Welcome to Chaos !! - Burning Man 2014

Very Grateful

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Sat, 20 Sep 2014 19:11:00 +0000

This will be my last entry about my Burning Man 2014 experience. To sum it up - I had lots of fun, I was happy, it was amazing, I want to go again and I'm very grateful that I had the opportunity to go and experience Burning Man again.

If you want to read more about it, check out Sarah Wonderhussy's fantastic blog here
We camped together this year again.

GRATEFUL. THANK YOU! ❤ ❤ ❤

Some parting words that I read somewhere, I don't know who the author is......

"Come with an open mind and an open heart. Let go of any sort of agenda or expectation and you will be right where you need to be."

Black Rock City Experience

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 22:00:00 +0000

I'm not quite done yet with my Black Rock City experience.....I have a few more pics to share.

If you know me then you know that I don't like littering and I care, or try to at least......care for the environment. I mean if I was a true environmentalist I would not fly, so maybe next year I just bike to Burning Man? Yeah right, I'm hoping for an RV again! Well, I had to take a pic with this because it's so me and a few days later a couple of Black Rock City Earth Guardian volunteers came up to me and gave me a green bracelet and appointed me a Black Rock City Earth Guardian. That's right! Speaking of volunteering, so far I have arrived at Burning Man and enjoyed everything that was there, so generously awaiting me, at my fingertips. I might volunteer next year. MIGHT. Do not hold me to it but I have an idea of what I want to volunteer for! Leave No Trace, a message to live by everywhere you go!

This was the first day......it's been 24 days already since that first day. Going into Center Camp. Me from the front.

And the back.

Mooooore pics of me and......stuff.

At the deep Playa I found a very interesting medicine cabinet. A free for all fest. All kinds of goodies, I grabbed fistfuls.

I stopped at the Census wall of information, lots of interesting stuff to read. And I even completed the Black Rock City Census this year.

Stubborn Man

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 02:30:00 +0000

I attended the same two burns this year at Burning Man as last, the burning of the Man and the Temple. The Man got set on fire Saturday night and I made sure to take some pics of me in front if the colossus in the daytime. They start preparing the Man for the burn on Saturday by stacking up firewood and fencing off the area.

In the evening a large crowd gathers in a circle around the Man. There is a pre burn ceremony with fire dancers and stuff but I didn't catch much of that.

Then the Man slowly starts raising his arms and everybody cheers......

Me in the crowd.

The Man burnt for a looooong time, it was a very stubborn Man this year. I'm not sure how long I was sitting there watching the flames but I'm stubborn too and I decided I wasn't going to move until I saw the Man fall. And finally there was the collapse......

This was what was left the next evening, some parts, ashes, smoke and heat. Kind of weird.....you watch the whole thing unfold and then it's over just like that. Like life. Hmmmmm.......that is depressing actually.

Center Camp Time

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 00:00:00 +0000

This is the first place I go to when I wake up, latte time at Center Camp!

I sit down and take my time, sipping and savoring my latte. People watching extravaganza in there. It's nice and cool, often with a little breeze. Some people sleep at Center Camp.....BRC Weekly called the place the Black Rock Homeless Shelter in this years magazine. I decided that I am going to take a nap at Center Camp next year, just for the experience, it seems like a cozy place for a nap. There is a lot going on in there, art, yoga, speeches......I love my Center Camp time.

How many pictures do I need of me and my latte? MORE! I don't have enough......I'm obsessed.

Time To Dance

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Sun, 14 Sep 2014 07:30:00 +0000

What do you do when the sun goes down in Black Rock City? The party is just starting.....I like to dance. In fact I LOVE to dance. I found Dancetronauts again this year.....
Dancetronauts moves around on the Playa. Nice looking go-go dancers too.

This place is badass. I missed out on Hernan Cattaneo and Dj Dan earlier in the week, I arrived Wednesday instead of Monday as I had first planned. I changed my ticket.....why I will explain later. I have a few fave dj's, Hernan I would had liked to see but I think the music is really good at Burning Man, regardless of what dj is on, if you don't like it you just move to next place.

