Back in San Francisco.

Feels like home.

Wow, I must have really great clothes karma or something. I was kinda ho-and-heming about “dressing up” for Burning Man, given that I’m going to be flying down, and I just don’t feel like I have much sewing or creative skills to make something crazy like this.

Then yesterday, I got on a chat with a girl friend in NYC who has been 6 times but not going this year. She’s the same size as I am. Surprise! She tells me to come on over to her place and take whatever I want. Past costumes that she made herself included. VOILA! I have a whole new closet for Burning Man!!! I’ll be sure to take loads of pix, don’t worry about that!

I’m looking forward to going CRAZY!!!

What ever I said about not needing hair-dryers, I take it back, and eat it.

I realize that short hair is way more high-maintenance than long hair. It took a couple of days sleeping with wet hair and waking up with a lop-sided poof ball that just wouldn’t sit to realize that I should dry my hair before I go to bed.

Today, I asked Andre, whom we will be staying over with in SF, if he had a hair-dryer that I could use when I’m there.

Ugh. I’ve become one of those people.

Need some help?

Saturday, Yi-ling took me to one of the best meals I’ve had in a while…Xi’an food in a total hole in the wall place in Flushing (reminds me of those food stalls in the older shopping malls in Singapore, where it’s a few stalls in one crammed area, each with a couple of tables and stools). The lamb sandwich was OH MY FUCKING GOD good.

Last Sunday, we went to the beach (again!)…Rockaway Beach this time. It was an easy train-to-bus ride (just over an hour) down south. The weather couldn’t have been more kind, and the day couldn’t have been more perfect. Good friends, good food, good weather, the beach…what more do you need?

Checking out a para-boarder (if that’s even the term)

The best kite I’ve ever seen…a snorkeler kite so it looks like it’s swimming in the air.

Digging into Mike’s pork belly tacos (YUM!) with his now legendary sesame-oil guacamole.

We are, like, so United Colors of Benetton

Man. Packing for Burning Man is HARD. I pride myself on being a very light traveler. I can go away with just one backpack with about 3 changes of clothes and handwash my stuff and wear whatever’s not wet. Even then, I’m still a really bad packer because I can’t seem to get organized what goes into my small backpack and what doesn’t.

This time, I have to pack for hot AND cold weather (it is the desert after all…so I’m supposed to expect brutal heat in the day and cold at night). This tip doesn’t help make things easier:

Weather on the playa is often violent and unpredictable. Dust storms, high winds, freezing temperatures, rain — Burning Man has seen each of these at various times. Make sure you have plenty of warm clothing: in 1999, longtime participants were caught off-guard by the bone-chilling cold, and spent several nights freezing their tails off. It’s impossible to be overly prepared when it comes to the elements.

There are a gazillion packing lists online, but they only serve to make me feel more confused. This is what being ADHD must feel like.

Unlike most of my other travels, I will clearly not be able to handwash anything (no “grey water” allowed on the ground). I’m supposed to expect to be covered with playa dust the entire time I’m there. So I’m hovering between bring next to NO clothes at all for the day…or many many changes of clothes in case I want to feel “clean”. I’m thinking I’d probably be spending most of the day running around naked (or close to) so I’m looking at my gigantic suitcase and wondering if I should just take out everything I’ve just put in…again…I kept taking things out and putting them back in over and over. There are a bunch of stuff I’d still need to buy when I’m in San Francisco too, so I’m this close to going FUCK IT! And go with just a few pieces of clothes and my yoga mat and buy anything I’d need there. ARGH! And this is me with a TON of help from friends in SF doing an incredible amount of preparation for the Chansidines. Total failure.

On a separate note, I’m SO excited to try out peeing using a funnel.

SO EXCITED!

I PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!

No more pencils, no more books!!! Three years later….the sheer JOY!!!!

That’s it! 3 for 3! I’m DONE!!!!

DIVINE JOY!!!!!!

Burning Man, here I come! Let’s party!!!

From our OMGIHADSOOOMUCHFUN! Saturday at Prospect Park.

Caption: “…and then she runs to THIRD base”

(I don’t think I even hit the ball in this shot actually! Hahahaha! Action only!)

-pic from JD

Actual headlines. Actual quotes. Who needs The Onion to make things up?

Man with rifle and 10lbs of pot caught driving over 90mph while taping himself masturbating
“He said the drugs were found at a rest stop, and that the rifle was for shooting kangaroos as he drove.”

Nigerian advises against 86 wives
“The former teacher and Muslim preacher, who lives in Niger State with his wives and at least 170 children, says he is able to cope only with the help of God.”

Ok, I am convinced this guy is a total mutation…an X-Man…Aquaman…check out this video of him flapping under water…it’s BIZARRE!