Best Gift Received

[TheJudge]

There were some amazing gifts out there this year. What was your favorite?

[PJ]

There were some amazing gifts out there...What was your favorite?

An olive.

In 2001.


Presentation is everything.

[Halcyon]

While running behind the water truck for my daily rinse/ baptism, an angel on a bike handed me a soap on a rope (with a BM symbol carved in it) and an attached washcloth. She had dozens and was handing them to all the mobile bathers. An EPIC gift that left me smiling all week.

[olivia]

a popsicle on the last day when we'd been packing down all morning on no breakfast. sweet, sweet frosty popsicle.

[tbone]

It wasn't a "random playa gift" and I'm not sure if that's only what you're asking about...

Once or twice a year, a group of folks I hang out with organizes a "car hunt". We have an empty dry lake bed with tall sides all the way around, and it's in a very isolated spot. We throw down some cash, buy on old car, and run it in a circle - while shooting at it.

Eventually, it stops running. Sometimes they become the Gigsville CarBQ.

In any case, one of my closest friends collected the empty brass casings, put them into his forge, and made 13 solid brass shotglasses with the name of our camp and the name of the owner.

It was a huge amount of work, and there's only 13 - you had to be at the car hunt and camping with us this year to get one. There are no extras.

My list of "things to take from the burning house" just changed.

[PJ]

...one of my closest friends collected the empty brass casings, put them into his forge, and made 13 solid brass shotglasses with the name of our camp and the name of the owner...My list of "things to take from the burning house" just changed.

Actually, a brass shot glass is quite likely to survive a mere house fire.

I'd save the porn instead, and go back for it after the ashes cool down.

[a2^8]

I was given a lot of food, good food not playa food, because some people brought way too much. The food made my body feel really good.

Another gift was entering a misting camp near sVirgins. A man hailed me down while I was on my bike and offered mist as well as a place to rest for awhile. I didn't think I needed one but I did. It was great.

Great Gifts for me.

[nymphgonebad]

uh, the shrooms 2 nights running, oh wait, the opium, oops, forgot to mention the absinthe ( fer fock's sake, lassie, this shite tastes like battery acid! ).

the best gift, tho, was walking down the street ( 9:00 ) naked and having some dude tell me that i needed some clothes. he had a costume tent where i found a beautiful fairy princess dress and a court jesters hat.

the best dressed burner - thanks to the kindness of strangers

hrh - the princess

[Isotopia]

From Michael Michael (Danger Ranger): a limited edition set of the Playa Tarot cards.

Pretty awesome.

[Jodi]

Three big scoops of vanilla icecream! It was so surreal (at BM, go figure??) while we were riding in the hot sun someone pulled my friend and i over and gave us icrecream.. it was sweet salvation

[TawnyGnosis]

Which do I choose? It had to be the crazy wooly mammoth leg warmers and matching wrist band from the Costume kult. I gave them a bag of my unused costumes in exchange. That was the best costume place I saw out there by far.

The handful of otter pops while loading the truck the last day was intense as well.

[nymphgonebad]

oh man, those otter pops ruled!

that was right before the appoccolyptic dust storm of 2003. i wandered around camp for 15 minutes, trying to find the right tent.

the princess

[Isotopia]

oh man, those otter pops ruled!

Glad you liked them. Made 'em out of our camp's gray water.

[TheJudge]

The most important gift I received was a small portion of my friend Half Dome's cremains encased in a small square of glass.

I cant possibly thank the person enough that gave it to me.

[PureJoy]

water when I was thirsty by the temple ashes
delicious soup after a hard day of work on Monday
lots of help from rangers and strangers with taking our installation apart pics of me while I didn't have a camera

[Stormy]

Have to agree, the ashes of a friend in a blue stone were pretty cool. My favorite gift was Foot in a Bucket camp. It was located in Gigsville and was done as a tribute to Half Dome because he used to give out footcare kits and sometimes washed peoples' feet. Not only was the shade structure a dazzling sparkly red with graceful form, but the people running the camp are amazing. The foot baths, the conversation and the alter to Half Dome made me feel completely at home.

[jeannius]

A Pair of goggles from the cute Ranger named Gumby. He totally hooked me up out there!

You rock, Gumby!

