Anyone going to Burning Man?

[eatyourbroccoli]

BM reminds me a lot of how Carnival was celebrated in Switzerland...except mostly everything once inside the BM community is free, and you camp rather than stay in hotels. i wouldnt say Carnival was oppressive at all. the attitude regarding nudity at BM (as it was at Carnival, too) is less New Orleans' Mardi Gras and more St. Martin's Orient Beach. less sexual exploitation and more naturism. and honestly, the men:women ratio of nudity is usually dominated by the men.

and i cant really comment on drugs. i have friends who drop acid in their basements a couple times a month. :shrug: to each their own. the portion of drug-users attracted to events like BM dont bother me.

[SchoolOfRAWk]

Yeah, even Rainbow Gatherings (family and lovingness, not so shock-value) doesn't feed all.

"but I would have to venture to guess that at least half the people there are just there to drop acid and run around naked while painted blue."

That's a lot... ditto for the country fair, etc.

[SchoolOfRAWk]

BM reminds me a lot of how Carnival was celebrated in Switzerland...except mostly everything once inside the BM community is free, and you camp rather than stay in hotels. i wouldnt say Carnival was oppressive at all. the attitude regarding nudity at BM (as it was at Carnival, too) is less New Orleans' Mardi Gras and more St. Martin's Orient Beach. less sexual exploitation and more naturism. and honestly, the men:women ratio of nudity is usually dominated by the men.

and i cant really comment on drugs. i have friends who drop acid in their basements a couple times a month. :shrug: to each their own. the portion of drug-users attracted to events like BM dont bother me.

Switzerland is way more mature about certain issues than others, so I'm told and so I've read. I wouldn't expect mardi gras or spring break type mentality over "boobies" and the like. People are repressed here over things they don't appear to be. Even Bill OReilly notes this in his book. I don't like the man, but he isn't wrong about everyting. ;)

At least *my* EatYourBroccoli will be there as a beacon of maturity one year, so all is well. :-) LOL!

[Craig]

It doesn't scare me, I just think events like these don't promote self-expression as much as they focus on the repression these people feel. It's not pro-active, it's REactive, so it's not really "building" anything.

Oregon has a "country fair" that is a poor excuse to drop acid in the woods, get naked in the woods and paint your boobs in flowers and run around topless while all the people come from all over (some bring their families during the day) and the hippies at the top make a landslide of money off such "all-loving" events. It's a carnival, and all the guys in town and around laugh and snicker at the "tits" while the women run around acting like it's an equal society under some kind of indigenous rule. It's so terribly sad, and a total drugfest.

So is burning man. With it's "pubic hair salons" (wtf?) and people painted all blue (woooh! *how "expressive"!*) and of course people running around naked. It's a freakshow and people either get the attention they so desperately crave or they get to see the "wild rumors" they heard about come to life.

It's neither here nor there, but this stuff just sounds juvenile, like people have to be repressed all year and go and absolve all morals and everything and get their kicks this *one* week. Why not work on getting through our repressions in daily life so we don't have to pull this MTV spring break type crap?

LOL!

Drop acid, get naked and get painted blue, etc. Not my cup of tea.

Topics like sex ought to talked about openly instead hiding it in the closest. Repression will bite us in the behind. Better deal with it right now then later.

[SchoolOfRAWk]

LOL!

Drop acid, get naked and get painted blue, etc. Not my cup of tea.

Topics like sex ought to talked about openly instead hiding it in the closest. Repression will bite us in the behind. Better deal with it right now then later.

Yeah, I was out of town this weekend for the Country Fair - a huge d&d (drug & debauchery fest). Ug!

[SchoolOfRAWk]

I had this idea that all americans should have to be 100% naked for like a week or a month, at work, you name it. So we just GOT OVER IT. Never happen, but hilarious and probably wouldn't hurt! LOL! WE. ALL. HAVE. THE. SAME. THING! I just don't think we have to paint it neon polkadots and parade it on top of stilts in the middle of the woods to "express" that, either, is all. No crime or anything, but our society is SO funny like that!

[SchoolOfRAWk]

"i have friends who drop acid in their basements a couple times a month"

Well, what ELSE is there to do in Naper-thrill? LOL

That is huge out here. Drugs don't bother me at all - but when a ton of wacked out drug users all drop at one time at one large event, I notice. Because you can "tell". LOL That's all. :)

[trinity082482]

No way! Really? I didn't know that!!! I might be going.. now I really want to go for sure!

[SchoolOfRAWk]

LOL! - I'm sure you do! I know it can only be quite a show! :)

[Stina]

I went to Country Fair on Friday and very much enjoyed myself. Funny how I found it a celebration of life. Interesting that how we judge things is a reflection on us........ Things I did at the Country Fair:
- went on a nature walk to identify wild plants
- danced to acoustic music with native flute playing
- went to a workshop on Sound and Healing
- saw a demonstration on sewing buckskin clothing
- watched a parade with a band followed by about two dozen people dressed up in old fashioned women's bathing suits "doing" synchronized swimming: hilarious
- talked to local organic farmers
- watched aerial acrobatics
- watched belly dancing
- went to a Narcotics Anonymous meeting
- got a massage
- bought handcrafted goods for a reasonable price

- my favorite thing I did while I was there: simply enjoying the opportunity talking to complete strangers in a joyful environment.

While it's not everyone's cup of tea, I'm grateful for the manifold volunteer hours to make this event happen only forty minutes from my home.

[moncha moncha]

I may go this year. Just trying to figure out what kind of fruit I can bring that can take the heat. Certainly bananas in various stages of ripeness. Oranges maybe...

[lauren_alixandra]

I am about to go to burning man for my 5th year. It will be my mother's 3rd. To date, burning man is the most profound experience of my life, followed closely by being in India when the tsunami hit, and volunteering in Thailand in an orphanage for 3 months.

Burning man taught me so much about love, god, life, and the oneness of humanity. The lessons I have learned in the desert have transformed so much about my "real" life. It has shown me so much love and generosity that my heart grew bigger like the grinch.

People who look at burning man and say "only people who have been abused need to go be naked in the desert" should turn on the tv. Our main stream media TEACHES us that we are unworthy creatures only deserving of love if we make a certain salary and buy those certain things. Watch commercials for 10 minutes. This has been fed to us from DAY 1.

Going into an atmosphere where people say "no, you do not need to buy anything, or wear designer jeans, or play by my rules. Be you! And look at how beautiful we are together" in REFRESHING and for some people is the first unconditional love they have ever received.

For the record, my substance use at burning man has been minimal. There is so much stimulation there that it's really unnecessary.

And finally, while burning man is a gifting economy, you need to bring everything you need to survive in the desert for one week. www.burningman.com

It's really easy to stand on the outside and point and gawk, but please do no assume to know anything about the experience until you have gone and experienced it for yourself.

[isabelephant]

Thank you Lauren, I couldnt have said it better!
This will be my fourth year and I too have found it to be the most profoundly transformative experience for me. I can't imagine missing it. My mom even went when two years ago when she was 68 and had an amazing time.
As far as being raw, yes you must bring your own food (radical self reliance) and last year I was mostly raw. This year I will be all raw. Fruit with thick rinds, dried fruits and nuts, raw bars, emergen-c powder...all of those things do well there. I too am looking for inspiration this year for more interesting but easy and nonrefrigerated foods but for the most part, due to the immense stimulation and intense heat I usually have only a tiny appetite... Anyway good luck and have a great time!