2008.05.05 19:00 - From the void onto a dance floor

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    The guardian at this meeting was Pema Pera and the comments are his.  

     

    That evening we quickly grew to quite a crowd. I had switched hair from my previous mohawk to a rather long-haired hippy look, to general acclaim :-).

    Pema Pera: Hi Tara and Terri!
    Tara Farmer: new look?
    Pema Pera: still rezzing
    Pema Pera: yes!!
    Pema Pera: whaddaya think?
    Terri Holrych: hello
    Maxine Walden: oh, folks are outside
    Terri Holrych: i like it
    Tara Farmer: i can only see so far that you have fabio hair
    Tara Farmer: LOL
    Terri Holrych: yea great hair
    Pema Pera wondering what fabio means
    Tara Farmer: he he
    Pema Pera feeling provincial
    Terri Holrych: fab
    Tara Farmer: I cannot explain
    Pema Pera: thnx, Terri
    Terri Holrych: lol
    Pema Pera: Ah!
    Pema Pera: tnx Tara, hehe
    Pema Pera: Just woke up here in Kyoto, Japan in Rl
    Dakini Rhode: hi :-)
    Terri Holrych: wow
    Tara Farmer: dakini just showed me YAGA
    Pema Pera: Hi Dakini!
    Tara Farmer: YOGA
    Dakini Rhode: haha
    Pema Pera: ah!
    Pema Pera: another slang term I wondered
    Tara Farmer: he he
    Pema Pera: doing the YAGA
    Pema Pera: yeah!
    Tara Farmer: ha ha
    Terri Holrych: huh
    Terri Holrych: lol
    Dakini Rhode: sounds like a Tibetan diety
    Terri Holrych: wot
    Pema Pera: we have a good reason to do the YAGA
    Tara Farmer: woot
    Terri Holrych: lol

    I couldn’t wait to breach the news.

    Pema Pera: let’s sit down
    Terri Holrych: woot
    Pema Pera: Dakini can summarize
    Tara Farmer: LOL
    Pema Pera: I’m still too sleepy
    Maxine Walden: shall I come outside, am sitting inside teahouse?
    Pema Pera: we’ve reached the VOID
    Pema Pera: inside
    Dakini Rhode: we’re joining you, Maxine
    Maxine Walden: Tara, hello how beautiful you look
    Tara Farmer: hello hello
    Tara Farmer: thanks maxine
    Tara Farmer: you look like my step mom
    Tara Farmer: if she were in SL
    Dakini Rhode: Terri i have a shortcut for you
    Tara Farmer: that is good
    Tara Farmer: she looks like my sister
    Terri Holrych: i still learning to walk
    Dakini Rhode: just click on one of the cushions and you’ll be in!
    Maxine Walden: oh, do I ? Not very imaginative, maybe?
    Tara Farmer: terri is a turnip?
    Dakini Rhode: yes, and doors are hard
    Tara Farmer: maxine, i can help you out after if you are newwish
    Dakini Rhode: haha ya made it, Terri
    Terri Holrych: thanks my puter was freezing up
    Maxine Walden: you know, I am finding that as I gain comfort with SL my imaginativeness grows, so maybe it is better that I express how I am feeling by my looks…
    Maxine Walden: aware that may not be the general way folks do things in SL, but it is a bit of me
    Tara Farmer: maxine, that is a good way to put it
    Pema Pera: Tara and Terri, you both look so festive!
    Terri Holrych: i had red skin earlier
    Pema Pera: and we have a lot to celebrate
    Terri Holrych: thanks
    Pema Pera: so this is perfect!
    Tara Farmer: says fabio
    Tara Farmer: :)
    Maxine Walden: wondering where Pema is, have been thinking about him, now that he is in RL in Japan
    Tara Farmer: celebrate?

    Yes, we did have a lot to celebrate.

    Pema Pera: haha
    Pema Pera: Dakini,
    Pema Pera: why don’t you summarize
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: hi everyone
    Pema Pera: I’m drinking my first coffee
    Tara Farmer: fried
    Dakini Rhode: hmmm summarize?
    Pema Pera: still unfocused
    Pema Pera: Hi Fried!
    Tara Farmer: hey
    Pema Pera: just personal impressions
    Pema Pera: Dakini
    Dakini Rhode: hi Fried!!
    Pema Pera: not complete
    Pema Pera: a sketch with a few strokes ;>)
    Dakini Rhode: Playasbeing in a few strokes…
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: (happy greetings!)
    Dakini Rhode: It’s a way to meditate without taking much time - speed meditation
    Dakini Rhode: 9 second meditation
    Maxine Walden: Pema, Tara, Dakini, Fried, Sky, it would be great to see you all inside the teahouse…
    Dakini Rhode: Maxine, I think we are in the teahouse
    Terri Holrych: they are inside
    Dakini Rhode: are we in parallel worlds?
    Maxine Walden: oh, maybe I am not seeing you…
    Terri Holrych: ooo
    Tara Farmer: only with pema around
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: all I know is that i’ve only been gone a few days, and I barely recognize anyone!

