The Outlook of a Scener's Female Partner

Written by Bettina Kern-Sobiraj and Ghandy (her husband)

Knowing that the first person narrator doesn't really make an article look more professional, this time I can't work without it. First I had the idea to let my wife Bettina write this article on her own, but she didn't want to do so. "You are more experienced in writing English articles and I won't find the time and motivation", she answered me my request.

I'll never know how Henning (Rokdazone) convinced his girlfriend to write some stuff for Generation, of course in English, and I'm sure he won't tell us his secret.

I knew Bettina had really interesting and profound views about the scene, which should find their way out of our flat. So after a little brainstorming, she dictated me one thought after the other. This way it can't be really authentic, because it's still me formulating her ideas, but there was no other chance to get it realized. If you have ever lost your girlfriend, because she wanted you to decide between your computer and her, you should continue reading. Maybe then you will understand a bit better why it's so hard for them to share us with our beloved computer and timeconsuming scenish hobby. But now I'll be calm, it's up to Bettina to speak.

Time is an enemy!

Sceners need time, a lot of spare time for their hobby! Not only that, the factor time also changes to another signification. Lars (Ghandy) often told me, "Oh, I'm just about to catch my emails... this will only take five minutes", but then half an hour later he was still sitting in front of his computer. Not only he, I'm sure it won't be different with other sceners. They forget the flat around them, they forget the surroundings, the time, the date, their duties, everything. When I asked "Hey... you already got 30 minutes! Come on!", he woke up and realised that he was not alone. In the minute he was sitting in front of the computer and launched the first program, he left the real world and entered his own virtual one. For me he's then not longer available, you can try to speak or ask questions, but mostly you will fail. It takes a long time until he's able to recognize that his "five" minutes are over.

Why is the communication for them more easy with the computer instead of us women? Easy! The computer does not attack the men sitting behind them. Hey, the computer does not get on their nerves because of their demands, for example for "computerfree"-sparetime, he does not criticise and he doesn't applause.

Also the computer won't have a look at the phonebill after he (the Scener) has spent hours and hours in the IRC. Money plays an important role in the Scene. But for me our common wellbalanced bank account has of course more importance...

Gimme a hammer!

A hammer to destroy this machine, to force him to spend all his time with me. That's something I would dream of, especially when it's close to Christmas or Easter when we both would have some free days, but he's far away to visit computer parties in Denmark or Hamburg...

The problem is, you can't force the sceners to a decision between the computer and their female partners. I'm sure in most cases the sceners would decide the beloved computer. Or they will try to exclude it but fail some weeks after because they miss it so much. It's a part of their life, it's their main hobby and in case of Ghandy I was only able to be successful with a lot of tolerance and some interest in the Scene... I've been on some meetings of illegal guys and it seemed more to me that there were some boys playing with their toys instead of adult male persons. I had the impression that all their expensive technical equipment was out of their children's playroom.

What about the scene?!

Well.. I like listening to some slow and romantic tunes by different musicians. It's also enjoyful for me to look at welldrawn pictures, good intros, demos etc. I'm not interested in the latest effects in demos, the overall presence must be good. Just how it has an effect on me... The scene? When I'm thinking of the scene I remember our great holidays at the place of Chris/Gods. It was our first common holiday since we had been together and so it was very important for me. The Amiga itself is only something for sweethearts who really love it. But why not? You distinguish yourself from the masses, you choose a different way.

I'm happy Ghandy is now mostly writing articles. What's your result if you are swapping? You spend a lot of money and get back mostly crap. To write an article is creative, not dull. Individuality or personality can only be discovered by reading another one's article and not by the stuff he has sent you.

- Ghandy of Darkage, Faith, Gods & Chemical Reaction