all aboard

It's already the last day of Eurovision already and I haven't done such a great job updating and sharing Lisbon. We really hit the ground running with performances every night (jury shows in between televised shows) and plenty of other things to squeeze in before and after each day and night. I've gotten to hang with a lot of friends who are here and Lisbon itself is amazing and stunning in a more authentic way than many places I've ever been. The Eurovision experience has been a bit mixed - the stage presentation is definitely lacking (but fine for tv) and the arena isn't great, but there have been some fun highlights regardless, especially after-parties and events outside the show. Most interesting is how mixed everyone is on what to expect from the Final tonight. Israel came in a strong favorite, dipped, and came back. Cyprus jumped in there as well and has definitely captured a lot of fans, but not sure it will translate out of the arena. Other top contenders to watch are France and Australia. Dark horse surprises could be Moldova, Estonia, or even Ireland - or I've heard plausible theories for several others. If you're in the US and want to watch, get a VPN (I use tunnelbear, but there are tons out there,) set yourself in Sweden (or any country in Europe,) and watch on svt.se, YouTube, or the Eurovision website itself. It starts at Noon California time. I haven't managed to score tickets to finals yet, so we'll probably be watching on the big screen downtown with thousands of others - after the experiences on the floor of the arena, that will frankly probably be even more fun.