    Haha, yes, that’s SL, people can and do change appearance quite frequently.

    Dakini Rhode: I can see you
    Tara Farmer mutters “guru”
    Dakini Rhode: have we changed or you?
    Maxine Walden: oh, my point of view…sorry, another learning…yes
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: how would I know?
    Dakini Rhode: not sure…
    Maxine Walden: now I see you all as well, Dakini, thanks for looking after the cushion I was careless about the other day…thanks a lot
    Tara Farmer: we all changed expect dakini not so much
    Pema Pera: hahaha
    Dakini Rhode: i need to change
    Pema Pera: and I thought it was only ME with jetlag . . .
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: don’t change - stay the wonderful person you are today
    Tara Farmer: except i meant
    Terri Holrych: i am still creating outfits out of all my clothes
    Dakini Rhode: i changed my clothes twice already today
    Dakini Rhode: in SL
    Pema Pera: but Dakini, if you can talk a bit about the balloons near the Void and stuff like that
    Dakini Rhode: and twice in RL
    Pema Pera: it is so exciting!
    Terri Holrych: i have been on SL for a week
    Tara Farmer: he he
    Dakini Rhode: oh, the balloons!
    Pema Pera: maybe we should all go over there
    Maxine Walden: lots of stuff going on…
    Terri Holrych: baloons?
    Pema Pera: and have a ride THROUGH THE VOID
    Dakini Rhode: i though you wanted to talk about playingasbeing….

    I hadn’t been clear, I realized, but it was the combination of reaching the sea, discovering the void, and having a balloon to ride over it all, that I wanted to share with everybody.

    Terri Holrych: oooo
    Tara Farmer: i never heard the baloon thing
    Dakini Rhode: lol
    Dakini Rhode: ok the balloon thing
    Dakini Rhode: we have acquired more land -
    Dakini Rhode: rather, Pema has acquired more land, for the playasbeing group
    Maxine Walden: I would like also to hear how Pema is feeling, now after such a long planeride so recently
    Terri Holrych: there is a balloon near a big buddha
    Dakini Rhode: yes!
    Dakini Rhode: and the farthest land from here is on the SL seashore
    Dakini Rhode: we have tentacles of land reaching from here to there
    Tara Farmer: huh?
    Maxine Walden: tentacles is such an evokative word
    Terri Holrych: the big buddha is hawt
    Dakini Rhode: the vision is that these will be connected, a corridor of forest from here to there
    Tara Farmer: ohneat
    Dakini Rhode: forest with retreat huts
    Tara Farmer: for walking
    Tara Farmer: treehouses?
    Dakini Rhode: and I see a larger gathering space too
    Terri Holrych: i went all the way from a shopping mall to the big buddha
    Dakini Rhode: small gathering spaces scattered throughout, and a larger space
    Dakini Rhode: and forest all the way to the sea
    Terri Holrych: hawt
    Tara Farmer: where is this balloon?
    Dakini Rhode: There are balloon tours to the various bits of land
    Tara Farmer: oh by the big gold buddha?
    Dakini Rhode: there is one by the big gold buddha
    Terri Holrych: the one that looks like a giant buddha from japan
    Dakini Rhode: I have LMs to the 3 balloons, will get them into SL
    Tara Farmer: surely i can steer by buddhas head

    Sky appeared, after I teleported her in, since she had wandered rather far away last time she was logged in, and had difficulty finding her way back to the tea house.

    Maxine Walden: hi, Sky
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: when did this become play as doing/acting/building? I thought we were just ‘being’ ?
    Tara Farmer: one has only a little something to do with the other
    Tara Farmer: I think
    Terri Holrych: cute outfit sky
    Dakini Rhode: hello Sky
    Pema Pera: hi Sky!
    Sky Szimmer: got lost, now am found. whew
    Maxine Walden: nice to be found
    Terri Holrych: i like getting lost
    Terri Holrych: llol
    Sky Szimmer: wow full house/1
    Pema Pera: Hi Cal!
    Dakini Rhode: hello Cal :-)
    Caledonia Heron: hey there :)
    Maxine Walden: here comes Cal, hi Cal
    Pema Pera: come join us Sky and Cal!
    Tara Farmer: pretty wings cal

    Indeed a full house: with Caledonia walking in there were eight of us and we had occupied all available cushions.

