Tis the season for one final GAF meet up
It feels like it was yesterday when it was only June and a bunch of us were at the Chelsea Barcade. A surprise visit by nurse YagizY sent deus ex machina levels of shock waves as did appearances by the impossible NeoGAF Notebook trinity of Alcotholic, .GqueB, and xkramz . Not a doctor and definitely not evil in real life DoktorEvil and resident Jersey GAF member HollywoodDuo rounded out the new group of faces from what I remember.
The final meet up of the year is coming to town so hopefully you can make it. Gobble up some delicious Thanksgiving turkey until then. We're going to end it with the gift that keeps on giving this year: an
optional Secret Santa which is open to Juniors and regulars alike. Why? Because we're a community so let's spread some Christmas cheer even if you don't celebrate it. Whether you've been naughty or nice this year, there's no better time to join us for a GAF meet up in our fine city.
If you guys want to participate, I'm gonna leave a quote-to-reveal link in a second post that links to a Google Doc (sorry lurkers) and will post guidelines. It will have a deadline so that people start getting the stuff which is TBD but here's a hint: start thinking about Black Friday sales for gifts and Buy 1/2, Get 1 free sales. A hat generator website will also be used to randomly determine the recipients unless you guys know of a better solution e.g. website suggestions. Might throw in something else to stir the pot.
Previously on the December 2013 meet up:
GK86 emerged from the shadows and blew people's minds by *gasp* being Hispanic as drinks were consumed and stories were swapped at tried and true Valhalla. We were eventually joined by a trio of bombastic Brooklyn regulars in the form of TheLastWizard, DevilTrigger, and TheBeyonder for a very intimate and low key meet up capped off at Pony Bar before we called it a night. Who will join us to cap off this year's shenanigans? A quick shout out to resident GAF couple Karkador and Pau before she pops in here.
UPDATE: In an interesting twist, there's going to be not one, but two, yes TWO GAF meet ups this months (!!!):
I. NYC GAF Mini Meet Up EX: Bare Burger Bonanza with Kisaya, Sai Kun, and a few other GAF members.
Date/Place: Friday, December 12th, 2014 at Bare Burger with bar hopping afterwards. Time TBD.
Note: Kisaya is the master of ceremonies for that one so please refer to her for details.
II.The Pre-Christmas Sequel Meet Up:
Date/Place: December 20th, 2014 at
St. Mark Barcade at 8PM pending the weather conditions for that week.
Alternate date in case there's a snowstorm: January 3rd, 2015 at said place/time.
Afterwards, we'll go wherever the cool people go to do more fun Christmas stuff in the area around 10-11PM. White Castle may or may not be in the to-do list as well other surprises. Wearing a Santa hat is optional but fun.
NYC GAF Meet Ups in 2015
One of the things that I want to do before the year ends is make an NYC GAF thread which I've alluded to in the past. It'll be a reboot of sorts to the New York City thread that's OT-Community. ETA on that thread would be between some time this month or early next month.
I *might* take a break from organizing next year's batch of meet ups because I'm graduating in January and gonna start laying out plans for personal/professional goals. However, you can count on me making appearances at the very least until I go TangMeng and disappear for a while but that remains to be seen. This has been an awesome community as I've met some great individuals here so I'll still be lurking.
That being said, I saw that Mully (hi Mully, I saw your dual monitor thread) expressed interest in organizing a meet up next year so he's a likely candidate for one them. If anyone else is interested in organizing one, do speak up so we can get an idea of a schedule. I do see an obligatory February meet up in the future as well one in either April and another one in June; a bi-monthly affair to get some consistency going again after this year's quiet affair. Sometime next year, the aforementioned NeoGAF Notebook will land in .GqueB's hands marking an obligatory meet up to be hopefully live streamed.
New to a GAF meet up? Read the updated FAQ before asking any questions/ voicing comments and concerns:
OP, why aren't you posting updates? I have a question for you.
Because I'm lurking in the thread and quietly update the OP or have other threads to post and/or lurk in.
