Being new to BM, the confusion is understandable. Have you talked to individual camps yet or are you just camping in the village? The village is around 400 people and camps seem to vary from 3 to 30 people. You don't need to worry too much about what everyone else is doing as long as you have everything you need. Some camps organize cooking together and others don't do as much.

The $20 for the village gets you nothing except the satisfaction of giving back to the entire BM community. It pays for the Car-B-Que and the Uberman to be brought to the event and maintained. No wristbands and I don't think there is going to be much policing of who pays and who doesn't, at least not centralized policing. Gigsville only really does those two projects as a village for the community, so you should put in the money. Being your first year, you may not realize how much time, money and effort the community is going to be gifting you all week, so that's a little way to give back. Many veterans, as you'll learn, put on many other projects within Gigsville in addition to the villages contributions. They also make arrangements to store and transport those things on their own time. So you're $20 will give you the satisfaction of seeing one of the most prominent landmarks at BRC and knowing you helped bring it back, or knowing that when you're hanging around the Carbq at night with your friends and you're nice and warm, that you helped bring that to everyone.

Have you read the burningman survival guide?
burningman.com/preparatio.../index.html

Do you have all your stuff ready? If you do, you can probably plop yourself down just about anywhere in Gigsville and start meeting your new family. (with the exception of the blast zone around the Car-B-Que)

I suggest maybe you post these questions to the Gig-Bm list as not many people in gigsville really check or at least post and read this tribe very often.

If that does not work and someone does not answer your questions through there, you can send me a PM and I will give you this year's mayor's e-mail OR you can find him here on tribe and PM it is Buck Down

He is in this tribe or you can check my network

God luck to you and see you on the playa!

Hey Amanda...I'd really suggest getting on one of the Gigsville lists, see what's going on & come hang out at some Gig events...There are lots of opportunities to hang out, lots of stuff going on...Try to come to a Wednesday Night Dinner & meet some folks...
here's a good place to start (follow the suggestion to join the Topica lists)

www.gigsville.org/index.php

Hey darlin', here's what to do.

You're on the gigsville email list via Topica, right? That's where 90% of our community conversation happens. The g'ville website & tribe are rarely updated. The topica list is a place to reply to what's currently being discussed. Involving yourself in our online discussion will help you get to know us, and vice versa.

Gigsville often holds Wednesday Night Dinners, which are announced on the main gigsville list (you are on that one, right? not just the gig-burningman list?). This is one of the best times to meet people.

With camp placement and registration: if you paid you $20, thank you--it pays for wood, car-b-que transpo, and a few other village necessities. What will be happening soon is that our mayor, Buck, will finish a map of this year's village. It should show your camp, if you stated, on your registration, the name of a camp you plan to make (which can be as small as your own tent or can include several of your friends, or you can throw yourself in with the camp of people you meet at a Wednesday Night Dinner by asking them if you can join their camp).

If you'd like to meet up for coffee or pie, I'd be happy to meet you. you seem super nice.

-voodoo (my name as it shows up on the giglist).

If your not on the list this was posted today (7/24)

Ed

Reminder: Wednesday Night Dinner tomorrow night at Barbara's.

~miriam dema

per an old post via XT

"A WND is a Wednesday Night Dinner. This means that we Villains and
FROGs (Friends and Relatives of Gigsville) descend upon a public atery,
and commence with the eating, drinking, talking, etc. Usually e keep
all of our clothes on.

The Wednesday Night Dinner was created to help those of who go through
withdrawals between events, and need a pick me up in the middle of the
work week.

It was also created to get you, dear newbie or lurker, to come meet and
greet us in a place where we probably won’t bite. New people often feel
more comfortable showing up at a restaurant ten minutes from heir house
rather than a camping trip 4 hours away. Come out, make sure you like
us."

directions for those that don't know it.
www.barbarasatthebrewery.com/MAP...html