Burning Man 2009 Writeup

[gfish]

This was a much more mellow Burn for me. I attended almost no scheduled events, instead just tending to wander around see what I could find. It was nessicarily less revolutionary for me, having already had my big revelation experience last year. Monday was eaten by setting up camp and the first dust storm of the week, and I kind of crashed Thursday due to lack of sleep and not eating enough. It all went by so quickly, I kind of feel like I didn't take advantage enough of it, but that's silly. I met some great people Tuesday with whom I hung out later in the week, and again I spent a lot of time at Barnaby's camp.

One of the big differences this year was my perception of how things evolved over the week. Last year I didn't really click into the full wonder until the very end. This year, coming in with those expectations, I was quite saddened to see the change as the weekend party crowd came in. Someone called me bro on Saturday, ye gods. Being more in tune to the event, I also noticed how much they stand out. They're so... clean. They all wear filtermasks, and lack proper hydration systems. They carry around disposable red plastic cups and the girls have silly shoes. If they have bikes, there is no added decoration on them. It's weird, realizing you've internalized a new cultural aesthetic to the point of seeing other people as tourists like that. I think I need to start staying for Temple burns, as the mood is supposed to swing back as people leave Sunday.

On the practical side, I tried using a camelback water system this year and was utterly hooked. I'm saddened to have barely used my trusty old Nalgene bottles, but there is just no comparison. I stayed considerably better hyrdrated with the camelback, since taking a drink didn't mean stopping to pull off my backpack. Particularly when biking, that was a big gain. I felt like I could bike at speed pretty much indefinitely, without having to stop for rest breaks. I'm definitely going to invest in a better one for next year, with a backpack just big enough for the playa kit I've settled on: ~3 liters of water, event guide, bandana, sunblocking lip balm, adventure hat, full complement of eye wear (glasses and goggles, darkened or not depending on day/night -- yes you really need the full range), power bars, mug, handful of booze samplers as gifts/trade goods, lights for use at night.

Going with my dad was great, and I'm really glad I could share it with him. But even with him there, there was still a strong feeling of loneliness for much of the week. I really need close friends and/or lovers, that level of connection. It's a weird thing to feel, in the middle of the one huge group of strangers I feel absolutely comfortable going out and being extroverted with. In the end, though, nothing can replace deep connections forged over long periods of time. And I just want to share the event with more of the people who matter the most to me. It's pretty much the same conclusion I came to on the Mackenzie: my adventures need to start including vixyish more.

In no particular order, some of the things that really stuck with me:

The drop dome, a ~60 foot hemispherical dome with a 6x6 cushion inside. People could climb to whatever height they desired, the cushion would be placed underneath them, and they dropped. No one was hurt while I was watching, but I'll note I never saw it in operation later in the week. It really set my madness scale this time.

Hanging out at Barnaby's camp, watching the constant stream of skydivers trudging up 5:00 to their camp to repack their chutes and go again. And later, the Japanese guy like an extra out of a Kurosawa movie who stopped by to serenade us with his "san shin", a traditional three stringed instrument with a python skin body. Gorgeous tone, like a really plunky banjo. He was also a heavy metal drummer, it turns out. I hope I see him again next year.

All the great comments I got about the electro-mechanical sunglasses, and even the laser helmet. Being one of the people who are there to show off some crazy piece of creativity is a very good feeling. The density of creativity and ideas being displayed there is almost as impressive as the social structure, and I liked being part of that. I'm going to have to up my game for next year. No more excuses, once I'm back in Seattle with all my tools. :)

Returning from a bathroom run in the middle of the night to find a random guy (wearing among other things a chainmail loincloth secured with police line tape) passed out in the enterance to our dome. Which would have simply been amusing/annoying, except for a split second I thought it was my dad (who had quad bypass 14 years ago). Had a lot of trouble getting to sleep that night.

Commenting on some particularly nice artcar detailing while biking past them on the open play and being offered homemade absinthe from the keg built into the back in response. Tasty stuff, too.

Standing in line for an hour and a half to get midnight poutine from a Quebecois camp. The taste of all fatty foods is cranked up by about 25% on the playa, you have to understand. Very, very yum. On the walk home I saw some higher power green lasers flashing around, so I went over to check them out. An Iranian couple from LA was testing out some gear for a performance at Opulent Temple (one of the two big, high-wattage raves at either end of town) the following night. We chatted for quite a while about laser effects, and how my helmet might be improved, and how the new laser gloves they were testing could be used in dance.

Biking along wearing a bowler in the middle of the desert, sipping on a mint julep a group from Seattle had given me. Nothing particularly special about the moment, just one of those wonderful 'wait, what the hell am I doing?' moments.

And just wandering the deep playa at night, realizing that yes, it really was as crazy as I remembered.

Comments

[darlingfreak.livejournal.com]

Oh man... reading that just makes me want to go even more.

[sistawendy.livejournal.com]

I'm right there with you on Camelbaks. I drained my 3-liter just under three times a day. What a pain that would have been with Nalgenes!

I'm also right there with you on going with who you know. The best times I had at )'( were with leenerella & ack_yeahright.

Who gave you the mint julep?

[gfish.livejournal.com]

I don't remember the camp name. I meant to go back to talk to them later and never did. I think it was on DNA around 7:00.

[vixyish.livejournal.com]

No more excuses, once I'm back in Seattle with all my tools.

Yay! Incentive!

[qazwsxmko.livejournal.com]

I had the Camelbak Chaos this year and was very pleased with it. It's big enough for all the necessities, except for bulky stuff like night clothes (which I ended up just tying to the outside.

[gorgeousgary]

Interestingly, Burning Man turned up in one of the recent issues of Modern Steel Construction, one of the engineering magazines I read. There was an article on a couple of sculptures/installations that used steel framing in unusual ways. I forget at the moment if they were from this year or previous years.