Time to say goodbye to esc 2017

Let me ignore the obvious question of how I liked the final and the result of ESC 2017 (some can probably guess already).
Let me first tell you about the jury final night. Before we went to the arena all dressed up and ready to have a great night, we once again went to eat at kupkak. Best chocolate cake ever. I am telling you! This restaurant was the best ever chocolate cake I had in my life. And knowing me you can imagine I had a lot of cakes. This cake melted in your mouth and its taste was a chocolate explosion. I still cannot get over the fact how good that was!
But as you have not experienced it and cannot dwell with me in the memory of this chocolate sensation, I will move on to the more important part, the jury show.
Previously I had told you about the craziness of the fan zone but let me give you a real insight on how this works.
The show starts at 10pm. Because of the tight security fans have been advised to arrive 2-2.5 hours prior to the show. Now real hardcore fans however, arrive at least 3h before the show. This way they have a chance of being first in line at the first checkpoint:do you really have a ticket.
The moment the gates open you have to run. This leads you to checkpoint 2. The security check. Here it is important to queue at the correct security check to get in quickly but also consider where the entrance of the fanzine will be. Through security you need a further stop to get you ticket scanned. Then you run again. To the left door ideally as this closer to the fanzine entry. But you might already guess it, these doors are closed. Because the arena does not open before 8pm. Security officials try to get you to move away from the doors but you really do not wanna miss your spot. So you wait. And it gets really crowded. However, this also allows you to meet new likeminded people. When the doors finally open a wave of fans gushes into the arena just to be stopped at the next checkpoint: are you actually allowed in the fanzone. Here you need to wait until 9pm. And it is warm, you cannot get a drink or even really move. But the things you do for a good spot are ridiculous. At this stage you should be first row, ideally on the right hand side. This means you can already see inside and know when the supervisor will allow the stewards to let you in. Here it is important that you have the wristband given to you earlier clearly visible and your running strategy already figured out because no matter what friends you might have made this day, it is everyone for themselves.
Well, we made it and got as close to the stage as possible to see the show. Now, after we endured all of this and were pressed against the railings, for the first time I felt sick. As in full on viral infection creeping in. But there was no way in hell I miss the show. Most of the show I was actually able to suppress the sick feeling. But it was a shame I could not celebrate as much. Regardless of how I felt, we were chosen 3 times to be on camera including Australia. However, as the jury show is never broadcasted you won't ever see us cheering. When the show part was done and the fake voting is done I usually like to stay but I really felt the need to rest. Henny and dj stayed behind to watch the voting and I went home. I really want to stay healthy because I need to work on Monday and if I am fit enough to party I am also fit enough to work.
Henny and dj shortly went to the club afterwards and came home just 2h after me.

The next day we went to the hairdressers. You might have already seen the Instagram picture. We spent 20euro to get Hennys hair braided, her fingers fully manicured and my hair- well styled. We kind of felt we should have done this earlier as we had only crappie seats for the final. But you will see why this was the right choice.

Because we only had those seats in the back, we decided to meet up with dj only at 8pm. As we had to wait for dj a bit quite a few fans passed by us and we felt a bit like the welcoming committee... Unfortunately it was raining the whole day. Otherwise we would have stayed there for a little while longer.

As usual (by now) people wanted to take pictures with us but we did not expect what happened at the ticketing entrance. First a camera team asked us about the outfits and who we thought our favorite to win was. And then about 6 or 7 photographers showed up, taking pictures like we were stars at the red carpet! So please watch out on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and whatnot if you can see a picture of us. Because I really would love to see them but we really hadn't had the time to asked them for it.

Also I was approached so many times about my outfits and if they are for sale that Henny couldn't stop going on about me making money by producing my collection for everyone to buy. While I love that there are some reasons tohat will not work.

