I feel Burning Man is a White thing

[Savannah]

Hey, Abkiwi. I'm sorry you had a shitty birthday. It does have a way of making everything feel worse.

If you decide to Burn again, you should hang out here during the year and make some social connections.

[tatonka]

you think you got it bad

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/10/18 ... latestnews

[Sundial]

This seems topical.

http://www.ohtony.com/burner-tales-from-the-playa-2/ (scroll to part two)

[Elderberry]

Generally speaking, people are more comfortable in the presence of people of their own color.

This struck a chord with me; and not because of color specifically. But, at Burning Man, for whatever elusive reason, I have met and become friends with so many different "types" of people that I probably wouldn't have even bothered to say hello to in a different circumstance. This has carried over into the default world and I consider this to be my transformational Burning Man experience that means more to me than any other part of the event, and that's saying something.

[goathead]

Just wanted to clarify that I wasn't trying to say that I encountered racist people. That's not it at all. I was merely pointing out the comfort aspect behind race. Generally speaking, people are more comfortable in the presence of people of their own color. Imagine being back in high school and having to move to China. Your first day on the Chinese school campus, you notice a small group of white students. You will, almost certainly, feel more comfortable approaching and forming a bond with them than your other classmates. For Burning Man, I feel there is a heirarchy. Topping that list would be the white female, followed by the white male, then females of other races and other males who could pass for white. Coming last in the list would be the non-white male.

I remember reading the newspaper in center camp and the first article was about the art car people treating their vehicles like nightclubs. If you're not a hot girl, you don't get a ride. I could relate with the author's feelings as I was rejected at art cars, too. But my feelings of isolation were on another level. I'm going to guess that the author had never experienced being ignored when trying to compliment someone's outfit or musicality...or standing in a circle around the God telephone booth with people passing the phone to everyone but me, until I left in embarrassment...or getting some weird looks while dancing at one of the stages and, again, ignored when asking people how they were doing.

I love the idea of Burning Man - virtually nonexistent commerce, art, music, gifting community, survival, events put on by the patrons, etc. There isn't anything else like this in the world and it would have been nice to experience it with no barriers. Instead, I had to make do and accept the fact that I am an outsider in this place and people will respond to me differently since I am a minority. That's nothing new from life beyond the playa. And I did eventually make do. The pros outweighed the cons and, overall, I had a good experience and left the burn determined to live a better life. I just wish I could have connected with more people at the burn...being white couldn't have hurt. But, burners are people of the world and their comfort zones are understandable.

Anyways, at the time of starting this topic, I wasn't in the best mindset. My birthday had just passed and it wasn't a very good birthday. I had a flashback to Burning Man and remembered being convinced that I would live this new and impressive life after returning home. Things didn't go as planned and I found myself a little depressed. However, I'm in a much more positive, happier state these days, so no worries. I apologize if I gave anyone the wrong impression about racism on the playa. I didn't meet anyone genuinely racist.

We tend to bring our barriers with us to TTITD, along with a lot of other crap. As such we have to make an effort to hmmm, not be ourselves, tear down our own walls.
Find a bar you like, get to know the people, volunteer to tend bar. That is what we do to most of our burgins. Nothing like pulling a few shifts tending bar to break down barriers.

[Turtleburp]

ABKIWI its a shame you never stumbled across P6 - a camp with a number Australian members who would have been delighted to stereotype with you comments like fush and chups and beached as bru
There would have been an expectation of equal or better teasing in response

More seriously I struggled making contact with people returning in 2012 after attending my first time in 2001. The people I did engage with were predominantly the people off this forum and my neighbors whom I slowly got to know better over the week. I really struggled to meet people out and about too!
Possibly because I look a bit like a cop - complete with evidence of too many doughnuts

This year though the event was so much more about the people for me and I wouldn't have changed it for the world.

Try again!

