After performing some research about the most suitable femdates for as many for you as possible it started to look like that 29.7. - 5.8. is the best compromise. This actually should suit for nearly everyone, the "compromise" thing is that I was looking for extended weekend solution (something like Wednesday-Wednesday instead of Friday-Friday), but unfortunately that didn't succeed due to other reservations. This will add some extended-weekend feeling for those that come already then (the event doesn't start instantly, there's some kind of warm-up followed by the culmination at the weekend followed by a more relaxed end). However, the previous mans should leave already on Thursday 28.7. and we are very generously allowed to arrive already then! Also, in case if the prev mans change their mind (unlikely, but this needs to be considered), we are also very generously allowed to stay 28.7.-29.7. in the extra pond sauna cabin and have a pre-FEM party there. So you can safely book your tickets for Thursday already. I don't know what time the prev mans are planning to leave, but it is always poss to go to the pond sauna to wait for them to leave.
The extra pond sauna cabin will possibly be open for sleeping in any case, which is nice (more real beds is always nice). But this will depend on plans of the cabin lady's daughter and his husband who might want to sleep there at some point, and they would obviously be priorized (we are not paying extra for extra pond sauna cabin). Also we might expect the daughter's husband to visit FEM, he is an IT man and poss interested to check our gamings. =P
The finance part
The cabin costs this time 980€, including end cleaning as well as the extra sauna cabin for sleeping (up to the cabin lady uncertainty factor) is included. All in all this is less than on previous years (7 nights vs 10 nights). Also, it looks like that the attendance will be at least as high as last year, perhaps even clearly higher. This means lower fees for everyone! =) I don't know exact numbers yet, I actually think that I won't orka the hassle with the pre-payments and probability calculations for appropriate fee amounts and collect the monies close to the actual event when amount of participants is known better. But you can prepare for at least a bit lower fees than previously!
What is it like in FEM?
To see it perhaps the best way is to check the pictures of previous FEMs, kindly provided to us by Markku:
http://mm.1g.fi/kuvat/FEM2014/
http://mm.1g.fi/kuvat/FEM2015/
Who is coming?
Here I will try to update a lists of people possibly coming. The splitting to high-, medium- and slim-chance mans is quite rough. Tell me if you should be moved to another list or added/removed altogether. Also as a new thing I start a confirmed-list. Please tell me as soon as possible when it is a sure thing that you are coming.
Confirmed:
- Abula
- adi
- axxu
- Bludek
- insane guy
- jblaze
- Koo
- Lousku
- Markku
- Mats
- Mira
- nick-o-matic
- Orcc
- Polarix
- roope
- Smibu
- terb0
- Tisk
- vender
- Ville_J
- Zweq
- Zero
- dz
- FinMan
- Ithal
- Kortsu
- veezay + Antti
- Dead One
- Kiiwi
- talli
- Luther
- Xarthok
- Chaza
- Hosp
- Ismo
- J-sim
- jamppa
- Jokke (don't know about his situation but I hope he would come)
- jonharkulsykkel
- Juzam
- Kejebra
- Quantz (don't know about his situation but I hope he would come)
- Rast
- Spef (don't know about his situation but I hope he would come)
This year's spreadsheet is here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... li=1#gid=0
- 1st page is now obsolete as the dates have been decided
- In 2nd page please contribute to organizational equipment arrangement ponderings
- In 3rd page please contribute to carpooling and fill your dates (red = no, green = yes, yellow=unsure). Please fill it even if you are not 100% sure about coming. Also please fill it even if you are going to use public transportation or already have a ride - the spreadsheet also works as a confirmation for coming (filling at least one green date is considered as it).
- In 4th page please contribute to event ideas.
These pages are partly copied from last year so there might be some outdated stuff. But let's fix them!
As you can see, it's very poss to get to FEM from any of the three major cities.
Some prices if you book now (they will become more expensive over time):
Helsinki-Tampere
Onnibus: 1€ - 3.5€
Norm bus: 21.5€ - 27€
Train: 9.9€
Helsinki-Vammala
Norm bus: 30€
Train: 12.8€
Tampere-Vammala
Norm bus: 10€
Train: 3.8€
Turku-Vammala
Norm bus: 10€
Train: 15.50€ - 21.60€
Turku-Tampere
Onnibus: 1€-3€
The sites from where you can book these tickets:
Onnibus: http://www.onnibus.com/en/index.htm
Norm bus: https://www.matkahuolto.fi/en/
Train: https://www.vr.fi/cs/vr/en/frontpage
Locations of bus and train stations, airports and harbours in these main cities (there are cheap ferries travelling to Helsinki and Turku from many different countries):
Bus- and trainstation, harbours and airport of Helsinki.
Bus- and trainstation and airport of Tampere.
Bus- and trainstation, harbour and airport of Turku.
It is enough if you manage to get yourself to Sastamala/Vammala. It is not a long way for someone to get you from there.
Also there will be much traffic through Tampere, so someone can very possibly get you from there as well. Also few mans will most likely drive to FEM from Helsinki and Turku as well.
Finally, here is a map of the venue itself and some notes. In case you arrive there when the prev mans still are there, please drive to the pond sauna instead of the house.
What is needed?
The organizational equipment spreadsheet is for these things, but these are the most important things:
- Bedsheets. Or sleeping bag and a pillow cover. Cabin lady is really strict about this. They are needed even if you use the provided extra mattresses.
- If you sleep on the extra mattresses, also own pillow and blanket/sleeping bag are required.
- Extra computers for those that can't take one with them.
- Ethernet and power cables etc to allow everyone to have internet. Also all kind of miscellaneous computer stuff is most likely useful.
