Welcome to Chaos !! - Burning Man 2017

The Last

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Sat, 30 Sep 2017 07:31:29 +0000

And here are the last pictures of my time at Black Rock City for this time around.
First a bit of interesting Burning Man history.....

A painting I liked at Center Camp called "The Journey" by Mikey.
The white house represents the traditional American path to success - doctor, lawyer or civil career. The girl is a creative person. She is taking a journey into the unknown. The black cat is her intuition. He is her guide.

More Center Camp.

I visited the banya (steam room) where a Russian guy poured water on the rocks, then I sat in the banya and took deep breaths. After a few minutes he (the Russian) came back in and swatted me with the tree branches. When I stepped outside he misted me with some water that had a minty smell. Very refreshing.

I always collect Playa dust, so I can take a part of Black Rock City with me home. This is what I made this year.....I picked up the friendship bracelets at Burning Man.

And.....that was it. With this entry I am wrapping up my Burning Man 2017 experience. I hope you have enjoyed it.

Playa Barbie 2017

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 18:49:29 +0000

Here she is! Playa Barbie 2017. This is a highly collectable rare limited edition Barbie, as you all can see. Rare as in exclusive, out of the ordinary and one of a kind.

And I met the creator of the Playa Barbie Box, his name is Mike. What did he tell me.....if I recall it right his wife's name is Barbie.
Some more info on the Playa Barbie Box, "Internationally renowned, Playa Barbie is a Photo Box Art Project which participants pose in at the Worlds Largest Artist Exhibition. Thousands of Burning Man participants have taken thier picture in the Photo Box, providing much love, and individual photos from all over the world. Playabarbie is featured in many videos featuring the Art of/and Burning Man experience. Playabarbie Photo Project is a gift to the citizens of Black Rock City, NV. PlayaBarbie has been displayed for a week during the International Burning Man Festival since 2013. Visit - Playabarbie.com or #Playabarbie."

Center Camp Barista

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Wed, 27 Sep 2017 09:00:00 +0000

This year I decided that I was going to participate at Burning Man by being a volunteer. There are many areas for volunteering but since I love Center Camp and since I love latte I decided to apply for a barista position. It only made sense. Previous barista experience is a requirement. I applied a few weeks before Burning Man, exchanged some emails with café staff management and got in.
First I had to attend a mandatory training session at the Café and then I did three shifts, each shift is four hours long or should I say short.....because those four hours go by SO fast. I did two 11 am - 3 pm shifts and one 3 am - 7 am shift.
They made sure I knew what I was doing for the 3 am shift, I had to make a few espresso drinks in front of the shift supervisor and when I was done she basically said....you are good to go, you know what you are doing. I was slammed that shift, I was the only barista for a while and while I was making a drink I would sometimes have six more orders waiting.
Volunteering as a Center Camp barista aka Café coffee cosmonaut, how do I even start explaining..... It was SO MUCH FUN!!! I met so many nice people! Being a volunteer at Burning Man was one of the best decisions that I made in a long time. Am I doing it again? ABSOLUTELY! With pleasure and a big smile on my face.

Center Camp - I love this place! ❤

An espresso machine I worked on. The Café at Black Rock City is the the largest temporary freestanding tensile shade structure in the world. And some say it is the busiest coffee shop in the world for the duration of Burning Man. Is it busy? Yes.

Some of the people I met and worked with at the Café......

Pascal from France. His first Burning Man.

Ola from Poland but residing in London. This was her first Burning Man.

Donald and Lynda. Donald's second Burning Man, he was there for about a month! Setting up internet and whatever else he was doing.....I was so jealous.
I want to be there for a month too! Lynda's first time, she also volunteered at the Medical station because she is a nurse. Lynda wasn't too sure about Burning Man.....she said it was hot and dusty. I told her she might change her mind.

The morning shift crew, well some of us.
So besides baristas there are cashiers, runners, shift leads and I don't even know what else.

And me.....about 7 30 am, been up all day and all night. So not ready to leave Burning Man but a few hours later I was on my way home.

And another thing.....I made tips. The Café is one of the two places that money is exchanged at Burning Man, there is also ice for sale at Arctica. I decided to donate all my tips to a local spay and neuter project and I rounded up the amount a bit with my own contribution. The money will allow for a spay of a dog with some left over for whatever else the animals need.
You can also donate your tips directly at Burning Man. Our group (consisting of me, the cashier and the runner) made a $45 tip one time from one person, Donald was the cashier and he took the order. The tips get split between everybody working that shift.

If you are curious about Center Camp and Burning Man in general you should check out the video in this link......

https://burningman.org/event/volunteering/teams/center-camp-cafe/

Thank You Universe for leading me to Burning Man! ❤

The Man

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Sat, 23 Sep 2017 01:08:58 +0000

The Man in the distance......

And up close.....

Me in front.....

The raising of the arms....

The fire.....