    Pema Pera: Dakini is summarizing some great news
    Pema Pera: haha, now summary of summary?
    Caledonia Heron: thank you Tara :)
    Dakini Rhode: oh, my
    Caledonia Heron: you too :)
    Tara Farmer: ty
    Pema Pera: we got land stretching to the sea and into the void and have balloons to travel into the void — how’s that for a summary?
    Dakini Rhode: land, lots of land under starry skies above
    Pema Pera: haha
    Dakini Rhode: good one
    Tara Farmer: leave a voidy spot
    Pema Pera: In ten minutes we can leave for a tour
    Pema Pera: better than words
    Tara Farmer: for nothings sake
    Sky Szimmer: i just went and saw want storm did. pretty great!
    Tara Farmer: what did he do?
    Sky Szimmer: landscaping I think
    Dakini Rhode: Storm programmed the balloon tours
    Tara Farmer: i see
    Dakini Rhode: also landscaped a bit of the shore, i believe
    Dakini Rhode: i haven’t seen that yet
    Sky Szimmer: beach front property! very nice
    Dakini Rhode: there is a LOT of work to be done once Pema sets up permissions so we can get at it
    Tara Farmer: I was telling Isen before that we should get him, Storm, dakini and Pema to pose for a picture taken like the “Resevoir Dogs”
    Tara Farmer: walking down the SL street with sunglasses on
    Dakini Rhode: haha with our speshul hats?
    Tara Farmer: as long as you were wearing sunglasses and not smiling it wouldn’t matter
    Tara Farmer: LOL
    Pema Pera: hehe

    Fred brought up the question of impermanence.

    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: i’d like to share a reaction to all the abrupt changes I am seeing around me…
    Dakini Rhode: please, Fred
    Maxine Walden: please, Fried
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: i remember visitng vienna once, and noticing that old photographs looked exactly like the street around me
    Tara Farmer: THATS AWESOME
    Maxine Walden: just the same over time…
    Tara Farmer: fried, that is cool
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: and thinking to myself, when I return to NYC in a few weeks, it will have likely changed…
    Tara Farmer: true
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: i started wondering what it must be like to live in relative persistence
    Tara Farmer: where are you now?
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: in the teahouse ;-)
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: you?
    Tara Farmer: ahhh a very zen answer
    Tara Farmer: pfftt
    Dakini Rhode: teahouse hasn’t changed

    At that moment I had put on my oversized icecream cone hat, prompted by Tara’s and Dakini’s suggestions to were speshul outfits.

    Tara Farmer: ohmy gosh
    Tara Farmer: did i walk into a monty python skit?
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: anyway, we sometimes react to sudden changes in our freinds apperances, but rarely are they as radical (except at costume parties)
    Tara Farmer: LOL
    Maxine Walden: you know, I may be in a minority, but I value the space for clarity of thought and that does usually require some reliable boundaries
    Terri Holrych: lol
    Tara Farmer: oh sure pema
    Dakini Rhode: that is very zen maxine

    Next I switched to wearing a white shining halo, which I had gotten at the angel’s dance party

    Tara Farmer: can i have a copy of that?
    Maxine Walden: think that idea is probably not for this conversation, not as celebratory as the group may feel
    Dakini Rhode: you have many insights, Maxine, I wish we could explore further
    Pema Pera: did you get a copy, Tara?
    Pema Pera: Or do I have to unwear first?
    Maxine Walden: (just need to mention that I will need to leave for another meeting in about 5 mintues)
    Dakini Rhode: i guess tonite (or this morning) silliness reigns
    Tara Farmer: not yet pema
    Maxine Walden: maybe so…
    Tara Farmer accepted your inventory offer.
    Dakini Rhode: I will need to leave soon, too
    Tara Farmer: go it sweet
    Pema Pera: there yo go!
    Pema Pera: anyone else a halo?
    Tara Farmer: what a joke
    Pema Pera: holy tara!
    Tara Farmer: you got some horns too?
    Terri Holrych: i have a halo somewhere

    Thorberg walked in, and he must have been a bit surprised seeing us all in our somewhat unusual state.