[III]

>Playa Tarot

was that the shangri la village one? (were there fuegodiego.com mailing addresseson the back of some of the cards?)

[_john_]

i was riding my bike down neptune street when three guys with supersoakers called out to me, "hey, stop! get off your bike!"

seeing they were all joyously crazed i stopped immediately. they had me lay down in a chaise lounge, then they all aimed their soakers into my mouth. one contained gin, one tonic, one lime juice: the feul-injected gin and tonic! and g&t is my favorite drink no less. . .

[stu]

My neighbours moving my stuff under their shelter during the dust storm, as I had crashed and burned and gone to the med folks, and had burned my shelter that morning.

[Isotopia]

was that the shangri la village one? (were there fuegodiego.com mailing addresseson the back of some of the cards?)

Nope. You can see them at: www.star-glo.org

ID: sulphurqueen
Password: enter

[TheJudge]

Wow. That is definitely a cool tarot deck. VERY impressive!

[TheMuse]

My campmate was giving out Altoid tins painted various colors with the BM logo on them. Very cool ashtrays... my most prized posession and and the ultimate utilitarian art. A must-have for anyone puffing on the playa!

[crimbopple]

My favorite gift was advice given to me by someone following his dreams, doing something that I WANT to do.

I sat down behind the Advice booth with a clear conscience, hoping to help someone, and I ended up getting advice about my own life that will assuredly help set my feet on the correct path.

Oh, and I also got a badass hand-casted pendant from the same kind soul. Thanks J, you're a blessed one.

[Guest]

The best gift? This note, sent to our camp by one of our campmates:

-------------------------------

[We] arrived back in White Rock [BC] on Monday night and only after dropping the Galaxi Taxi off at home and heading to the beach, did a WAVE of SORROW rush over me and tears pour out at every duct.

It was a quick gushing because of the waiter's insistence on keeping " his favorite table in 5 years " ' martini's rolling along happily. ( Yes we recruited him and the hostess !!)

Ofcourse, the tears were part relief ; that the Galaxie got us home safe, and part exhaustion ; I forced myself to drive the whole way ( I have control and responsibility issues ). However, the majority of the tears were due to the fact that I had just met and camped with some of the most beautiful people I had ever met in my life.

Sad because I know I may never see some of you again ( life is everchanging ! ), or I may not see some of you for another 51 weeks !!

How can I feel so close to you all after only 3, 4 and 5 days ?

We love you !
The man burns in 362 days !!
-------------------------------

People talk about 'the spirit of burning man' (and others contend that even such a thing exists). But for me, the ability to build community and share experiences and bring that feeling back to the non-BRC world is the best gift...

[Tardis]

This year was my first year at BM. I didn't know much about it before I went, I was mainly there to volunteer my time as a firefighter and EMT. I was completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of kind feeling that we received from burners as we went about our daily business - each time somebody waved, yelled, or stopped our fire truck to chat with us, it felt like a gift. The folks of BRC are really something special.

[captain mcguiver]

My best gift was allowing me to see this:

[Tristan]

The coolest gift I received this year was a really nice dream-catcher necklace from the guys who made the giant glowing dream-catcher on the playa... it has a small "man" caught in the web. Cute!

I also received a nice hand-made bag stamped "BM2K3" for a wind-powered ride on the playa.

I gave away lots of little cremains of the man (melted neon glass tubes) that I dug in the ashes. I hope none of them will end-up on ebay

> My best gift was allowing me to see this:

Freaky! ... It looks like an alien city!

[dapete]

<img src="http://dapete.best.vwh.net/bm/FreddieFetus.jpg" align=center>

This foam gift arrived in our mailbox. Pure awesomeness!

[Guest]

Let's see
After I had used my left hand to pick up a bunch of the trash around the porta-potties on Sunday morning, and I didn't want to touch anything with it till I got back to camp to clean up, an incredibly attractive young woman held the door open for my dishelved self, so I could get in without touching anything with that left hand.
A small buddha statue, showing happiness and delight.
Whipped cream from a can while walking the esplanade.
A kiss arranged by my campmate from an adorable woman.
A playa bike from a friend that had just the right carefree swinging feel for some really nice cruising moments.
The gift of conversation from a couple of folks out at the man Saturday noon.
Learning more about people.