[Eric]

Find a bar you like, get to know the people, volunteer to tend bar. That is what we do to most of our burgins. Nothing like pulling a few shifts tending bar to break down barriers.

This is some of the best advise for randomly meeting new people there is. It gives you an easy way to break out of your comfort zone, while pulling others out of theirs. I try to work behind the bar at least a little bit every year for just this reason, even though most of the time I just end up hanging out at my favorites.

[FossaFerox]

Yeah, that was one of the more fun daytime things I did with some of my campmates. We found an abandoned saloon bar on the far side of town (near 3:30 and C I think?) and set up shop, checking IDs and serving the cucumber/pickle beer my buddy had brewed. We met a lot of interesting people that day.

[Ratty]

Aserendipity, I'm afraid you hit the nail on the head. I was greeting last week at SF Decom and wanted the 'security' to assist with a disoriented, angry, homeless woman. They all 3 played dumb and busy. Meanwhile she was let it. Great. That'll add to the excitement.

[ygmir]

Aserendipity, I'm afraid you hit the nail on the head. I was greeting last week at SF Decom and wanted the 'security' to assist with a disoriented, angry, homeless woman. They all 3 played dumb and busy. Meanwhile she was let it. Great. That'll add to the excitement.

not working that event, I can only guess, but:

the woman described, and barring her, could pose a huge political issue if real cops got involved, let alone any "advocates". Sometimes, it's better to just "let it happen" and find she was no problem, and or, if she caused an actual problem deal with it in the sense of "here's what happened" as opposed to "here's what might happen".

[Aurelia]

Yggy, I do agree.
And the spirit of a burner is what I am speaking about .

The hired security guard wore the cloak and not the spirit ..sorry but it has become my expectation that all colors even when cloaked shall exude the spirit always.

You do and we all do our best also.

Two precious sparkleponies did the rescue which he could not fathom.
xoA.

[Ratty]

I wouldn't have called them if she wasn't a threat. I've worked in a casino for the last million years. When someone is yelling, waving their arms and coming at me, (very close), it's time to calmly evict them. At the very least they could have walked the 20 feet back to where she was and been a 'presence'. I don't expect much from security guards. Their top pay is pathetic and a lot of them have explicit instructions NOT to engage. They could only repeat what ever I said. "Come with you? You need us for a unhappy homeless woman making a spectacle of herself. She's threatening." OK. Everyone's welcome. I get it. I wasn't being mean. Just sensible. It ended well for me. I didn't get hit in the head.

[theCryptofishist]

It ended well for me. I didn't get hit in the head.

We are all relieved and rejoicing.

And I admire your down-to-earth standards on these matters.

[name redacted]

Welcome to eplaya, abkiwi.
You're the one that made the comment about race.
I would like a clue about that.

Burning man takes a lot of effort.
The description you got sucks.

I'm painfully shy, but always curious about people.
I meet interesting people just through craigslist or car ads all the time.
Last new zealander I met was on cl.
They were moving back after a few years here.
Really strong accent, and slight speech impediment.
Not used to the accent and I couldn't understand them at all, at first.
Once I figured that out, we did better.
When I told her I was going through the films of australia/new zealand she got very excited, another film buff and we had a lively talk.
Too bad they're moving away, but it was fun.

Go up to people and say, "Hi, I'm _____! Who the fuck are you?"
Ask them what they are doing.
That's all I do.
Ask them about their project, their art, their camp, their car, yes, anything interesting.

Burning man does have that tour group, cruise ship, holiday camp thing going on, that should make it easy for anyone to put aside normal hesitations.
Everyone is there to enjoy themselves, so it shouldn't be that hard to talk to anyone.

I have actually met people there to meet people in their camp.
There was a structure open on one side on the street and they said that was why they did it.

There was the more conventional shade with a sign that said DRINKS.
The people running it said they got tired of running around, so were letting burning man come to them.
I use their camp as a description of theme camps at their basics 'Shade, Drinks and Conversation With Naked Gay Guys'
It was like a small bar with tables. Everyone sat around and talked. Very successful really.