If I recall it right the structure was set on fire at 9 pm and started falling at 10 21 pm.....it takes a while for everything to fall. There are fireworks as well and heat. It's quite intense. Yes, I am aware of this year's accident or incident, not sure what to call it. I did not witness it but I feel bad for the people that had no choice but to see the unfortunate event unfold in front of them and the rescue workers that were there trying to prevent it and having to deal with it.

Art Theme Radical Ritual

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 04:12:00 +0000

This year Burning Man's art theme was Radical Ritual. I have no clue how they decide on what art projects to include each year and how the art theme has anything to do with the art. All I do is look at the art with admiration. There were 270 art installations on the Playa this year. And sadly, yes I feel a tinge of sadness over this, I did not see close to enough of the art. But I did not expect to spend such short time at Burning Man as I did this year, I am usually there longer.....
But I did see some of the art and I took pics and here you go....some of the art of Burning Man Radical Ritual 2107.

This was called the Tree of Ténéré and it was my fave this year. People just loved this tree, it lit up at night with 25 000 LED leaves. Very beautiful, the tree switched colors. The inspiration for this piece of art, "We were inspired by a tree that once grew in the middle of the Sahara desert, in a region called Ténéré. It was the most isolated tree on Earth: not a single other tree could be seen for 250 miles. And yet, the tree became an important ceremonial gathering place for traders and travelers as they crossed the desert. It brought people together for community, ritual and rest.It was mysteriously destroyed almost 50 years ago."

Ursa Mater
This art was made with pennies, over 200 000 of them. I have to say that this Mamma Bear was very impressive.

The Flower Tower

La Victrola

The Temple Of The Inner Bitch
"The Temple Of The Inner Bitch is a shrine dedicated to radical, forceful feminine power. From birth, females are often taught by their families and society to 'be nice' above all else and to eschew assertive behavior. The Inner Bitch is a natural and necessary facet of self expression and fierce protectress - a force to be honored, loved and worshipped. The Temple Of The Inner Bitch seeks to explore how we can connect with that mostly feminine force in a more positive way."

XOXO

If you want to read more about these art installations you an find them all online. I like the story behind The Temple Of The Inner Bitch, the artist is Anna Metcalf.

George Michael Video Wake

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 20:00:00 +0000

When I saw this event, a George Michael Video Wake in the Burning Man What Where When book I knew that I would be there.....

It was amazing and also sad. The ones that gathered for it all danced and sang along to the songs while watching George's videos on a big screen. Occasionally people would yell, "we love you George". The moon and the stars were out, was George out there somewhere watching us? I hope so. We all loved him very much right there and then.

Met Up

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Wed, 13 Sep 2017 20:59:00 +0000

Today I met up with one of my camp mates from Burning Man and we went and had coffee. I noticed that his nail polish was still on his nails, chipping away just like mine. I always paint my nails at Burning Man and then I let the polish stay on until it disappears, another way to hang onto Burning Man for me. I have already started thinking about and planning for next year.....it will be here sooner than I think because times flies by. Even if it doesn't feel like it sometimes.

Random Pics From The Playa

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Sat, 09 Sep 2017 22:37:00 +0000

Here are some random pics from the Playa.....
When I was at Center Camp a stranger gave me this, she said it is a mixture of several essential oils. Thank You!

My iced latte. Note the sticker on the espresso machine.
Work free drug place - I like that.

I went to a Swedish party.

An example of MOOP. Which in Burning Man lingo stands for Matter Out of Place. Burning Man is about Leave No Trace. You bring everything out that you brought in, at least attempt to. I don't litter in general so the whole Leave No Trace definitely resonates with me. Burning Man advises against feathers, people bring in stuff made with feathers anyways.

I like this photo.

Sunset.

Two of my fave places were missing at this year's Burning Man. Planet Earth and White Ocean. That is probably where I spend majority of my time dancing the past years. But they are taking a break. I know Planet Earth is coming back next year, I am not sure about White Ocean.
Some of the Planet Earth people built a very impressive indoor place called Red Herring. I spent some time in there.

Robot Heart.

DJ stuff, I like DJ stuff.

Me.

I can't believe this year's Burning Man is over.....it is always weird to get back to real life after this experience. And look at all the pics, feel all nostalgic and sad.....like NOOOOOO it IS OVER!!!
I still feel like I am in a fog. If you think it is because I did too many drugs, because supposedly all that people do at Burning Man is get fucked up (some seem to think) then you are mistaken. I was completely sober the whole time, not even a drop of alcohol. I have enjoyed a cold beer or a drink at previous Burns, this year nothing. But next year I might indulge in something to enhance my experience a bit....

Biking Around

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Sat, 09 Sep 2017 00:54:00 +0000

Biking around the Playa is usually great. Unless you are cold and have a distance to go still or if you get caught up in a dust storm and get dust in your eyes. This year the weather was PERFECT. Sure, hot during the day but nice at night and very little dust. I was probably the cleanest I have been at the five Burning Mans I have attended. I did not get super dusty.
My first two Burns I was in awe and everything was WOW. I remember taking a bunch of photos of the bikes, well I am kind of used to the bikes and most of it by now. I only took three pics total of bikes this year and here they are.....
These parked outside Center Camp were nice.

