Aw c’mon now y’all.  I haven’t even had my coffee yet and these baby burners have me all verklempt.  What is it about someone who speaks English as a second language expressing themselves in writing that makes it so poignant.  Their use of the english language is so charming, they way they use the words in their own ways, the way the structure is all off from what we are used to…it’s disarming somehow.  I saw more international burners this year, and more people of color, than I had ever seen at Burning Man before.  Many of them seemed to be solo, one man who spent the night at the lighthouse fire didn’t even have a jacket.  I gave a kid from New York a hat, he had a bloody nose and acted like he had never seen a wet wipe before.  I actually stopped a car full of kids heading for center camp thinking it was ok to just pile in the ole sedan and drive down A for your ice run.  I’m not sure how they managed to avoid all that good information pouring at them from all sides, but they sure did make it there with no freaking clue.  Luckily once you gave them one they were grateful, and tried their best to fit in for the most part.  Perhaps that big Cleu on the playa helped, who knows.

You MUST go see the Burning Blog about the newbies.  The comments are simply delicious.  And if you are a first-timer head on over there and let them know what you thought.  Good and bad, don’t just be all woo, it was amazing.  That’s boring!  Tell us how you really feel.  Not everyone has a consistently peachy time at the burn.  Sometimes it kicks your ass, or you just feel lonely no matter who is with you.  It’s ok if your burn wasn’t all rosy all the time.  It’s also ok if you skipped around like a fairy all week and had the time of your life, don’t get me wrong.  I’m an all flavors kind of gal, so I just wanted to point that out in case anyone was wondering.

Now I’m going to make some coffee.  Be most excellent to each other…