    Pema Pera: Hi Thorberg!
    Tara Farmer: he he
    Pema Pera: hahaha
    Thorberg Nordlicht: hello
    Maxine Walden: hi, Thor
    Thorberg Nordlicht: wow, full house
    Dakini Rhode: hi Thor!
    Tara Farmer: are pagans allowed to wear haolos?
    Pema Pera: we need to open a bar soon!
    Pema Pera: why not?
    Tara Farmer: hey again thorburg
    Pema Pera: pagans can do anything they like!
    Tara Farmer: berg
    Terri Holrych: lol holiness is universal
    Thorberg Nordlicht: hello
    Maxine Walden: the name for the bar?
    Dakini Rhode: please take my seat, thor
    Pema Pera: Be-IT Bar
    Terri Holrych: HA
    Maxine Walden: Oh, yeah!
    Tara Farmer: is that the name?
    Thorberg Nordlicht: are you leaving Dakini?
    Pema Pera: Be-at IT Bar
    Dakini Rhode: do you know what big I big T means to me?
    Tara Farmer: Be Bar
    Maxine Walden: BB
    Pema Pera: Be Inn
    Dakini Rhode: Information Technology!
    Tara Farmer: eh
    Pema Pera: DoBeDo Bar
    Dakini Rhode: yay IT
    Tara Farmer: yup that makes sense dakini
    Terri Holrych: i don’t know i don’t understand i am not sure what the BIG IT is
    Maxine Walden: with bells on
    Tara Farmer: do be do be do
    Terri Holrych: that’s hawt
    Pema Pera: ah, Terri that is what we are here for
    Maxine Walden: where there’s music…
    Pema Pera: to find the IT in the void ;>)
    Pema Pera: seriously

    I just love these cheerful texting exchanges, with their own wit and charm, combined with the colorful presence and dynamics of all the avatars around.

    Tara Farmer: IT says cheese to me
    Terri Holrych: where is it not
    Maxine Walden: I think Pema is serious…and voice is part of what we explore here
    Terri Holrych: cheese la
    Maxine Walden: void
    Maxine Walden: voice and void, interesting slip on my part
    Maxine Walden: have to go in about a minute
    Dakini Rhode: i thought you were ready to try voice!
    Pema Pera: the beautiful thing here is that, I think for the first time in my life, I feel I can be really fully playful AND serious at the very same time — thank you all for creating the space to make this possible ! ! !
    Maxine Walden: had not consciously thought about that, but interesting idea…maybe, maybe not
    Terri Holrych: aw
    Maxine Walden: thank you, Pema, you are the major creator (pardon the phrase) here
    Dakini Rhode: when we don’t have to record the chat for the blog, it would be nice to use voice
    Pema Pera: we can mix
    Pema Pera: I mean not at the same time
    Pema Pera: but some sessions voice
    Pema Pera: some text
    Dakini Rhode: it would be different - push the boundaries of our experience
    Sky Szimmer: I got to run too! See you later!
    Pema Pera: c u Sky!
    Maxine Walden: gotta go, see you all later, great group tonight..
    Pema Pera: cu Max!
    Terri Holrych: ja mata

    which is Japanese for “see you again”. I keep being surprised at how many people passing through the tea house speak some Japanese . . . .

    Pema Pera: yes
    Dakini Rhode: nite, Max!
    Pema Pera: Terri-san nihongo?
    Tara Farmer: i wanna go on a tour in the balloon
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: thor: you’re flipping me out w/ that laptop
    Thorberg Nordlicht: problem with voice for me is i’m sharing a house, only internet connection is in living room, and other folks here are doing other things
    Terri Holrych: sukoshi
    Pema Pera: hiragana?
    Terri Holrych: headphones?
    Terri Holrych: no hiragana
    Terri Holrych: too rusty
    Pema Pera: ima Kyoto
    Thorberg Nordlicht: “flipping you out” as a good thing or a bad thing?
    Dakini Rhode: i need to leave too - Namaste all
    Tara Farmer: bye dakini
    Terri Holrych: i want to go to kyoto
    Pema Pera: thanks, Dakini!
    Dakini Rhode: Namaste
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: its great. ridiculously recursive
    Pema Pera: c u !
    Terri Holrych: namaste
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: this is a quite a silly assembly. visually, at least.
    Pema Pera: douzo, Terri-san
    Terri Holrych: :)

    After all the goodbyes we seemed ready for our balloon ride.

