From: dagoura@MIT.EDU
Message-Id: <9401201705.AA22623@marinara.MIT.EDU>
To: carolingia@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU
Subject: Travel
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 94 12:05:18 EST


I'd recently noticed something.  When I go to a non-Carolingian event,
and gaze upon the dinner seating chart, I see great regions boxed off
for households.  In these boxes, individual names are not filled in,
but rather the house name is writ large across the table.  And some of
these house names I do not know, but some I see and say "Lo! There is
the Barian House, Foo; how interesting they all made it to Quux."  And
essay to put me and my traveling companions together on the feast map.
I write my name where I shall sit, and my companions write theirs
likewise.  And none who then gaze thereupon know of my origins, unless
they know me; even then, those who know me, seeing my name printed
alone are not likely to call to mind my home.  

In all this discussion of travel, I find myself surmising that people
of one barony are often certain that the gentles of another are so
alien as to be distinct on even the briefest of inspections.  Are
Carolingians expected to have pointy ears, "Boggies" to have warts and
brandish clubs, Stonemarchans to be made of grey granite?  In other
words: just how does one *tell*?  Or is it only the famous that count?
How many at Birka knew that Leanne and Erika -- or I -- are
Carolingian, or does it not matter?  Last year Ivory Keep borrowed the
Tufts van and packed it with their own members and Southebanke,
Mitgaard and Duncharloch sent their members, I believe I recall some
Fenmere there, and I know naught of Felding and Huntington Greene; all
this at Birka, but none say "look, 30 Carolingians we have never seen
before."  

I like Siohban have limited income to spend on events.  I don't
consider myself a "traveler" per se, but I've made it to (besides
Pennsics) events in: Bridge (and some in their Canton on the Hill),
Bergental, Stonemarch, Malagentia, Concordia, Mountain Freehold,
Fennbrygc (sp?), Quintavia, Settmour Swamp, and BMDL, just off the top
of my head.  Not owning a car, I hardly managed to attend events in
these places by myself.  How much travel is enough?

And turn the question around: how often do we see Malagentians at our
events?  How often Stonemarchans, Bridgians, to say nothing of the
further groups?  It's not like we don't run nice events, or run poor
feasts.  I expect that we see travellers in two circumstances: when we
hold RP events, and when we hold specialty events which draw
speciallists (The Mid-Eastern event, drawing Mid-Eastern personas from
further afield; an archery event drawing archers from all over.)  Fair
enough: I travelled to BMDL a year ago for a Music and Dance
Collegium, and have played gigs in surrounding groups (or tried to, at
least).  I travel for RPs.  It seems to me the balance is about the
same. 

Tibicen Perigrinus
  Well, I can't help it if they
  don't show up to listen to us.
dagoura@mit.edu