One thing I've really enjoyed about camping with fellow Albertans the two years I've gone to the burn is that the relationships you form on the playa are no longer transitory, they can last throughout the year. Its great to see the same people at the decompression, and at the pub and in my living room as I saw on the playa. I think it helps extend the spirit of the burn throughout the year.

I agree with all of your points though, there are 30K amazing people out there, why be all cliquish and just hang out with kids from your class?

re: the emphasis on national identity.

remember the name:
freely
united
cartel of
kanuckistan

um, one thought i have is that the this is not actually representing canada. i think it can be a forum/playground/stage where we can make fun of ourselves and in fact re-create or originate some kind of "national" identity (a leftist one based on the Karl thing??).

for example, it has been discussed to have our presence on playa be the actual Embassy from the freely united cartel of kanuckistan.... what do we want to point out about ourselves as kanuckistani peoples?

we could welcome anyone to the f.u.c.k., by the way, not just canadian citizens. it could be some kind of ideal canada where all immigrants are accepted in & handed a Molson.

secondarily, i agree with kay. what with C4 and the f.u.c.k. growing and becoming a lot like real theme camps... as well as the groups from other provinces etc. that i don't know, it seems that we are getting to know each other as an even bigger group, a cross national community. having some kind of village would enable us to connect with each other more, and to help others more, like The Lost Canadian. we could welcome new burners to the village and thereby help them burn harder and brighter.

meh. thanks for all the comments, let's get more kanucki burners on here.