    Pema Pera: shall we go have a balloon ride?
    Tara Farmer: a motley crew
    Thorberg Nordlicht: and in RL I’m actually using a Vaio, too
    Tara Farmer: yes yes yes pema
    Terri Holrych: haha
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: i am wondering if this group would have ever found each other in RL…
    Terri Holrych: probably not
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: pema: not enough hot air in here for you?
    Pema Pera: let me get the instructions — just keep talking . . . .
    Terri Holrych: i want to go on a balloon ride
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: and if we had, would we have hit it off…
    Thorberg Nordlicht: no, wouldn’t have found each other because we’re in different geographic locations in RL
    Terri Holrych: lol
    Thorberg Nordlicht: naw, for one thing, i’m an old guy, you probably wouldn’t even want to hang out with me :-)
    Terri Holrych: im old too
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: i’m short.
    Terri Holrych: im fat
    Terri Holrych: lol
    Thorberg Nordlicht: that’s one of the fun things about SL is you can have an alter ego that’s totally different than your RL self
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: so all this change, and yet somehow, essences are preserved (and recognized)
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: that’s what you think!
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: it takes very good acting skills to take on an entirely differnt self
    Thorberg Nordlicht: yes, I think it’s fascinating to see what translates well into SL and what doesn’t
    Terri Holrych: i think this is closer to my internal self
    Caledonia Heron: bye everyone, thanks for having me :)
    Thorberg Nordlicht: up until a few days ago Pema had a mohawk; i suspect he doesn’t have one in RL
    Thorberg Nordlicht: good night Caledonia; oops, too late
    Terri Holrych: yeah
    Terri Holrych: i dont have pink hair either
    Terri Holrych: lol
    Thorberg Nordlicht: and when we do Zazen, my avitar can sit full lotus
    Thorberg Nordlicht: if I tried that in RL, I would break my knees
    Terri Holrych: stretch
    Terri Holrych: hehe
    Thorberg Nordlicht: yes, I’ve tried stretching, even took a yoga for sitters class

    I had to dig up the coordinates for the new beach property, where Storm had built balloons and had already scripted them for a tour of that area.

    Pema Pera: okay, got all the info!
    Pema Pera: Storm has done so much
    Pema Pera: while I was flying and sleeping
    Pema Pera: I’m very curious to see it too!
    Pema Pera: let me go over and tp
    Terri Holrych: ok
    Terri Holrych: oh
    Terri Holrych: :(
    Pema Pera: just a moment
    Pema Pera: still struggling with computer
    Thorberg Nordlicht: it’s helped a bit, but i have a long way to go to be able to sit full lotus; half lotus, aka Burmese, is the best i can do
    Terri Holrych: i like burmese too
    Thorberg Nordlicht: but even then the foot underneath goes to sleep sometimes
    Teleport completed from http://slurl.com/secondlife/Rieul/246/209/76
    Terri Holrych: hi
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: whoa. i totally zoned out
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: purty
    Terri Holrych: haha
    Thorberg Nordlicht: balloon!
    Terri Holrych: lol
    Thorberg Nordlicht: i guess since i was the first to sit down, i got the menu; it’s waiting for me to select fly
    Thorberg Nordlicht: everybody on board
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: hah. there is room on each other’s laps
    Pema Pera: I wonder what happened to Tara

    After I had teleported myself to the balloon, I tp-ed the others over, and we were ready for a ride. It was a bit tricky to find our proper places, since we sometimes wound up sitting on each others lap. Thorberg then clicked on balloon, and Storm’s script let the balloon rise slowly gently swaying in the wind.

    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: who programmed this baloon…
    Balloon whispers: Welcome to the Storm’s tour balloon.
    Balloon whispers: Destination East Coastal
    Terri Holrych: wheeeeee
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: hope no one is afraid of heights
    Terri Holrych: heheh
    Thorberg Nordlicht: in RL I am, but doesn’t bother my avatar; guess it’s because in SL, I can fly anyway so i know there’s no danger
    Terri Holrych: the stars are nice
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: even though i can fly, the tour is great.
    Pema Pera: Storm made the balloon and programmed it
    Thorberg Nordlicht: maybe you can IM tara
    Pema Pera: I did
    Pema Pera: but Tara is off line
    Balloon whispers: Warning! Sim boundary crossing
    Pema Pera: so the idea is to create a forest connecting the tea house to the sea
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: so, is there a movie on this flight?
    Terri Holrych: lol
    Pema Pera: haha
    Pema Pera: so you can walk for hours
    Pema Pera: and there will be streams and hills and waterfalls
    Thorberg Nordlicht: be sure to try mouseview (”m” command) and look at the floor
    Pema Pera: and many places for retreat huts
    Terri Holrych: cool
    Pema Pera: so we can all find places for ourselves there
    Thorberg Nordlicht: very cool
    Pema Pera: creating a community
    Thorberg Nordlicht: fun

    Most of the time we had been silent, enjoying the night view of the landscape and the sea, under starry skies. Before we knew it, the balloon landed. Since Storm had programmed several tours, I suggested to try another one. We had just taken the East Coastal ride, and we were ready for the North Coastal one.

