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yep, the conservative south...

well for me its a bit more complicated. i'm brown (read as indian), have long black hair and a goatee. i've had some interesting experiences here in california due to my race which makes me even more apprehensive to approach people. i'm originally from dallas and believe it or not, never ran into anything like that there.

thanks for the nice and encouraging post!

hilarious! the third one was the clincher. love that old school nba on nbc theme song!

You know, as harsh it may sound, this is very true for many girls I've encountered in the con-scene. Hell, it still holds true for guys to some extent, as well. Standards within anime geeks here and the like tend to be pretty low. Whether or not you feel you should take advantage of this is up to you.

I don't think its necessarily that standards are low. Any type of convention is a gathering of people who have the same interests. It just so happens that people into anime are REALLY into it. And it reflects a large portion of their life and who they are. Since anime is a specialized interest, its not embraced (or known) by the majority of folks out there. So in the "real world", its seen as something strange and doesn't garner much attention except for weird looks. Instead of being something really really awesome. As it should be...

i guess the difference is that if a girl comes up to talk to a guy and you're not really into her, the worst you'll think is that she's kinda crazy. but that's cool b/c being crazy ain't so bad. on the flip side, a girl in that situation will think they guy is creepy. and that's infinitely worse than being crazy or anything else really. no guy wants a girl to think he's creepy, even if there is no chemistry in the first place.

i guess i'm not so much worried about being shot down. because no matter how cool you are, not every girl that appeals to you will like you back. what i'm afraid of is after i get shot down, seeing her again when she's with her friends. she whispers something to them and they look at me and start to giggle. laughing about how much of a loser i was for even trying. i don't think that's ever happened to me, or at least that i know of, but i can't imagine anything worse.

thanks to all for your insight. i think i have some good conversation starters now. to be honest, i don't really know TOO much about anime and all that jazz. i mean i like it and wish i knew more. so i hope i don't end up looking like a douche for asking some questions.

for the other guys out there, there is one bright side to look at. most of the girls at fanime don't really get too much attention in the "real world" because they don't conform to the standards set by society. they are a little too quirky, down to earth, and interesting than what most folks would consider a "hottie" at our age (ie size 0, big boobs, vapid, etc). so in a setting like fanime, i'm sure they enjoy all of the attention they are not always receiving. even if their intentions aren't strictly for romance. which is cooly by me...

is it okay for a guy to come up to you and say hello at fanime? or is that something you girls get really annoyed by...

It depends on a lot of other factors.  I'd be annoyed by someone (of any gender) saying hello if...
a) they smell bad
b) they say hello and then stand there nervously and do nothing else
c) they stopped an interesting conversation without having anything to add to the conversation
d) they're trying to hold a side conversation when I'm trying to listen to a live panel or if I'm obviously in a hurry to get somewhere else
e) they mumble and I can't hear them clearly
f) they ask for too many personal details too quickly
g) they seem more interested in me personally than anime, manga, video games, cosplay, or anything else at the convention

I'd be delighted if someone (of any gender) came up and said hello if...
a) they're clean
b) they speak clearly and offer interesting conversation
c) they are obviously enjoying the convention and want to talk about anime, manga, video games, cosplay, or something else related to the convention.

Things that people shouldn't ask me within the first hour of meeting me:
a) if I want or have a boyfriend, if I want to "go out", what my sexual orientation is
b) anything about me personally that isn't related to anime, manga, video games, etc.

Things that I would enjoy being asked:
a) what interesting anime-related activities are available locally
b) what food is available in the area
c) what I think about GAINAX
d) what I think about any of the Fanime events I just attended
e) what I'm playing on my DS
f) what characters I'm cosplaying and what series they're from

Girls are human too, you know.  We're not that different from boys.

Events that sound like they might help people meet others:
arcade, e-gaming, tabletop gaming, artist alley, dancing lessons, dealers room, maid cafe (or any food area), create that anime panel, fanime forum panel, how to be a host seminar, story story die panel, endless eva panel, video gripe panel, your anime sucks panel

I particularly liked Tabletop Gaming: I just went in and asked to learn a game, and random strangers would teach me, and we'd play together.  One time I went, someone was just randomly giving prizes to everybody in the room who was playing any game at all, so I got some neat buttons out of it.

thanks, that was quite helpful!

haha, i just hope some girls show up to that event...otherwise, it will get really awkward...

so i'm a bit shy with meeting people...girls especially. so is it okay for a guy to come up to you and say hello at fanime? or is that something you girls get really annoyed by...

and just a general fanime question...which events are usually geared towards meeting people and making friends?

i'm a newbie californian here and hoping to make some friends while at fanime...