Preparing for Anime Boston 2011

Before I begin to tell you about my preparation for the trip, I want to tell you why I decided to go. My first Anime Boston was back in 2007 with a group of college friends. I did not know anything about conventions and what goes on during this time. I did not know about panels, artist alley or anything that was involved in it. The only room that I encountered, which I did not even know the name at the time, was the Dealers Room.

No, I did not get any schedule or program, because I did not even know there was one. No, none of my friends gave me a heads up on what goes on at the convention. Basically, I went in blind and clueless. I believe I did not enjoy my time, because I did not get to have the full experience of my first anime convention. Yes, it happened to be my first anime convention ever.

Because of my past experience, I wanted to make and get the most out of Anime Boston: check out all the active rooms, such as the artist alley and video game room; attend panels; buy items; take pictures, and cosplay. I even wanted to experience the craziness at the Prudential Center Food Court that I knew was going to be crowded, which it really was. I know, why would anyone want to encounter a crowd of attendees that can be annoying? Well, I wanted to enjoy and experience Anime Boston to its fullest. Nothing crazy, of course. ;-)

What I Did

1) Convention
With the wonderful world of the internet, I started looking at the panel list when it became available. Of course, once I saw this “Last Updated:...,” I realized that there was going to be a possibility that it will be updated again. Oh, it updated quite a few times, even after the schedule being “finalized.” Since I knew that I was not going to have internet access in Boston, I printed quite a few color and black and white pages about the panels and programming schedule. Regardless of the constant changes to the schedule, I wanted to get an idea on what panels were supposedly happening. Also, let's not forget to print out your confirmation of the ticket purchase. Definitely needed.

2) Food in Boston
Knowing that I was going to have a full schedule of activities, I was concerned about food. Where and when am I going to get lunch and dinner? Even though I went to school in Boston and been to the area a few times, it was all about scheduling. I remembered that the Prudential Center has a Food Court and one restaurant in particular that I really liked. Plus, I remember the Cheesecake Factory outside the Prudential Center T Stop. Basically, I did research on the schedule for the restaurants that I wanted to eat at or buy take out for dinner. Need food to fill the stomach!

3) Public Transportation
Another subject that I had to research on was the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, MBTA, the subway system that runs in and out of Boston, which is also known as “the T.” I remember that the Charlie Card, the card use to pay the fare, was cheaper than the individual paper tickets. I had to double check the prices for the rides, and how much to put on the card that would be enough for my travel without leftover change. Plus, another thing that is involved with the T is the train schedule. Unlike New York, the T stops running at a certain time. When I mean stop, I mean like “last trip” on the T that will be running on the track.

4) Luggage
I started packing the weekend before the convention, because 1. I have a day job and 2. I knew that if I did it last minute, literally, I might not have caught everything that I may have missed. So, packing early gives me the rest of the week, before the convention, to realize what I may have forgotten or simply needed to pack. Basically, I created a list based on the environment: morning, night, indoor and outdoor. Morning, is for anything I need to wake up, ex: toothbrush and toothpaste. Night, is what I need to do after I get home, ex: shower tools. Indoors, what I would need in a home environment, ex: sleepwear and clean garments. No joke! Outdoors, is what I would need when I go out: batteries, cell phones, allergy pills and cosplay. Yes, everything is a need.

5) Cosplay
Cosplay is a separate list of needs. You have to make sure you have all the pieces of the outfit. This can include, but not limited to: wigs; hair pins; elastic bands; hair accessories; clothing accessories, including chains and arm wear; reference pictures, and the clothing itself, top and bottom. Plus, sometimes you need to bring extra or certain items, just in case something goes wrong with the cosplay, for ex: mini sewing knit and more than needed elastic band.

So, with all these things in mind, I had to make sure that: 1. my schedule was balanced with travel time, lunch, dinner and other activities, 2. I had enough money for the weekend for purchases of any kind and 3. I had everything else I needed for home and the convention.
© 2011 Linda Thai

Photography by Linda Thai