My Firefly D1 Experience: It Was... Something.
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Oh my, describing my experience at the Guangzhou Firefly Anime and Gaming Expo -- known by its grand name "Guangzhou Firefly Animation and Game Carnival" -- is beyond words!
About Rides
- I was enthusiastically rushing to the expo around 11 o'clock in the morning. Imagine my surprise when, still two kilometers away from the exhibition hall, there was already traffic congestion and numerous road closures! My driver had no choice but to take a longer route. Despite it not being far, the final taxi fare added up to 50 RMB (RMB stands for Chinese currency)!
- But the return trip that evening was even more miserable! Swarms of people, terrible phone signal... there wasn't a driver willing to accept a ride through the app. Eventually, I flagged down a taxi, but because there was traffic, the driver demanded an incredible 100 RMB just for nine kilometers!
- As I watched the meter climb to 100, my heart was breaking. At that moment, I really couldn't do anything else. My health wasn't good to begin with, and having shot photos in the scorching heat all afteroon had worn me out. All I wanted was to get back to the hotel and rest. One way and another, rides alone cost me a whopping 150 RMB! This money could have easily covered my travel expenses from Guangzhou back to Jiangmen, where I live, a city not too far from Guangzhou!
About Tickets
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What about tickets? They were sold out as soon as they became available! I had no choice but to buy them from scalpers ("Yellow Crows," which refers to high-priced resellers), at a cost of 300 RMB per ticket!
- When I reached the expo grounds, it was swarming with people under the blazing sun at around 30Β°C, with humidity after rain making it particularly sticky. The crowd jostling each other was just brutal.
- If you're playing COSPLAY, especially those with large props or long skirts, walking through the expo hall feels like an exhausting workout. While I once spent 7-10 hours freely enjoying events at other expos, I collapsed after just 4 hours in the Firefly Expo.
A few tips on buying tickets and attending:
- Be aware that popular event tickets are notoriously difficult to snag; be sure to keep an eye on official sales information and snap up the tickets promptly when they become available!
- Beware of counterfeit tickets from scalpers, be vigilant for the risks of dealing with both price hikes and fake products.
- Expect crowds and hot temperatures - wear comfortable shoes, take enough water, and cosplay players should act within their limits to avoid heat stroke!
A little rant about the Hotel
- My luck with hotels was really bad this time, ending up at a terrible accommodation. It wasn't that I didn't expect it to be pricey during holidays, but for nearly 500 RMB per night, I only got the tiniest windowless room. As long as there was somewhere to sleep, my expectations were pretty low.
- But upon entering the room, all I could smell was a strange odor, and the toilet seat cover was yellowing... Additionally, the sound insulation was shockingly poor! Given that I am already a light sleeper, I kept getting woken up at night with even audible lovemaking next door.
- Even more outrageous, the air conditioning in the room randomly stopped working in the middle of the night! Waking up almost every hour left me exhausted and unprepared for the expo the next day.
Bitter lessons learned on selecting hotels: - Reserve room promptly during holidays, read reviews carefully, including negative reviews!
- If you're sensitive to sound, be cautious about the soundproofing mentioned in the reviews.
- Cheap comes with compromise; expensive doesn't necessarily mean good, comparison shop!
- But upon entering the room, all I could smell was a strange odor, and the toilet seat cover was yellowing... Additionally, the sound insulation was shockingly poor! Given that I am already a light sleeper, I kept getting woken up at night with even audible lovemaking next door.
In conclusion, the overall experience was quite terrible, adding an extra layer of hardship to what was already an economically straitened life. Just the transportation costs for a single day of visiting this anime expo were pushing me towards bankruptcy. Whatβs worse, I had made a hair appointment prior to my next day's show outing β had I known it would be like this, I would have skipped straight out of town and headed home that night. Yet I had a bunch of commitments lined up for the next day, exhausting all my energy. Comparatively, another expo named "εη©θ―" I went to earlier this year was much better. In addition to cheaper tickets and fewer people, guest speakers included some I personally recognized. However, if you decide to attend certain events on a holiday, be prepared to expect nothing less than discomfort.
- I was enthusiastically rushing to the expo around 11 o'clock in the morning. Imagine my surprise when, still two kilometers away from the exhibition hall, there was already traffic congestion and numerous road closures! My driver had no choice but to take a longer route. Despite it not being far, the final taxi fare added up to 50 RMB (RMB stands for Chinese currency)!
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Traveling all the way from Jiangmen to Guangzhou for an anime convention? Wow, that's some serious dedication! π€―π€―π€―
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Isn't that pretty normal? I'm from Jiangmen and often go to anime cons in Guangzhou, though I always drive.
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You still have to pay for this? Type '1' and DM me, I'll send it to you right away!
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I'm going to strongly support all posts criticizing the Firefly Anime Convention.
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I'm from Jiangmen too. It's a shame you couldn't get tickets and hotels were too expensive, what a bummer. I also travel from Jiangmen to Guangzhou, either driving or by high-speed rail, which is a bit cheaper. If you're planning to go to Firefly next time, I can help you grab tickets β it's pretty easy, not hard at all. When I booked hotels in Guangzhou last time, they were mostly around 200-300 RMB. Try to pick places with high ratings that were renovated after 2020. Just remember, booking in advance gets you better prices.
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It's free!!! Just type '1'! Chinese people don't scam other Chinese people!
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This still costs money? Hit '1' and DM me, I'll send it over ASAP! It's the most complete collection online! Polite girls, come get it!
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If you haven't seen it yet, just DM me. I've finished it, and it's absolutely fantastic!
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Free! 4β£οΈ
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I can't let any of my girlies miss out on this! DM me, I'll reply instantly! It's FREE!! I'm just bored/have free time! Just type '1'. Most complete collection online! (DMing me is quicker).