ShibariCon 2005 started off with Jimi Tatu, the keynote speaker. He resonated the spirit of the rope that binds us all together. Tatu's inspiration brings meaning into our fetish from an Eastern perspective, but through Western interpretations of Harmony, Purity, Respect, and Tranquility. We all knew why we gathered as a group of rope enthusiasts, but I doubt the participants were aware of what they were creating with their vision. Tatu helped us define that vision ... not just to know how to tie with rope, but how to feel it, smell it, hold it, and become one with it and have the rope become alive with our energies. I thank you Sir for guiding others and me in understanding what can be found when we close our eyes and open our minds.

I had the honor of participating in two of Tatu's presentations: The Japanese Tea Ceremony, part of the opening ceremonies on Friday night, and The Way of Rope, both were very spiritually moving for me. There is a special feeling when one wears a Kimono and stillness is created to allow us to slow down and be in the moment. Celebrating teatime reminds us that yesterday has passed; tomorrow is yet to be, therefore celebrate the here and now, each moment only once, in the present. The other participants were Nene, Chela, and Faviola, who also inspired beauty in their kimonos and celebrating the moment. The highlight for me was to be able to share The Way of Rope with those who joined Tatu and I. Our paths crossed one year ago at the first ShibariCon with this workshop, where our journey began and grew. Tatu demonstrated that embracing the rope could come before one piece of it even touches your skin. It is a mindset that sinks in and transforms the soul to meld with your inner spirit. To be able to experience this connection with another soul is indeed rich beyond all means. If someone was to ask the broad question of "why rope?” therein lies my answer.

During the weekend, I joyfully reunited with friends who I met last year. This feeling emanated throughout the event as old acquaintances hooked up once more. It was marvelous to finally place a face to a name with those I have met through the Internet. And for so many who were either new to this lifestyle or new to rope, it was a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. It was special to again share this journey with David and Chela and delight in our growth. And it seemed that 'red' was the color of choice for many this year as our styles of hair color change. I believe everyone found the nourishment they craved and a warm atmosphere of fellowship. This was evident by the end of the event as tears were shed and hugs exchanged till we meet again.

I was thankful to be a part of the new track specifically geared for the rope bottoms. It was wonderful to see our needs addressed separately. You cannot have one without the other, the yin without the yang, thus the balance of scales was rectified. Last year, all the bottoms ganged up on MorTis in the lounge and ranted, "What about us, hey we count, don't ignore the other half". Well, I think the message got through, loud and clear, with MorTis limping away with a few bruises. Sorry for that last elbow jab in your rib cage, MorTis, lol.

We covered the physiological through the psychological aspects of being in the ropes through the efforts of myself, DeLano (my knowledgeable cohort in our bottom's egroup), the oh so flexible & beautiful Claire, Midori (the wearer of the "did it, done it" t-shirt), Lady Gold (who glimmers with quiet essence), M.Yu (yes I am counting you in there because you helped me and others put the pieces together to make sense of what was happening with our bodies), the magical hands of Sinnamon, & wise Old Tom (non-verbal communication as never so loud). Kudos!

Along with the other dozen or so returning presenters, 12 new presenters were welcomed additions to the ShibariCon roster. Just to name a few that come to mind; Sxysadist Suzanne (peaceful, torturous perfectionist with loving energy that can light up a room), GrayDancer (who's warming spirit surrounds you), Steve Indands (thank you Sir for keeping me/us safe), Maria & Garr (who I encouraged to present their whimsical interpretation of Predicament Bondage. I know she will get her revenge on me later, grin), Michele (steady on her feet with or without a camera in her hands), and structurally sound Leon. They all gave us insight into their talented twisted minds and we love them for that. We are all sad to see Cyd & Angelene of The Helios Project (where many of us got our hemp) go onto other journeys in their life. We wish them well. Hopefully we can keep the secrets on making hemp rope that they so graciously shared with us alive and ongoing.

Throughout the whole event, the imaginative ingenuity that surrounded everyone was motivating. The workshops were not only superb in quality, but also accessible regardless of your skill level. Fingers were working diligently as the hands-on approach to the classes were just what the Nawashi ordered. It was exciting to see M.Yu bring all his bamboo to teach his Hashirodaki classes that had many bottoms in various positions lashed onto bamboo. Lochai, MRK, Dov, Lynn Grant, Bridgett, John Elfrink, and Sir C, had us covered from hair to toe -- My wardrobe is now complete with a rope bra, corset, gauntlets, and dress that is so easily pack-able and requires no ironing.

Taipan introduced us to a new seat harness that had me inverted in minutes. Meanwhile Mick & Dee showed their version that Tatu was able to incorporate in our Sunday's evening play. It didn't stop there. In the other corner we all got an appreciation for Kat’s sexy black strap shoes she was wearing so nicely as James showed his suspension technique using the bamboo tripod. Taipan didn't know which direction to look because, along with his versatile advanced suspension technique, we were all learning from everyone else. That seemed to be the atmosphere throughout all the workshops; even the "teachers" were students in this vast vessel of knowledge. As Tatu put it, "We have to protect our precious cargo to play with once again". We not only saw the stars when we looked up in the night, but we saw the light.

