Hello from Berkeley!
With the burn a little over a month away, we're hard at work in the warehouse. As of now, we're done oiling, finishing, and sizing up the legs. Some of the outstanding items are: putting extrusions for Chilopod's LED strip, connecting the legs to the spine, and hoisting the whole thing up! (There may be a lot of things that go into these processes, but you get the idea on how close we are)
Speaking of finishing, our Hatchfund campaign is a day from wrapping up, and we've successfully fundraised for the whole project! We couldn't have done this without your support, so lots of gratitude, hugs, and kisses from us to all of you. If you haven't had a chance yet, go to our Hatchfund page as it'll be active for another day. There, you'll be able to make a tax-deductible donation and pick up a swag or two!
Lastly, here's one of our team members, Ish, on his experience with Burning Man, and why he's on Team Chilopod!
I have never been to Burning Man. Until now, I have associated the word playa with the beaches of Mexico and Puerto Rico. Although I’m a stranger to BRC, I’ve lived the BM life vicariously, through working on multiple projects for the Man in auxiliary capacities, including working at the HQ, volunteering during Decompression events, and helping during multiple Regionals. I love the themes, the principles, the people, and the culture, and this year, I wanted to bring myself to the foreground a bit more and become a core member for a large scale project that would touch thousands.
This is how I ended up at a theme camp meetup in late February in San Francisco, where I met numerous artists and camp members, each with their own visions and ideas to contribute to the playa. I signed up for as many as I could, in order to help out as much as I could, so a part of me would be in the desert, if I am not.
The Chilopod was the first one I got a message from, and the first build event I went to. Truth be told, I didn’t know much. But after meeting Lawrence, Diana, Kristi, Lady Tee, and the rest of the folks, I felt at home. As I started listening more and more about the concept and hearing from other strangers like me, I felt a sense of community. It’s as if everyone was brought together for the sole creation of the Chilopod, and everyone seemed eager to help out however, whenever, wherever, in order to make this happen. I bought into the passion, the people, the concept, and the people again. In short, the passion behind this project is what brought me here, and the ideas of sustainability and connection are what have kept me here.
This year, I’ll be landing at the playa for the first time, and as the desert would have it, so will the Chilopod. That is serendipity, and I’m in love with her.
When I’m not tinkering with or writing about the Chilopod, I’m writing about my travels and hostel experiences at https://sunburntgypsy.tumblr.com/ and posting basic pictures of people, places, things, and experiences at https://www.instagram.com/sunburntgypsy/ and https://www.facebook.com/sunburntgypsy