- 3G/4G mobile internet stick for the router
- Stuff for prizes. Yes, I thought that we would get better prizes for competitions if people brought those themselves instead of me buying them. =) You could donate the prizes or I could buy those with FEMmoney.
Remarkably, this year there is some important stuff that will be found from the venue without having to bring there:
- Internet things (expect the mobile internet stick which is still needed). This is because managed to sell the internet stuff I bought last year to Cabin Lady so they will be found there ready. However, as listed above already, a 3G/4G internet stick for the router I sold to Cabin Lady is still needed!
- A projector. Cabin lady bought a projector to there as well, she really seems to like us!
- Mattresses. There are plenty of extra mattresses (this was the situation last year as well though). These mattresses need bedsheets or sleeping bag as well.
- Dishwasher
- Cloth washing machine. Last years this has been used quite little, you should take advantage of it!
- Very good selection of cookware (several pots and frying pans and so on). You don't have to bring this kind of things.
- Two fridges, one freezer. Also drinks can be stored in a ground cellar.
- Several saunas: one in the main house (electric sauna), one at the pond (wooden sauna, this is the preferred sauna to be used) and also a smoke sauna at the pond (this would cost extra, but we have had such policy that we can use it after the owners have used it if it still has some heat left)
Yes:
- Please recycle, we try to put own places for norm waste, cardboard, biowaste, metal and glass. Also bottles and cans worth money will have own places and as per tradition, they will be returned to the shop and obtained funds will be used as cabin rent money.
- This year end cleaning is included (it was last year too but due to finance problems we cancelled it and cleaned ourselves). However, we have to take all the trash and make dishes, and also in general leave the cabin in non-horrible condition.
- There has been some problems with the fridge space during the last two years. So please try to use fridge space reasonably and organizedly. Drinks can be stored in an outside ground cellar. It's not as cool as fridge but you can take some drinks from the ground cellar to the fridge or freezer shortly before you use them. Also when you leave make sure that you are not leaving anything to the fridge because then it will use fridge space for the whole FEM. If you want to leave something there for others to eat/drink, please make sure everyone know that those items are for everyone. =)
- If you use the laundry machine, please ask others if they want to put something to there as well.
- FEM is a big community for one week, and as a by-product of fun fun fun there are also plenty of tasks that need to be done to keep things rolling and the place in non-chaotic condition. I would appreciate if everyone would contribute in some ways to these things that include at least:
- Taking the trash out
- Returning the empty bottles and cans to the supermarket and giving the €€€ to me (for FEM-money)
- Emptying the dishwasher
- All other kind of miscellaneous cleaning and organizing of the place
- Making sure theres cofe in the cofe machine
- Making common food
- Taking care of warming the wood sauna
- Most importantly: contributing to the program and competitions or at least making battles for EOL if there isn't anything else going on - the meeting is about Elasto Mania after all =)
In summary there are:
- 7 (IIRC) premium-quality beds in the main house and one really small one.
- One small room with an extendable bed (enough for 1-3 mans depending on how close you are)
- 3 beds in the extra sauna cabin (not sure if we can use it for the whole time)
- More than enough extra mattresses that can be scattered anywhere.
When can we come and when we have to leave?
The arrival time is flexible this year as the prev mans are planning to leave at Thursday but we can go to the extra sauna cabin even before they leave. Also I promised that since we basically get one extra day for free due to this double-booking, we can help Cabin Lady with the cleaning and organizing tables etc on Thursday or Friday morning. Also I told that the cleaning is not needed to do excessively for us.
The next mans after us will come on Friday at 16:00 and officially we should leave by 12:00 but I guess if it is needed some mans can hang there for few hours more (especialyl if they help Cabin Lady in cleaning and re-arranging the tables even though we don't have end cleaning this time =P).
Where will I see you?
See you in FEM16! And #fem2016!
The old opening post wrote:It's time to begin the annual pondering about the FEM date of this year! The previous request for the pondering did not gain much popularity, perhaps because it was located in the FEM 2015 topic. Unfortunately it now seems that we missed a quite nice opportunity for extended weekend (27.7.-3.8.) which cabin lady offered for us, but now the cabin is booked up to 29.7. (the basic problem is that during the prime holiday season it is usually not possible to get this kind of specialized reservations, the standard reservation is from Friday to next Friday). Anyway, here is the FEM2016 sheet, please fill your available dates there: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... li=1#gid=0
Red = no
Green = yes
Yellow = I don't know yet
Furthermore, I need your opinions about these things:
What kind of basic model you would like to have:At the moment this kind of scenarios seem possible:
- extended weekend (from Wednesday to Wednesday for instance)?
- double-weekend (like it has been)?
- something else?
Which one of these would be the best?
- 15. or 16.6. - 22. or 23.6. Extended weekend one week before the midsummer festival (juhannus).
Very early, and it's not even sure if it's possible (it requires special arrangements, as you can see you can't reserve this directly from Lomarengas site. But cabin lady said it's maybe poss)- 8. or 9.6. - 15. or 16.6. Even earlier extended weekend model
- 10. - 20.6. Traditional double-weekend model for this very early date
- 29.7 - 5.8. Friday - Friday. Poor man's 27.7.-3.8. (the extended weekend that we missed)
- 12. - 22.8. Two - weekend model in August
- 12. - 19.8. Friday - Friday
- 19. - 26.8. Another Friday - Friday, very late
- 10. or 11.8. - 17. or 18.8. Extended weekend. This would be easily the best but I can't come until Friday evening
- 17. or 18.8. - 24. or 25.8. Extended weekend. This would be good but schools have already started (bad for ppl in school) and onion harvest is coming.
Also, please join #fem2016 for more discussion!