    Pema Pera: ready for the second balloon flight?
    Terri Holrych: cool
    Pema Pera: I’ll tp again
    Terri Holrych: ok
    Thorberg Nordlicht: i think it’s a SL but; you were kneeling when you teleported
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: or, maybe I just need to be kissed by a frog or something
    Thorberg Nordlicht: it’s best to stand up before you teleport
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: I didn’t teleport! I accepted one….
    Terri Holrych: i was sitting too
    Pema Pera: same thing
    Terri Holrych: lol
    Pema Pera: so how do we start the balloon ride?
    Pema Pera: automatically?
    Balloon whispers: Welcome to the Storm’s tour balloon.
    Balloon whispers: Destination North Coastal
    Balloon whispers: Please remain seated during the tour.
    Pema Pera: clicking did it
    Terri Holrych: ooooo
    Pema Pera: clicking on the balloon
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: i blame linden. no victim complex for me.
    Balloon whispers: Warning! Sim boundary crossing
    Terri Holrych: where is linden
    Thorberg Nordlicht: breezy up here; my tie is fluttering in the wind
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: everywhere!
    Terri Holrych: oooo
    Terri Holrych: like the great OZ
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: um, there is no floor anymore
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: that’s unnerving
    Terri Holrych: its transparent
    Terri Holrych: u can se thru it
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: if you say so
    Terri Holrych: like a glass bottom boat
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: i dare you to stand on it then
    Terri Holrych: seee the swirls
    Terri Holrych: there is still a floor
    Terri Holrych: lol
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: uh oh. Thor took the dare. Should have gone for truth.
    Terri Holrych: someone left us
    Terri Holrych: no it says u have to stay seated
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: grrr

    Indeed: the balloon was constructed in such a way that you were supported only while seated. As soon as you would stand up, you would fall through the phantom floor. At that point it would require some expertise in flying around to catch up again with the balloon and to click once more to get back onto a seat.

    Pema Pera: hi Sky!
    Sky Szimmer: oh! what a surprise
    Terri Holrych: lol
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: thanks. but that didn’t help at all
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: i was still sitting on the other end :-(
    Sky Szimmer: i came here to study my book on SL
    Sky Szimmer: I was able to take off my body parts, etc.
    Thorberg Nordlicht: thanks; teleported home by accident; trying to take a snapshot and hit wrong key
    Sky Szimmer: haha
    Terri Holrych: ooo we thought you fell thru the transparent floor

    So our interpretation had been wrong, and we reunited after the end of the trip. By that time I had seen that Sky was online, and I had teleported her over. As she told us, she just happened to be in SL to practice, using a book she had acquired. There were four of us seated in the balloon, and it was not clear whetter the two benches each would seat a third person.

    Pema Pera: now let us see whether it seat five
    Sky Szimmer: guess this isn’t the best spot to do that!
    Pema Pera: haha
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: heh. comfy?
    Terri Holrych: llol
    Pema Pera: can you fit Thor?
    Pema Pera: haha
    Sky Szimmer: cool. didn’t expect to go for a ride in the balloon.

    After several tries, number five would always wind up in the seat of one of the other four, in a curious type of superposition.

    Pema Pera: it may be only four
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: um… thor…
    Sky Szimmer: then I’d go
    Pema Pera: nonono
    Thorberg Nordlicht: full house, go ahead without me
    Sky Szimmer: I wasn’t planning on this any how
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: i already rode. i can hang out here
    Pema Pera: no let us have two groups
    Pema Pera: two and three
    Pema Pera: who wants to come with me
    Sky Szimmer: I guess I do
    Pema Pera: okay
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: have you read about that girl in india born w/ 2 faces?
    Pema Pera: so sky and I take the second balloon
    Terri Holrych: i will go
    Pema Pera: sky you can just walk out
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: m
    Pema Pera: just click on the balloon to make it go
    Pema Pera: and a new balloon will appear
    Pema Pera: Fried???
    Thorberg Nordlicht: hey folks, i’ve got to leave now; RL dinner is calling; see you guys later

    We started our third balloon trip, this time all the way into the Void!

