorganizer with my friends because it gave us a chance to work together outside of our social trysts. I liked having my BSG knowledge tested by Hakeem (and failing miserably - how could I not have known what colony Gaius Baltar comes from?! I should never be invited to GeekFests GODDAMNIT), and more importantly, I liked talking to people without having to dumb things down.
Best of all, this is the first event I've gone to where I didn't have to worry about hair and make-up, because I was too busy focusing on awesome discussions about technology, the internet, and literature. It's like being back in university, but with free food and free phones. HOLLAH.
There will be more GeekFests, even if I'm not an UNorganizer anymore, because the only other thing more awesome than the turnout is the enthusiasm of the geeks who went. They will push this machine forward.
Contact me if you're interested in the next GeekFest Jeddah!
Check out Omair's post-GeekFest Jeddah blog entry HERE, Souma's post with her photos HERE, and check the #GeekFestJED hashtags on both Instagram and Twitter to find out what went down at the event.
I'm only disappointed because you link me as squeeko639 ... i'm Amrush btw.. hi, I play with neutrinos for fun ..
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great event! I'm living up at KAUST (an hour north of Jeddah) and would love to come to the next one.... do you have any details?
ReplyDeleteHi, Claire! Yes, the next one will be in September/October. Hope you can make it! Follow us on Twitter @GeekFestJeddah for updates. :)
ReplyDelete