And these were cute.

Felt so happy when I got on my bike again, biking around Black Rock City and the Playa is the best exercise ever.

This was around 8 am, been up all night. Here I was trying to find Robot Heart. The very elusive Robot Heart. The really fun and interesting people come out after Midnight and stay up until the music stops and that is after sunrise, we all need rest at some point.

The Playa Delivers

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Wed, 06 Sep 2017 19:26:00 +0000

If you have never been to Burning Man you might hear the people that have talk about that it is life changing, eye opening, amazing, emotional etc etc. You can't describe the experience fully to somebody that has never been, you have to go to get it. Some people go and don't like it (the ones that can't deal with a broken fingernail, messed up hair, dust, heat and feeling "dirty" for example).
Sure there are those that go only to get fucked up or get pics for their Instagram (in my opinion a complete waste but perhaps they get something deeper out of the experience anyways). Then the rest really do make some sort of a connection with their soul and that what is Burning Man.
You can't explain it but somehow the Playa delivers, always. You get messages, and make connections that somehow make sense. Not always of course but some really do.
My first night I came across this art piece shrine that was called "The Shrine Of Lost Moments" (I believe, I did not note down the name of it but I am almost sure).

"In December 2016, a tragic attack hit near one of the memorial places in Berlin at Gedächtniskirche (Church of Memory in the center of the city). A man drove a heavy lorry into the crowded Christmas market. This incident (which happened near to most of us living in Berlin) inspired us to develop the Shrine of Lost Moments as an art project at Burning Man 2017. The visitor of the shrine is encouraged to interact and engage: he or she takes a colored piece of cardboard ... and writes a name, life period, situation they want to remember, embrace, or eliminate from their lives."

There were 270 pieces of art installation on the Playa this year. I did not see all, there are a few that I wish I would had seen now that I see the pics of them in the news.

First Day

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 18:13:00 +0000

This year I arrived at Black Rock City about a day later than I usually do and left a day earlier. So I basically lost two days plus at Burning Man which for ME is a big deal. Burning Man happens once a year and is about a week long, I want to be there for as much of it as I can. So of course it was disappointing (actually VERY disappointing) to have to cut back on precious Burning Man time. A lesson was learned, do not go to Burning Man (share RV like I did this time) with people who have travel plans that infringe on my Burning Man time. Some people are OK with just a few days at Burning Man, I am NOT.....I want to make the most of it.
I thought I was clear about this but I guess not, I did not think I would have to cut back on my time that much, had I known I would had found somebody else to share the RV with, somebody on the same page as me. Therefore this time really did go by much faster than usual, before I knew it it was over. And when it is over you really FEEL that it is over and you know that there is a whole year until next time, if you are lucky enough to go next year. A lot has to fall in place. Kind of sucks but it is what it is......
So after we found a place to park the RV.....I found a camp called Grateful Floyd where we stayed, good location and good people, I got out my bandanas and wrapped them around my face and hair and headed for Center Camp, always my first stop.

Got caught up in a heavy white out dust storm on the way to Center Camp, the dust and wind ripped through the Playa. I had to stop moving for a few minutes because I could not see anything. But then I got to Center Camp and sat down with that first iced latte.

After Center Camp I delivered three pairs of crutches to one of the medical stations....the reason I brought crutches to Burning Man is because they asked if anyone was willing to help out.

My goal the first day was the delivery of the crutches, that latte at Center Camp and a visit to the Temple to put up these pics of George Michael and Chester Bennington that we all know recently passed. To me, it was very sad that these two talented (and according to multiple sources kind and caring as well) people left too early. I can only speak for myself but I got affected by their passing and it made me sad, I wish they were still here. I thought that George and Chester should be in the Temple this year. And so they were. I looked up at the sky at night and wondered if they were out there somewhere....

I also biked around and took in some of the art out on the Playa and this year's Man of course before I called it a night.

Blink Of An Eye

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 23:03:47 +0000

Well.....I am back from Burning Man now and this year it really did go by in a blink of an eye. It always feels a bit unreal and weird to be back in "reality" after Burning Man. I need to catch up on sleep, unpack, clean my stuff and do laundry and ADJUST. So I will be back here with more about this year's Burning Man after I take care of that.....
Here I am on my way to my first shift as a barista at Center Camp Cafe, I volunteered this year.

On My Way

nospam@example.com (TATIANA) — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Here it is, the much coveted entry ticket to one of the best events on this planet. Burning Man.
Radical Ritual is the theme for 2017. This will be my fifth year in a row. I am on my way to the Playa to feel the wind and dust blow through my hair, to dance all night long, to see amazing art, to meet new people, to learn, to feel, to grow, to feel ALIVE, to immerse myself deeply into Burning Man for about one week. One week that will go by in a blink of an eye. On my way......

You won't hear from me until sometimes next week. ❤