Contested Communities: Communication, Narration, Imagination (13-16 May, 2010)

14 May, 2010. I presented a PPT titled "The Emergence and Rise of the American Politicosphere: Overview of the Bloggers’ Personal Historical Narratives" in front of the interdisciplinary and multi-cultural audience in Bayreuth, Bavaria. The 21st GNEL/ASNEL Conference Contested Communities: Communication, Narration, Imagination was a great opportunity to meet scholars, writers and artists from all around the world. It was an inspiring experience, of course. It was also a challenge. And I like challenges. I lost 1 kilo in four days. The schedule of the conference was tough. Starting with Friday morning, my alarm clock rang at 6 a.m. The German Gasthof Zum Brandenburger, where I stayed, was quite far away from the Universität Bayreuth. But I payed 60 Euro for three nights, instead of 180 Euro... The hotel prices are crazy in Bayreuth! Yet the beauty of the city is astounding. And beauty is luxury.

I wish I could attend all the sessions available. Unfortunately, it was not possible physically. I was particularly interested in the Panel Discourse Communities Online. I kept on making notes during the presentations and in between the panels. Maybe, I should have spent more time socializing. But it was more pleasurable to observe how the participants of the conference presenting papers about contested communities and, apparently, belonging to the minority communities --- organized themselves into quite fixed groups. It was an interesting conference. But it is very difficult to socialize with Germans when there is no alcohol. There was a great conference dinner, which I did not attend. Instead of buying a 25 Euro ticket, I bought Dönner and roamed through the beautiful city of Bayreuth. Sober, I felt like in a fairy-tale.