    Balloon whispers: Welcome to the Storm’s tour balloon.
    Balloon whispers: Destination East Coastal
    Balloon whispers: Please remain seated during the tour.
    Terri Holrych: ooopp
    Pema Pera: see you Thor!
    Thorberg Nordlicht: good night folks;
    Pema Pera: oops?
    Balloon whispers: Welcome to the Storm’s tour balloon.
    Balloon whispers: Destination North Coastal
    Balloon whispers: Please remain seated during the tour.
    Sky Szimmer: whee, let’s go!
    Pema Pera: just in time Terri!
    Terri Holrych: i keep sitting in laps
    Pema Pera: haha
    Terri Holrych: hawt
    Pema Pera: well, at least you can enjoy the view
    Terri Holrych: yeah
    Terri Holrych: it looks like i am u
    Balloon whispers: Warning! Sim boundary crossing
    Pema Pera: haha
    Terri Holrych: zen weirdness
    Sky Szimmer: where are we going?
    Terri Holrych: no where

    I wondered whether she realized how true that was! The void was waiting for us. Terri and I had landed on the same seat, but we had given up trying to disentangle.

    Sky Szimmer: you guys look weird
    Terri Holrych: he says we look weird
    Pema Pera: like a four-armed deiy
    Terri Holrych: haha
    Sky Szimmer: i feel like i can see what your kids would look like
    Terri Holrych: chenrezig
    Pema Pera: haha
    Pema Pera: lol
    Terri Holrych: haha
    Terri Holrych: how come we have dots above our heads
    Pema Pera: that means we can speak using voice
    Sky Szimmer: where are we headed?
    Pema Pera: just a tour around the land
    Balloon whispers: Warning! Sim boundary crossing
    Balloon whispers: Into the VOID!
    Terri Holrych: ooo
    Pema Pera: yeah, VOID!
    Terri Holrych: the void
    Terri Holrych: ?
    Pema Pera: beyond the coast
    Pema Pera: once we get into a sim
    Terri Holrych: what is the void…
    Terri Holrych: ooo
    Balloon whispers: Warning! Sim boundary crossing
    Terri Holrych: what is the red thing down there
    Pema Pera: sorry
    Pema Pera: once we get away from the coast
    Terri Holrych: for wot
    Pema Pera: into the open see
    Terri Holrych: ooo
    Pema Pera: then a fully sea sim
    Pema Pera: is called a void
    Terri Holrych: a sea sim
    Pema Pera: since there are no objects three
    Pema Pera: on land
    Terri Holrych: kool
    Pema Pera: what happened to Sky?
    Terri Holrych: i dunno
    Terri Holrych: :(

    Somehow Sky has disappeared, perhaps a crash? Both Terri and I had relatively long hair, that was moving up all around us when we were descending to touch down on the ground, at the end of the ride.

    Pema Pera: we were letting our hair down
    Pema Pera: when we arrived ;>)
    Terri Holrych: heehee
    Terri Holrych: so are u japanese
    Pema Pera: no Dutch
    Terri Holrych: oh there is sky
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: actually, its fred
    Pema Pera: to get up
    Terri Holrych: fred is here too
    Pema Pera: Terri
    Pema Pera: Hi Fred!
    Terri Holrych: yea
    Pema Pera: try fly
    Terri Holrych: wot
    Pema Pera: and stop flying
    Pema Pera: fly
    Pema Pera: on the bottom bar
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: kneeling sickness
    Pema Pera: yes
    Pema Pera: then stop flying
    Pema Pera: same button
    Pema Pera: oops
    Pema Pera: still no cure

    The problem was that sometimes after a balloon ride, some of us would still remain in the seating position. My suggestion to try flying did not cure the sitting, so I decide to try something else, using the rendez-vous tool I had recently acquired, a way to walk or fly in tandem.

    Pema Pera: let me try something else Terri
    Pema Pera: just come here
    Terri Holrych: i dont have kneeling sickness do i
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: i’m more and more convinced it was a spelll
    Rendezvous Couples 2.000: Resetting Rendezvous …
    Rendezvous Couples 2.000: Reset Done
    Terri Holrych: whats in the box
    Pema Pera: Terri if you right click the red cube and “sit”
    Pema Pera: the cube near me
    Pema Pera: then we can fly in formation
    Pema Pera: a new tool
    Terri Holrych: oooo
    Sky Szimmer: what’s with the canadian flag? is that the neighbor
    Pema Pera: I have shown it to Sky
    Pema Pera: then after that
    Pema Pera: I hope you are cured!
    Terri Holrych: hot
    Terri Holrych: hehe
    Pema Pera: isn’t that nice?
    Pema Pera: like a fairy tale!
    Terri Holrych: that is nice
    Terri Holrych: lol
    Terri Holrych: it would be hot if i was in the princess outfit
    Terri Holrych: lol
    Terri Holrych: wheeeeeee
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: its very comfortable
    Terri Holrych: tht was fun
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: hey terri! you’re walking
    Sky Szimmer: naw. got to run really. just came to change m look.
    Terri Holrych: yeah
    Sky Szimmer: see you all!
    Pema Pera: cu !
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: see ya

    After our pairwise flight, it seemed that Terri could stand up and walk, but alas, soon thereafter she returned to a sitting position.