I have seen many dj booths but I think this one might take the price for the coolest one. If I was a dj, this would had been my dream dj booth.

There is one place I HAVE to visit every night, Planet Earth. An inside club that plays mostly 80's stuff.....I love Planet Earth! Lots of interesting people in there showing off their jerky 80's dance moves. I suspect the club is named after Duran Duran's song with the same name. Check out the video and you will get a sense about what Planet Earth is about. It's freakin' awesome and they have a bar where you get all the free booze you want.

Here I am super happy and ready to have FUUUUUUN!!!!! Time to dance!

I also went to an hour long ABBA dance party. There's nothing like loudly singing along to ABBA songs in a room full of other ABBA lovers. Yes, I know most ABBA songs, I grew up singing them......

Embrace

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Today I'm going to cover the art at Burning Man. I only saw a fraction, there were 233 pieces of art placed on the Playa this year. Without a bike you will be missing out on a lot. Bring a bike, it's a must I think.
Of course the Man statue itself is part of the art. The man burned down on a Saturday, I am not sure how tall the Man was this year but it was very tall.......

Then there was the beautiful Temple building......the Temple burned down on a Sunday.

This amazing structure was called Embrace. It cost about $266 000 (WOW) and a ton of willing volunteers to create, much of the cost was funded by Kickstarter and various fundraisers. Embrace burnt down on a Friday. Embrace symbolized the celebration of all our relationships. I loved Embrace, spectacular.

I spent spent some time one night out by this LOVE structure. You have to actually be there to capture the feeling and understand the beauty and magnificence of it all.

Some parting words that I feel have lots of meaning, definitely in the spirit of Burning Man and Black Rock City.

Playa Barbie & God

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 06:00:00 +0000

When I found this Playa Barbie box at Burning Man I got ECSTATIC! I went twice to get my pictures taken in it. As a TRUE feminist (hi to all my strong and smart women out there that can actually think outside of the box.....think outside the Barbie box) I love pink and I'm not ashamed of it and I also love Barbie. I am funny Barbie, angry Barbie, happy Barbie, outspoken Barbie - you can be whatever Barbie you want! There were men taking pictures in that box - SHOCKING I KNOW!!! Daaaaamn, I look good......

And I had to have a picture inside the Conversations With God phone booth, one of my favorites from last year. This time God was on a break, I guess even God needs a break once in a while. Last year I thanked God profusely for everything, because let me tell you......most of the time I absolutely LOVE my life and I am extremely grateful for every moment (except the hard and shitty times of course).

Tipsy

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 07:00:00 +0000

No drugs for me at Burning Man this year. I know people are curios about that, they think Burning Man is some kind of a large drug fueled sex orgy an not much else. Far from it.
From what I have observed, people are way more drunk and drugged up in the village I live in here in Alaska. I was tempted by these brownies (soooo cute too).....but decided to leave them alone. There is a reason for that. I don't want to disclose the reason but I had to be responsible. Next year though!

Instead I got tipsy a few times. I discovered that I am a very happy "drunk", I would just walk around or dance with a smile plastered on my face. I had the most delicious freshly sliced grapefruit and vodka drink, so good that I pedaled back in the hot sun to the place where I had it served to ask for some more. At the TIKI bar they had a very sweet fruit punch made with rum and vodka, tasted like juice. I spent some time in there sipping on that, meeting new people. Then I had a couple of shots one night. Very fun times I have to say! I can take it or leave it, I don't need drugs or alcohol for a good time. I see both substances as an extra spice that I indulge in and enjoy once in a while. And if you think using drugs (the illegal kind) occasionally is baaaaaad then I can say that I believe that being informed about them and indulging once in a while, if that is your wish, is a heck of a lot safer and healthier than smoking cigarettes every day or poison your mind and body with prescription drugs on a daily basis. NA ZDROWIE!

