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So, if you are still reading… thanks.I realize that I am still writing about Burning man and lots of stuff has happened since.I am doing this because of a stupid new years resolution I made at the beginning of the year saying that I would finish things I start.I thought it would take less time than it has, but, hey, I am working on it the only way I know how.I guess in brief, I could quickly explain what I have been doing since, if you care to know that bad…
I ummm moved to Emeryville, CA with a member of the Fishbug crew.When I arrived I quickly got a job as a handyman for an apartment complex (with the help of Youtbe how to videos).I fixed plumbing and electrical issues on top of other handyman duties on 61st street.I then decided to quit that job when I got ripped off for one of the jobs by the slumlord I worked for (please feel free to send any negative energy his way if you like).During that time, I flew to nocturnal festival with the Fishbug crew to do more wrench swinging and fire safety at a rave, that featured Paul Oakenfold among other DJs (go to nocturnalfelsival.com or Fishbug.net).We learned at this show that Fishbug had been featured in the October edition of Nature Magazine (check www.nature.com).Later in October, I assisted in the building of 8 flame cannons for a Phish Halloween concert then crewed that festival in Coachella Valley (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK5R5uyPCVY&feature=related for some live footage) I didn't get to meet Trey though I now know what he looks like. (unfortunately I worked myself to the point of dehydration and spent my 26th birthday throwing up during the finishing touches on the fabriaction)Soon after in November, I got recruited by a down and dirty jazz 9-piece swing big band (with 5 female vocalists dressed in army drag, guitar, drums, bass, and horns) as a lead guitar player.Every show we play features burlesque performances between the music at shows all over San Francisco. On another random but still music related side note… I got on stage with Old Crowe Medicine Show and hung out with them afterwards at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival (thanks to serendipity backstage passes).Moving on… For a few months, I helped on an assembly line that constructs gasifiers at the Shipyard (one more carbon neutral solution for the worlds energy crisis by turning biofeul into electricity through a process called gasification… look it up @ gekgasifier.com) On top of assembly work and welding, one of the things I did here was build an exhaust hood system to filter out bad fumes in the shop. My first welding project is saving people's lungs from heavy metal particulate!During this time at the Shipyard, I got a bit more familiar with many of the tools used in metal fabrication.About the first of the year, I began some classes in the welding technology program at Laney College in Oakland to further my understanding of this whole new world I stumbled on, and to attempt to be more useful to my new friends.In class, we are currently working on the Mig welding process, Oxy welding/cutting (think blow torch if you don't know what this is), plasma cutting, stick welding, and learned a bit about metallurgy.In February, I started my own band, begun to perform in the bay area with my solo stuff.A CD should be coming out soon… I hope.That same month, I began an apprenticeship for small-scale metal artists who I currently work for in Emeryville, CA. During this period of transformation and actualization, I made a lot of very good friends, which was one of my favorite accomplishments out of the whole lot.I found some great people out here that have really just been f***ing cool and encouraging every step of the way! There is something here that feels real to me, though it came and is still continuing to come with a good deal of struggles. I am not really sure how it all happened but it did.I guess now that I have slightly deviated from the story, I could also say that I will be coming back to Boston for a bit over the summer in July, to visit.I will be doing a reunion performance @ Dustin Street with my old band (The Mark Lipman Band… www.myspace.com/marklipman,, Also playing are Todd Marston, Olinde Mandell, and the Abbie Barret Band… some of the most talented musicians I know! ) Then I will take yet another road trip by bus from Boston to Lake Tahoe with some good friends for Wanderlust music festival.I will jet back to Oakland (cyber thumbing may be my mode of travel) and at some point in early August, I will head back to the desert and begin assisting in the building of this year's Burning Man Temple for a few weeks (Oh yea, Rebecca and Jess were asked to design and build this year's Burning Man Temple)So, it is going to get a little hectic for a bit, but I am going to find time to continue this thing I've been writing.Thanks again for reading.
Hassan
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