Many of the most interesting people I meet are when I am distracted doing something else, working on my bike, working somewhere.
Delivering mail, you will meet people, because you will constantly be lost.

Burning man has tired cranky people, jerks, yahoos, thieves, just like everywhere else.
And an incredibly high number of scientists, artists, pyro techs (surprize!), film prop etc people, performers, literate and thoughtful people with a sense of humour, writers, and other interesting folks.
Also omfg djs, ravers, celebrities and the dregs of society.
A healthy smattering of cult recruiters and the mentally ill too.

The art cars were all I knew at first.
I go back for the people I meet.
Yes, there are many wonderful people there.

And I see shy people that just can't really talk to people.
We do what we can when we're aware of it.
You know shy people tend to do things that are standoffish without realizing it?
It's a natural tendency under stress.
Body language, etc.
Actors learn to control these things.
Might help to be aware of it for some.

And much of what happens is random chance.
Sometimes subtle changes in attitude seem to affect how you are reacted to.
I've had inexplicable good things happen at times.
Was it my mood? Theirs? Who knows?

I was talking to someone about some camp drama they had seen, few years ago.
They said something about my burn having been ruined, hoped the current one was better.
I told them, "Oh no, that was my best burn yet. Everything was wonderful, but the dramatics."
Very true.
Just keep going, ignore the craziness.

Abkiwi, you can do everything right and have a boring or bad time.
You can have stuff go wrong and have amazing things happen.
Turn a different way and your whole burn changes.

Like everyday, you give up something interesting every time you do something else.
The event just focuses that.
It is important to realize when to drop your plans and realize that unexpectedly, you are in the best place you could be, and stay.

I hope some of this is useful.

Welcome to eplaya.

This. So well put.

[Simon of the Playa]

yeah.


a broken clock is right twice a day too.

[goathead]

not if the hands are missing, or if the display is out.

[BBadger]

This. So well put.

But did you have to quote his every-sentence-as-a-single-line [1] in his reply just to post your single liner?


[1] Wait... I did see one line with more than one sentence on it.

[Aurelia]

probably I will never meet you Simon
but I love you

[ygmir]

yeah.


a broken clock is right twice a day too.

I've made the argument, the broken clock is the most accurate, if you consider times per day, it's perfect
but not, if you consider how foogin far off and wild it will be, all the rest of the time!!

[TomServo]

probably I will never meet you Simon
but I love you

You may be surprised. Met him at a Flying J in Bumfuck, NV.

[Simon of the Playa]

that was some high weirdness...

we were at the flying J spending our only form of cash.....Flying J Cards....

we bought all of our supplies from there....it was very tempting to throw down and just purchase Duck Commander branded clothing for the entire week, but i decided against it.

i did buy a jackalope piggy bank though.

[socks]

Seems to be a lot digging and filling here on this thread

[Simon of the Playa]

shallow graves.

[ygmir]

shallow graves shalloween grapes.

shush you!!

fixed it!! I know how spell check is on those dangly new phones.

[tatonka]

[media]

[Simon of the Playa]

the black man is celebrated at burning man....





for not being pink.

[Stray Dog]

The first topless hug I got at BM was from a BEAUTIFUL young black woman. One of the coolest guys I met there was a black gentleman who worked at the airport for the charter aircraft company. He said HE would definitely be back next year and was bringing friends. I assume at least some of those friends are black.

But what's the big deal? There were a lot of white people who weren't there too. Seriously though I think it was the disproportionate number of Canadians that were there. Not a lot of brothers in the great white north I guess. But even more seriously I saw people of all shades and complexions there. You want more diversity? Start "Camp Bringa Brother". I'm willing to bring my brother if he wants to come.

[Simon of the Playa]

"sexy color".

[tatonka]

[media]

[stopgo]