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burning, originally uploaded by Kulveer.

I went to Burning Man for the first time this past weekend. It was an interesting, and thought-provoking experience. I first heard of it when I read the Google Story a few years back, so I had some idea of what to expect, and was quite excited to go.

[For those of you that don't know what it is, it's quite hard to explain, but imagine thousands of people coming together in the middle of the desert to celebrate "self-expression, self-reliance, and art" in a temporary city (Black Rock City) that's completely constructed by volunteers, where everyone leaves one week later, having left no trace.]

The quick way to describe it is that it was as close as you are likely to ever get to ‘hippy utopia’. I loved that a lot of modern societal norms seem to be cast off for a week and the people there were having a great time. One girl approached me out of the blue as I was sitting down listening to a band play, and offered me a hand massage. I said yes, and then asked her what she thought of Burning Man. She told me it was “like being at home”, that there was no place like it, and that she looked forward to it each year. I could tell she was genuinely happy. Anyway, she then offered to spray me with peppermint to cool me down, to which I answered yes, and I immediately felt sheepish as I had nothing to offer her (our alcohol was in the RV – an emphasis on giving/bartering is the norm; there is no money).

I definitely noticed a difference between those who had come well prepared (i.e. not us) and those that seemed like tourists or slightly ill at ease with the whole thing. The general vibe was one of giving; people everywhere were offering their drinks and food and generally being very welcoming.

Also, there were lots of naked people. Everywhere. I couldn’t help but wonder whether these people were ‘conventional’ in every day life and just let loose for a week each year at the playa, or whether these traditionally unconventional types (I’m loathe to say hippy again) that had congregated from all across northern America.

Anyway, the artwork I saw was pretty awe-inspiring. The highlight was this ‘temple’ that had been built and was burnt the day after The Man. A lot of effort had obviousy gone into building it. It was quite moving to see people writing messages, heartfelt apologies and confessions on the structure itself to loved ones who had passed away. I saw one man write a letter and break into tears uncontrollably and just sit there weeping, and another couple who had lost their baby and were putting up a montage as a tribute. It was very solemn.

The other image that came to mind was that this was what a human colony on Mars might look like some day. A lot of people had created unique buggies, adapted buses and decorated their bikes to get around (the playa is huge, afterall). It was invigorating to see so much individuality, and that people had made the effort to express themselves. It was a sight in itself to see how people were travelling across the playa. Contrast that to normal city life and transportation is positively bland (I’m looking at all the identical cars driving over the Bay Bridge right now).

Conclusion? I’d like to go again, this time with a little more preparation, now that I know what it’s all about.