How many people typically come out?
Lately it's any where from 10-20 people. It consists of regulars and newcomers (always a plus as we welcome them with open arms). There's also been occasions where we've had GAF members visiting the city from abroad come out and join us as well. New Jersey and CT GAF are part of the NYC GAF family.
Why do you refer to "GAFers" as GAF members?
Because I think it sounds easier on the tongue and it's more formal: we're all members of an online message board because it's in our titles. Some people use Gaffers and GAF members interchangeably. It's like the GIF vs. JIF debate.
How diverse is the group?
This is NYC: the groups are as diverse as the city and GAF itself is. Asians, Hispanics, White/European descent, and of course Black,South East Asian. Diversity is the name of the game here. If you have any stereotypes of particular ethnic groups, then prepare to get your mind blown. Example of the group diversity: Dominican, Puerto Rican, Colombian, Spaniard, Chinese, Haitian, Irish/German/Anglo-Saxon mix, Pakistani, Italian-American, etc.
Do I have to drink to be cool with you all?
Absolutely not. If you don't drink, that's completely respectable/understandable. Nobody will pressure you to drink; you drink at your own risk and by your own free will. But if you do drink, make sure you keep an eye on how much you consume because we preferably want you to get home in one piece. A couple of GAF members have been unfortunate victims of muggings after we parted ways which sucks, but they're still here thankfully.
I'm married and/or have a significant other. Can I still come and possibly bring my her/him along?
If you want to, then by all means do but that's up to you and your significant other ultimately to decide. Before the consistent GAF meet ups that started 3 years ago, there was a GAF meet up during the summer hosted by lawblob where a GAF member brought his then-girlfriend along. Hell, if both of you are GAF members then all the more of a reason to come along since in the end of the day, that's what we all are. We're all pretty respectful to SO's as a whole.
I'm a 30-something who wants to come along but will feel out of place amidst you 20-somethings. Will there be other 30-somethings there?
Fear not 30-something for I'm sure you'll feel right at home as age is nothing but a number; GraveRobberX was the oldest person who attended at 33 years young (now 35 IIRC). I'm pretty sure there are other 30 somethings out there that may or may not wish to join us.
I'll be LTTP. How you long do you guys stay out for?
Fridays and Saturday nights? It depends but generally until 1 AM, sometimes really late if there's still a party left that wants to keep on going. Generally, the party gradually dwindles over time as the night goes on.
Should I rely on the thread to get a sense on where the party is currently at?
I highly recommend that you shoot me a PM and I'll give you my number for the best, most sure fire way to be up to date or PM another GAF member who will be going to be safe; 3G/4G consumes a ton of battery life. Don't count on reading the thread to know where we're currently at for up to the minute updates. Someone will no doubt update the thread; I'll update the thread before I leave and once I've gone mobile. Subscribe to the thread if you want to keep up with it and plan on joining us later. I promise not to ever contact people if it's not related to a meet up unless we become established friends. I lead a life like you all do so don't worry about suddenly getting a drunk text from me.
Do you guys call yourselves by your GAF names or do you use real names as well?
Both names get used interchangeably but the GAF name takes more priority since that's how we recognize who's who for the most part. Whether or not people choose to disclose their real names is ultimately up to the individual. It simply adds another level of making acquaintances.
I want so and so member to come out. Can you make it happen?
Simply send them a cordial message with the link to this thread and done. I'm not going to do that since I have other stuff I'd rather be doing so if you want a ubiquitous member to show up, then hope that they make a surprise appearance at the very least.
I noticed that Brit GAF and Toronto GAF take pictures during their meet ups. Do you guys take pictures during your meet ups?
Generally, I do. Lately for the past couple of meet ups we haven't. It's for a multitude of factors but ultimately, it's to respect some GAF members' privacy. So if you don't to be in a picture, then by all means get out the frame or else I'll be sure to mask your face in pictures. Personally, I'm cool with taking pictures and would totally be down to take group pictures.
Happy Thanksgiving/Black Friday and Happy Holidays!