I have a GREAT story about a man I met and talked to in the TIKI bar......One of the volunteer bartenders told me it was his first time at Burning Man. He was 60 and LOVED everything about it, wished he would had made it out to Burning Man before this time but couldn't.....because of life - work, obligations etc. The reason he was there? His 83 year old father that was sleeping in a large RV connected to the bar. His Dad has been attending Burning Man for the last 14 years! His wife passed away four years ago, she was never into the Burning Man thing and the Dad would go alone all the years, meeting up with his friends at the Playa. Well, this year he got "married" at Black Rock City. 83 and enjoying his life!
THAT is how I want to live my life too when I'm in my 80's......!
One more pic of the cute brownie......just because!

Enjoying a refreshing grapefruit drink.

Playa Food

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 22:00:00 +0000

What do you eat at Burning Man? Is it like a fair so you can go up to a food stand and buy a burger or a funnel cake when hungry? No. You have to bring in your own food and water.....self reliance - it's one of the ten principles of Burning Man. You can only buy ice and then coffee and chai at Center Camp. Last year I lost weight at Burning Man. This year I was munching away and I think I actually gained a few pounds despite biking around for miles on the Playa. Not that it matters, just a random fact that I noticed.
I make mental notes to what I eat or not so I know what to bring or not for next time.
Why bring in more than necessary? So, I finished my KIND bars (I gave away some). I actually drank some beer, I like a cold beer now and then. I ate a lot of chips and dips and sliced up cucumbers with salt on them, that was my favorite I think. Check out my fancy cheese platter!

.

I ate some fruit but far from all the fruit I brought with me......fed leftover apples to some horses on the way home.
So next year it will be pretty much the same as this and last, KIND bars, cut up veggies (cucumbers and peppers) with salt on top, fruit (nectarines) a six pack of beer, chips and a few different dips. Mineral water and fruit juice. I can see maybe bringing in some yummy lentil soup also. There is also plenty of drinks and food that people serve all over Burning Man, you don't have to starve......bring a cup and enjoy what there is to be offered.
But remember, be self reliant!
I had a latte every day in Center Camp, one of my fave moments of the day. Sipping on an iced latte while people watching and maybe making new friends at Center Camp! Sometimes I would go back at night for a hot chai.

Playa Hair

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 05:00:00 +0000

Having long hair on the dusty Playa can seem scary. How do you handle it? Will it become destroyed, a total crazy mess of tangles? Having a lot of dust in your hair whether long or short for a week without a proper shower can scare some people off. But my hair did remarkably well. I washed it once, actually Jill, a girl that I camped with was a darling and washed it for me outside. This was my hair Saturday. I didn't comb it once ay Burning Man.
It was all natural. Playa hair!

I would spray it down every day, I think that helped a lot. It added much needed moisture.
I actually loved how my hair looked as Playa hair, the texture and the look. It felt soft, my scalp wasn't itchy at all and it feels great even now after one wash since I've been home.
I think it got naturally bleached too, so to the people out there that wonder if I bleach my hair......no, the sun and dust at the Playa does that for me. I do have some gray hair that I color but I have written several blogs about that already.
Here I am with my spray bottle, I had already left Burning Man when this pic was taken.......

Last week Tuesday while briefly stopped in Roseburg, Oregon waiting to pick up a food order at a Mexican restaurant, I love eating Mexican when on road trips, a girl came up to me and told me she really liked my hair. I told her funny because it was full of dust and unwashed. She asked me where I had been and I told her the desert, more specifically at Burning Man and she told me she and her boyfriend really want to go. I told her, DO IT......GO! You will LOVE it! And I gave her a BRC Weekly, I picked up some extra copies to give out to people in the "default" world. It's weird, some of the connections you make with random people.......!

There & Back

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Sun, 07 Sep 2014 03:30:00 +0000

So to get to Burning Man this year I flew into Portland where I was lucky to find an RV last minute basically AND for a good price, free miles and generator included. RV's are hard to come by for Burning Man, they get snatched up fast and paying $3000 for the week is nothing unusual. Last year I got lucky too and got to be in a huge RV for free! This year I had a 24' Winnie Minnie and I fell in love with it, my next large purchase is going to be an RV.....I've been wanting one for a while. Actually I wish I would had gotten a really nice RV instead of property in Las Vegas but oh well.....you live and learn.
Driving from Portland to Gerlach is less than 500 miles and wasn't too bad.

