Our World: Papua New Guinea

Fan Experiences: Eurovision and Me,

Belinda Conn, Papua New Guinea

My introduction to the Eurovision Song Contest came through some serendipitous channel flicking on a Sunday night in Australia back in 1996. Of all things, my attention was caught by a sparkly pink dress, and I raced back to that channel to watch Gina G request that I watch just a little bit more of whatever it was that she was doing. I was hooked. The part of me that obsessed over Young Talent Time as a child had suddenly found something to fill that void as a grown up. I’ve not missed a contest since that fateful day 18 years ago.

For years I dreamed of going to see Eurovision in person. In 2009, knowing I was wrapping up a job placement just before the contest, I plotted a trip to Russia. Unbeknown to me, my boss had other plans. I recall the conversation where he nervously walked into my office, unsure how to ask me to give up Eurovision, to instead stay and sort out yet another messy set of end of financial year accounts. I (unexpectedly to both of us) agreed to stay the extra few months and skip my Eurovision debut. To this day he still tells people he is the only boss I have given up a Eurovision for.

That year I hosted yet another party. I watched the show, loudly proclaiming I would riot in the streets if my favourite didn’t win (a claim I have used more than once, and never followed through on – not even for Verka). After much egging on, I told everyone in the room “I am going next year – no matter who wins and where I have to go. Even if I have to quit my job!”

Getting my fairytale in Oslo was not without it’s hiccups. I started a new placement that September and had to explain my Euro-obsession to yet another supervisor who told me he wasn’t sure I could take leave in May (easily fixed with me offering a choice of not if I would go to Norway, but if I would come back afterwards…still have no idea what would have happened if he called my bluff on that!).

An even bigger challenge came with getting a ticket. See, I was living in the Solomon Islands at the time and my (dial-up) Internet wasn’t going to be able to compete with the faster European connections. I wanted those tickets so badly than when I learned of their sale date I actually flew three hours to Australia. Just to get a better Internet connection. I ended up with both heats and the final and danced an epic happy dance all over my hotel room.

I thought all my Christmases had come at once when I got to Oslo. I remember the airport being decked out in the theme, and entering a hotel with a foyer of people from a range of countries, proudly waving flags.

I have something to confess. That night, at heat 1, when they played the Eurovision overture at the start of the live broadcast, I may have had a little cry. I was so overwhelmed by finally making it to Eurovision that I looked at my friends, and burst in to tears (and them into laughter). Those tears were quickly replaced with happiness when song 1 of heat 1 kicked off with Moldova’s epic sax guy and one of my friends decreeing “now THAT is what I came to see”.

I met so many people that week from near and far. I met two fellow Australians in random circumstances, only to end up working with both of them years later! (small world, huh?). I somehow sat next to the same two Icelandic women all week at the shows, and had one crash tackle me in an excited bearhug outside the arena in Dusseldorf 12 months later.

I also made an amazing group of friends who are people, like me, who keep coming back year after year to yet another city to enjoy yet another Eurovision. People who are so far away on a day to day basis, but who you know you get to see once every year and have amazing experiences with them (though I think we all agree that we would rather skip the dodgy kebabs and broken leg visiting us again in the future, they’ve been officially uninvited).

I love that I get to nervously hear each year not only which song will take the prize, but also which city I get to explore the following May. I can’t say I would ever have gone to places like Baku or Malmo or Dusseldorf if it wasn’t for Eurovision, and travel to those places has taught me so much about both the world and myself.

Overall for me, the thing that I have always been struck by when it comes to Eurovision is the people it attracts. I always feel like I am in a room full of tolerance and understanding at Eurovision. The people that come are from such an amazing spectrum of life and there is this once thing that brings us all together. People have so much pride in themselves and their country (be it actual or adopted) and are so happy to teach others about where they come from.

Hopefully headed to Vienna, and beyond, we all get to continue to enjoy the music, learn more about the world, and get the opportunity to meet many more amazing people.

If you’ve always wanted to go – make it happen. You won’t regret it.