What I want to know is why are there several people with Malawi domain names who read this diary? I had to look up Malawi in the atlas; I wasn't even sure it was in Africa until I checked, and I'm pretty good at geography. At this point in time they outnumber the hits from Canada which strikes me as a bit weird. For all I know, these people actually live in Chicago, but bought super boss Malawi domain names and call themselves www.dabears.mw or something.
I forced myself away from watching the Cubs lose to the Braves last night to attend a party in honor of Maureen Kincaid Speller who is visiting from Britain. She's on the final leg of her three month tour of the States under the auspices of TAFF. The Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund was created in 1953 for the purpose of providing funds to bring well-known and popular fans familiar to those on both sides of the ocean across the Atlantic. It's been a going concern ever since. I went to Australia in 1987 thanks to DUFF, the Down Under Fan Fund, which is about twenty years younger. It's a great opportunity to visit another fan community, and for most of the winners of both funds it's been the only way they'd ever get to the other country. This was Maureen's first trip to the States. She's a very popular fanzine writer so dozens of people turned up to greet her, and ask her if she thought the Monterey Aquarium was better than the Baltimore Aquarium. Well, I asked her that, having been to the one in Baltimore with her. She enthused at me about sea otters and seals, which was gratifying. John and I recommended she rewatch Star Trek IV now that she's been here as it was partially set in the aquarium, and has lots of amusing splicing of widely separated Bay Area locales.
While I was edging my way towards the overloaded food table at Allen and Donya's, I said hello to Dave Clark (author of the Bay Area Fandom Directory, a gratis service which I made use of innumerable times while living outside of the Bay Area). He said he saw a magazine recently which reminded him of me. "Oh," I said brightly, "which one is that?"
"Modern Ferret," Dave replied with a smile.
"Really?" I said with perhaps a touch too much brightness. "And why is that?" We were diverted by the arrival of another friend, and the conversation turned to other things. Boy, am I baffled. I've never owned a ferret. Why would he associate me with this magazine? Maybe he thinks of me as a ferret, kind of slinky and inquisitive and smelly. Maybe I'd rather not know.
Gary Mattingly, regular Aries Moon reader, checked out my altered appearance, but didn't say anything about the ragged bangs and oddly dark color, bless him. I talked about beautiful, scary descents into airports with host Allen Baum, who votes Katmandu as scariest. I ate a huge piece of cheesecake as part of my recommended daily allowance of unnecessary fats and sugar. I took photos of the party people but I'll have to download those later. Right now, I'm going to go look up the pronunciation of Malawi.
Mah-LA-wee. Da bears.