I drove and was the passenger. I LOVE road trips, one of my fave things to do.
Road trips - seeing new things while driving to whatever destination, stopping for yummy food, peeing outside, exploring, hiking and going to hot spring - that's when life is good!
I have many future road trips planned.

Once at Burning Man I used my brand new Fjällräven (which means arctic fox) backpack every day. On it I attached the wooden Burning Man and the vial of Playa dust I got last year plus some other trinkets. So when I came across Deery Lou, a Sanrio character that is super KAWAII I just had to stop and take a pic of my backpack right there. I was really excited!
Yes, all things KAWAII make me excited.

On the way home I really traveled in style once I got to the airport in Portland. My backpack was dusty so I put it in a WalMart bag, that was my carry on. Very stylish! I actually thought that was rather funny. And my hair was total Playa hair (more on that subject later).

Leaving Burning Man (also known as Exodus) was surprisingly easy this year. I left around 7 am Monday morning and basically drove straight out, that was great. Last year I waited in line to get out for at least six hours if not more, I can't remember exactly now.
Tonight I have some serious Burning Man withdrawals. I miss it terribly. I'm bored and I wish I was back at the Playa, dancing somewhere.......here is a pic of the sun coming up while I was packing and somberly getting ready to leave.

Burning Man Bikes

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Fri, 05 Sep 2014 17:00:00 +0000

The bikes at Burning Man are amazing.....well some of them. I am fascinated and very appreciative of the bikes that some very creative people made.
Like this one.....I think this was my favorite. Her name is STAR and the eyes light up and so do the long wispy eyebrows, this bike was soooooo cute! I fell in love with STAR!

And here are some other bikes that I came across and took pictures of. There were many more. And I HIGHLY recommend that you bring a bike to Burning Man, without one you will be kind of removed from the things that there are to do and see. And trust me, you will want to do and see! Sure you could walk but the distances on the Playa are long, walking takes up valuable time and biking is so much more efficient. There are community bikes but finding one of those can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. So yes, absolutely bring a bike to Burning Man. There is at least one place in Gerlach (the closests by town) that rents bikes if you don't want to buy your own or transport it.......or abandon it on the Playa.

My bike. I did not decorate it because I didn't have the time and I did not get any supplies for decorating. I only got a Hello Kitty basket to hang in the front and it definitely came in handy, that too I recommend. So you can put your stuff there instead of carrying it all in a backpack at all times. I got the bike on the drive to Burning Man at a WalMart for $80 and it worked GREAT! The only complaint I have is that the seat was rather uncomfortable and made my butt ache, so I have to get a better seat for it so my poor butt won't be in pain. Now the bike is at my friend Sarah's place in Vegas where I will pick it up at some point and use it at the next Burning Man I go to.

I enjoy biking at Burning Man.....I miss it. Yes, it can be hot (it's the desert so it's hot during the day), dusty and windy but it's part of the experience. Sometimes you have to put some effort into pedaling through some deeper sand and other times a dust storm engulfs you but it's Burning Man and you are one of the lucky ones that are there! Enjoy and embrace it while you are there!

Tragedy

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Fri, 05 Sep 2014 04:00:00 +0000

A very unfortunate tragedy happened last Thursday morning at Burning Man. A girl died after she fell off an art car and either got hit by it or got under it somehow. Her name was Alicia and she was described by her friends as "a ray of sunshine in every situation, and an amazing artist who radiated wonderful vibes." Alicia has been in my thoughts and I can't even imagine being on the receiving end of getting horrible news like that about a friend or a family member. This makes me sad. It was not fair. A tragedy absolutely. Poor girl. I'm so very sorry. Why???

