The Best Karmic Koala Party In The World

Party Highlights, and Recognition

Thanks everyone in the group for coming out to the "Best Karmic Koala Party In The World" on Friday. And most of all, thank you for making your Ubuntu Local Community a priority.

We made our grandiose claim of "Best Karmic Koala Party In The World" in a somewhat "tongue-in-cheek" manner, but our results did bear witness. Here are some of the highlights:

New members! Wow! It was amazing to see so many new faces at the party. Meeting new folks and hearing their passion about Ubuntu and community first-hand is what makes events like this so special. Thank you for joining the group!

Treats and Drinks! What's a great party without them? We had great food and drink tables, with cakes, cookies, sandwich rolls, bruschetta, muffins, Aussie treats, soda, wine, and kiwi coolers, graciously gifted by our attending members. (Reza, Rudy, Janet, Joe, Brolin, Matt, Maxwell, Sebastian... and all the others who slipped their treats in quietly. )

Bingo! Our game designer Joseph Liau did an outstanding job formulating Koala Bingo. It opened up the mingling and people genuinely had fun. Who would have known that someone in the group was connected to Mark Shuttleworth? And, who would have known that we are linked to a "Royal Family Advisor"... Great job! (By the way, we have a couple of game winners to announce at the upcoming General Meeting this month.)

Music! Our guest DJ did a fantastic job spinning world-beat that had a distinctive Ubuntu feel. Thanks you Scott for making the introductions that made that happen.

Spreading the Word! Sid, our amazing marketing "machine", did an outstanding job hitting the streets, postering, and talking to dozens of people face-to-face. His heroic efforts ensured that even those people who aren't staring at screens all day had equal access to the party and the group.

Entertainment! Janet made some really crazy videos of members dancing to the tune of "Monster Mash". Pure mayhem!

Dancing! We had a number of people show off their dancing skills. Sorry, no video on that one. You had to be there

Organizers! Scott, we thank you for being our gracious host. Your space was perfect, and your hospitality equally so. Janet and Ami, your preparations made this all work out. The level of organization and care you demonstrated in keeping our guests comfortable were appreciated deeply. Rudy and Joe, thanks for the great ideas and for the help with tear-down. And Rudy, you looked like a real Aussie!

Koalas! People brought marsupials. We have a "flock" of them now, and we'll soon be giving them to children in our community in the spirit of Ubuntu.

Photos! I've never seen so many Koala pictures in one place. It was so awesome to see the photos that people printed, and amazing to see the artwork that Joe produced for his "limited edition Koala t-shirt".

Feedback! People took the time to express their feelings about the Party on meetup.com. Comments are here: http://www.meetup.com/ubuntuvancouver/calendar/10265150/ ... Thank you!

Oh, I almost forgot... THE OFFICIAL party photo! Enjoy it. Remix it! Spread it! http://www.flickr.com/photos/ubuntuvancouver/4065495885/

That's a wrap!

Cheers,
Randall
Ubuntu Vancouver Buzz Generator.

Background

Every 6 months, we party! We party to celebrate not only the release of great software, but also the great community that surrounds it. This coming Friday will be no different... well, almost!

Historically, Ubuntu Release Parties have been, shall we dare say, a bit 'geeky'. That's fine for some, but Vancouver is different. And contrary to popular belief, we are not geeks and techies. We come from all walks of life, all cultures, all backgrounds. Our party is a reflection of that.

This time around, we are going to build a party, a real party. So please leave your computers at home, just this once

The Plan

We are going to have a party with socializing, great times, music, mixing, mingling, and all other types of fun. This is a celebration of Ubuntu's great community and "Humanity to Others".

Our party is open to all members of the community. It's friendly and inviting. You can even bring your children if you want! We'll have a safe and fun environment for all that attend.

Surprises

We are planning a couple of surprises for the world, to show them that Vancouver is the place to be for Ubuntu.

First off, we are going to take the most amazing group photos ever. In order to make our photo the best, here's what we need you to do (ranging from the easiest to the most advanced):

1. Bring a photo or cartoon of a Koala printed on an 8.5x11" page (standard letter size) or larger. Here's a TON of photos to choose from: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=koala&l=cc&ct=5&mt=photos&adv=1

2. Bring a stuffed Koala, which are usually easy to find at your local toy store. A stuffed Koala is one of the easiest ways to participate in the theme, and they photograph well. They also make great gifts for kids after the party,
3. Bring something Australian that shows up well in a photograph,
4. Wear something that has a Koala on it, perhaps a shirt with a photo,
5. Wear something that makes you look Aussie,
6. Wear Koala ears, a mask, a suit... anything that makes you look more like a Koala...

(Choose more than one if you're feeling ambitious, but any of these will do!)

In case you're wondering, the party is not officially a costume party, but some people might wear a costume. It's all up to you. Either way, you won't feel out of place.

You get the idea... We need as many Koalas as we can get. Vancouver needs marsupials.

Karmic Koala Icebreakers

Everyone has a fun factoid about themselves. Something that others would be surprised about. At our upcoming Karmic Koala Party, you can have a little fun with this info, and at the same time win a door prize. We're going to have a great icebreaker game to bring our party to life. (And if you are shy, don't worry, it won't be embarrassing in any way. We promise.)

Here's the important part: Please visit this URL to participate: http://is.gd/4Ezsc

We'll pick the most interesting and surprising facts for our game... at the party, Friday night!

Please Bring Food and Beverages to Share

In the spirit of Ubuntu and community, we are encouraging and suggesting that everyone bring something eat/drink to share. This can be something simple. The idea is that our party is better when everyone participates. Bring something you like, and that you think others will too.

Some suggestions:

• Finger foods
• Veggie trays
• Small sandwiches
• Snacks
• Fruit
• Desserts
• Salads
• Chips, with dips
• Wine
• Beer
• Soda
• Cookies

(Bonus points of what you bring has a link to our Koala and Australian themes.)

Other Things That Are Good To Bring

• Anything Australian
• Anything Koala
• Anything eucalyptus
• Koala crafts, origami (for the kids, or adult kids!)

We Will Have These:

• Community
• Real People From All Walks of Life!
• Diversity
• Koala pictures, stuffed Koalas
• Aussie theme
• Socializing and great conversation
• A Relaxed Atmosphere
• Cake, Snacks, Drinks
• Music (with a real DJ)
• Fun

We Won't Have These:

• Computers
• An Introduction to the Command Line
• Demos
• Disks
• A local mirror of the Ubuntu repository
• Software
• Installation help
• Kernel recompilation stories

Don't worry. We will have these things at future events. Our November General Meeting on November 13th is one such event.

RSVP Please

You must RSVP here to attend: http://www.meetup.com/ubuntuvancouver/calendar/10265150/ (Please ensure to include any guests in your RSVP).

The Team

Janet, Joseph, Randall, Rudy, and Scott.