A) there is already plenty of country specific outfits, that it will be difficult to get in that market with a high quality, Eco-friendly collection.
B) my sewing is not up to the standard I want my clothes to be. If I sell them I want my outfits to not only look good but I want people to be extremely happy with the quality.
C) I cannot afford to pay someone to mass produce and a made-to-measures outfit is too time-consuming to be sold under at least 400euro a piece.

If you like to get a dress done by me, be it Eurovision or Europe (I believe there are some pro-Europe marches going on) themed outfits or even a "normal" outfit, please let me know .

In anyway that all happened before we actually got to sit on our seats. Funny enough, when we arrived Levina was doing a clip for ARD I believe from the arena and Henny managed to get a picture with her again. That was about the only upside of those seats. People just did not celebrate like they do in the fan zone and honestly it feels like sitting in a 1983 version of Eurovision. Also for those who actually looked for us on screen (thank you), that is why you could not find us.

Now my opinion on the show? To put it in Dutch words: why you????? Why did Portugal win? I don't get it nor will I ever. But, while I was a hater at the time and actually left the arena before I had to listen to the winning song again, I am genuinely happy for Portuguese fans. They deserved to win after trying for such a long time, but did it have to be with this song?

I was asked if I now won't go next year. But really this is a stupid question. Just because I don't like the song Eurovision fans all other the world crowned the winner of 2017 does not mean I don't like Eurovision. If anything it is more important that I go. To me Eurovision is not about this one song and just winning. I've already said it and I do it again. Eurovision is about coming together despite any differences and celebrating music. It just so happens that this year I don't agree with the votes. That is okay.
There are, however, two reason why I would not go to Portugal next year. Firstly and hopefully unlikely a war is breaking out in Europe. Secondly and more likely, I am too broke and cannot afford the trip. With tickets and all 10days usually cost depending on the country around 2000 euro.
I will not be the only one with money being tight. Portugal will need to see how to fund Eurovision. Hopefully they get s lot of sponsors. Also I think they really should consider a back to basics approach. As Salvatore has said on multiple occasions he is fighting against songs that work off fireworks and wants to promote songs with meaning. So why not have a stage that has no led lightning, where no fireworks are possibly. Why not even go back to the time the songs were performed with a live orchestra? I think -just for one year-this would be awesome. The delegations will really have to think how to make a song work on a simple stage. Well Portugal, think about it... You probably have a small orchestra on staff anyways.

In any case, I did get my wish and Sweden didn't win. So I shouldn't be complaining.

At this stage I would have loved an outsider to win, Romania or Moldova for example. Though Moldova only scored so high because of the epic sax guy history. Is that a bad thing? I don't think so-work with what you got.

I think Belarus finally answered the question if they are a couple or not after always avoiding the answer and saying his love is his guitar.

Funny enough for me-just like every year-by the time I watch the songs in the shows I like them all on some level. Even Croatia that I did not understand to make the cut, has a beautiful message and it is so much fun to make fun of his staging.

Biggest surprise for me was Lucie from UK not doing well. I really had expected her to do better. Maybe it was a bit too much musical drama for Eurovision. But it is definitely what I liked. Maybe one day I get to see her perform in the Westend.

Now, a big thank you has to go out to Spain for messing up his song in the live show. This saved us from last place again. (Even if Henny would have won 300 euro had we been last). Now, seeing that the jury gave us points shows that it was not the worst we ever sent and Levina did a good job. I hope she had fun at least. I just agree with so many at Eurovision have said: we have to send something crazy. As I am not expecting a good position in Eurovision for at least another year, we should send something in 2019 that we wouldn't usually send. Stop this English mainstream pop, sweet girl mix and send something German. Have the bundesvision song contest be the preselection for Eurovision.

Oh by the way guys, in case you have missed it. There was a runner during jamalas performance (I like her new song) who showed his but. Despite the Australian flag, this guy was a Ukrainian prankster.
Almost every Australian was mortified and felt so bad when they saw the incident. I am happy for them that it was an Ukrainian.

Now, who is coming to Lisbon in. May 2018?