When entering Burning Man you get a book called "What Where When". It tells you everything going on at Burning Man, hour by hour from the start until the end. Well, not really everything......there is a ton of other things happening that are not in the book but What Where When is a great tool and start and gives you so many choices on how to fill your days at Burning Man. There is also a map of all the art on the Playa (this year 233 pieces) and other useful info.
Here are some examples of stuff going on and the book is 160 pages......so there is a LOT to do at Burning Man......it's impossible to do it all and see it all.

Sybian O's Young Sluts
Ride the worlds best vibrator. Enjoy a sensual massage and an assisted orgasm. (No boyfriends).

Traveling Shangri-Lounge
Find us in the deep Playa and we will serve you the best martini you ever had! Relax with soothing sounds by Frank Sinatra and be charmed by our staff.

Daily Yoga and Meditation at 8 am.

Life Coaching.
Professional life coaches available to advise you on any of your life stuff - relationships, career, bad habits, money, body...you name it, we fix it!

Pussy Day Spa
Ladies, are you thirty, dusty, or tired? Come to the Spa for champagne and a refreshing body wash, custom pubic hair styling and a pussy massage.

Hiney Hygiene Station
Our highly professional staff will use baby wipes, warm shea butter soapy water, moisturizing lotions, aloe vera, vitamin E, A, B5 and minerals.

Interactive Chakra Altars
Enjoy your own chakra journey through the 7 chakras in your temple dome. Feel yourself become whole and aligned throughout the journey.

Morphing Pain to Freedom
Explore accessing your deepest presence, energy, love and pleasure through mindful awareness. Investigate wounds, realize freedom.

Entheogens, Ego & the Akashic Field
How can entheogens most help us and why are they important today? This talk will cover a new theory from James Oroc, the author of Tryptamine Palace.

Anandapond Speaker Series: Paul Staments
Paul Stamets, plant biologist will give a talk,: "The Fungi Revolution."

The Power of Human Attention
Come see what it's like to tell your life story to a complete stranger. Search deep, explore, then return the favor. There's no limit to catharsis.

Twerkin fashion Show.
Get on the stage and shake your rump.

All Things Burning Man
A day dedicated to exploring and developments taking place within our community of Burners around the world.

I could continue for hours writing down stuff from What Where When......that was only a scratch on the surface. I was busy dancing at Planet Earth and other places, enjoying my time in Center Camp, biking around on the Playa feeling so very ALIVE (sometimes in dust storms battling through sand and enjoying every second of it) admiring art and engaging in people watching, talking, taking pictures etc. I did go to a few events that I looked up inside What Where When. Of course I rode the worlds best vibrator and had VAGINE washes and massages daily. I miss the Playa.......
I have 800 plus pics to sort through and pick out for the blog......so bear with me. My Burning Man experience will continue.

~ Alicia......may you fly with the angels ~

Grateful

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Thu, 04 Sep 2014 07:00:00 +0000

I'm back home......and I'm tired. I was planing on writing a longer post about Burning Man but my eyes need to sleep, I've had a long day and a long night. I'm very grateful.....I've had an amazing time at Burning Man. I'm so glad I got to experience this again......and I'm already looking forward to next time. But now I'm going to sleep......

Packing

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 07:30:00 +0000

I'm packing for Burning Man tonight! I have two boxes of KIND bars. Belts. Sunglasses.
My goggles from last year. Bandanas. My new Fjällräven Kånken backpack (a Swedish classic). Two pairs of fringe boots that have been waiting for the occasion. Lights to put on my bike and on myself so I'm visible on the Playa at night. I'm not done with the packing yet, I have to take a shower and wash my hair and the toiletries go in last. I got a new memory card in my camera and I'm planning on taking lots of pics. As always I'm packing more than I will use.
Oh well. I'm not bringing my laptop......there will be no blogging from Burning Man.
Most likely a short entry tomorrow at some point and then I will be busy until I leave the event. I just read some reports that it's been raining hard in the area of the event and people have been turned away at the gate because the road is mucky mud and not safe for driving.
It looks like the weather will be better tomorrow. Wow......I sure hope so.