Dungeon evenings were full of experimentation of skills we had just acquired in the classroom. The invigorating energy ebbed and flowed from subtle serene to voracious inspiration. Tatu suspended me on Friday night while I was still in my Kimono, one of my favorite ties called a Yukata shibari. Admiring the intricate rope work in every nook and cranny kept me busy. In a side room, I watched a delicious rodeo take down scene with M, M & D that left onlookers smiling. An outrageous kayak suspension with G & E had many Tops lending a helpful hand. A supervised charming double horizontal suspension of two TNG ladies where I so knew where that rope was hurting, and MRK flew Christy for her first time while I held her head. Of course the ever-entertaining scenes from Mick & Dee, kept us all slurping.

On Sunday, Dov turned me into a spinning, laughing feeble-wobble twisted arm reverse prayer triangular ebi takate-kote using my big toes tied to an elaborate macramé' chest ladder that balanced this whole contraption out. I am dizzy even thinking about it, lol. And where would we be without David and Chela once again making the most noise in the entire dungeon on the bondage table the last evening with their tickle torture scene? For me the most memorable impression of the dungeon on all three nights was being welcomed to take a step closer into most scenes without feeling like I was intruding. In most BDSM dungeons there is this 5' bubble of space that is sacred to cross without a direct invitation and your presence is all but ignored. But all around me was the overpowering awe in what was created and a chance to share it with our peers without intrusion of egos. I felt invited by their gracious smiles and the simple courteous acknowledgment of my presence. The curling finger helped a lot too. Thank you for allowing others and me a peek into your special caring creations.

Special thanks goes to Valerie Place and Lochai for taking endless photographs during the workshop and dungeon hours. I don't know how they did it clicking from every angle, 10 am to 3 am, being seen and unseen. When in the world did you sleep? Next year I'd love to see a slide show continuously running of the past two years of memories that folks could see at their leisure, hint, hint. The magical show that Docc Hilford performed on Saturday night was absolutely incredible and we were truly blessed to have such talent entertain us pervs. And I believe the most significant lesson all of us learned came Sunday night with Bridgett's fabulous performance that no matter how experienced, we are not infallible and rope is edge play any way you look at it. Thank you for that all-important reminder.

Improvements or changes I would like to see for next year's event: Although I greatly appreciated the :30 minutes we had to transition to the next workshop, maybe provide a creative retreat space to try out what was just taught, instead of showing things in the hallway; This could be combined with an additional lounge space with some light munchies like fruit, cheese and drinks and would solve the problem of not intruding on the other guests staying at the hotel. Though I liked the class start time of 10:00 AM, it would be nice to have a bit more down time for dinner, maybe have the last track of classes shortened to 1:30. For my preferences in schedule, I felt the dungeon hours started 2 hours too late for those of us who wanted to be up for the morning classes and aware. Possibly because there was less space and less equipment available, it took longer to attain a space on the dungeon floor. You literally had to watch where you stepped, grin. Lastly, since ShibariCon is scheduled during the same time as IML, it would be helpful to find a hotel closer to that venue, or at least easier to travel to and from the airport. I did find that the hotel was accommodating & the staff easy to work with and friendly.

I presume that I will repeat what others so eloquently have stated. The entire staff and volunteers were awesome and worked so hard to hide any hiccups that may have happened behind the scenes. Thank you for your effortless time, patience and sweat that went into producing ShibariCon II. Our ringmaster, MorTis, was able to pull everything together once again and made the event capable to happen. This is no small feat when around every corner was a stumbling block. Thank you MorTis for your persistence. But what good is an event if nobody shows up? Well, that was not a worry with ShibariCon 2005, for there were over 350 participants, twice as many as last year, who made this event a complete success!

So, a resounding thank you goes out to all the presenters and the attendees, many of who returned from last year, who really made ShibariCon a memorable experience. It was great to see presenters share their wealth of knowledge to those who were like sponges, soaking it in. The attendees traveled from far and wide to see what all the past hype was about or to reaffirm that last year was not some sort of fluke ... I do believe they got their monies worth and were not disappointed in the least. You might even say that they got more than the price they paid, for I doubt they were ready for so much vital information from some of the elite that our rope world has to offer.

Each new experience develops new insight into our journey. I purposely have not compared last year's ShibariCon with this year's ShibariCon II event because they are entirely two separate occasions that holds extraordinary value in and around itself. And had I not attended last year's event, I would have still been astounded by the talent we witnessed, the knowledge we attained, the spiritual energy we exuded, the rare comraderie we shared, and the friendships and memories we made. Many of us will not have a chance to meet again until next year at ShibariCon 2006, so in the meantime, Delight in the journey, not in the destination.