    Pema Pera: no cure still Terri
    Pema Pera: sorry guys
    Terri Holrych: i am doing it too?
    Pema Pera: couldn’t find you both back
    Pema Pera: after started to fly
    Pema Pera: hard to orient!
    Pema Pera: well, I have to leave now too.
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: snicker.
    Terri Holrych: ok peace out
    Pema Pera: good seeing you all!
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: good deal - see you around
    Terri Holrych: ttyl
    Terri Holrych: nice meeting u
    Pema Pera: oh, Terri
    Terri Holrych: see u soon
    Pema Pera: by the way
    Terri Holrych: ok
    Pema Pera: this is your first visit to our play as being group, right?
    Terri Holrych: yeah
    Terri Holrych: i stumbled it
    Pema Pera: How did you hear about us?
    Terri Holrych: i joined all the buddhist groups
    Terri Holrych: and got the im for zazen
    Terri Holrych: then my puter froze
    Terri Holrych: so i started walking toward the teahouse
    Terri Holrych: and everyone was der
    Terri Holrych: so i was der
    Pema Pera: great, well, welcome!
    Terri Holrych: and it was hawt
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: geez, i hope I don’t wake up w/ this kneeling disorder
    Pema Pera: hahaha, Fred
    Terri Holrych: lol
    Pema Pera: there must be a way
    Terri Holrych: thank you
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: cinco de mayo caught up w/ me
    Pema Pera: in general standing up before tp should do it
    Terri Holrych: like quit and restart
    Pema Pera: and that too, Terri
    Pema Pera: yes
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: _now_ you tell me…

    Fred left SL and logged back in again.

    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: I’m free!
    Terri Holrych: hes liberated
    Terri Holrych: awesome
    Pema Pera: congratulations, Fred!

    At that point, someone in the neighboring building shouted to us:

    neighbor: HEY FRIED HEY PEM HEY TERR
    Pema Pera shouts: HI Addyson
    Terri Holrych: hi neighbor
    Pema Pera: you have to shout Fred
    Pema Pera: sorry Terri
    neighbor shouts: COME DANCE AND PARTY WITH US WERE HAVING A PJ PATY 600Ls ON THE BAORDS
    Pema Pera: they are too far
    Terri Holrych: oh
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: spin class?
    Terri Holrych: lol
    Terri Holrych: looking for her
    You shout: okay!
    Terri Holrych: w.e.
    Pema Pera: well I think we should greet the neighbors
    Pema Pera: since we are new
    Terri Holrych: so u are a web designer
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: HELLO, HELLO, HELLO
    Pema Pera: do you have five minutes?
    Terri Holrych: ok
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: that’s not a shout, is it
    neighbor shouts: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Buyeo/93/38/21
    Terri Holrych: yup

    At that moment Genesis dropped out of the Sky, after she had logged in and asked me for a tp.

    Pema Pera: Hi Gen!
    Pema Pera: Have you met Fred?
    Terri Holrych: hey
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: hi there. i don’t think so
    Pema Pera: Terri is a new participant as of today
    Pema Pera: Terri do you want to log out and log in again, to lose your seated position?
    Terri Holrych: oops
    genesis Zhangsun: Hi Pema no I haven’t met Fred. Hi Fred!
    Pema Pera: I can tp you
    Terri Holrych: ok
    Pema Pera: can’t dance that way
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: i heard the invitation to dance, i think
    genesis Zhangsun: What is this place, is this yours Pema?
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: telepathic avatars?
    Pema Pera: this is near the void
    Pema Pera: the void is in the sea
    Pema Pera: when you get out to the next sim
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: you’ve been busy.
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: place looks great. congrats.
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: welcome back, teri

    This time Terri, too, was finally able to stand again.

    Terri Holrych: hello
    Terri Holrych: hi
    Pema Pera: Hi terri
    Terri Holrych: what i miss
    Terri Holrych: farting?
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: fireworks and aligators
    Terri Holrych: wait i am getting ims
    Terri Holrych: lol someone was iming in a group
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: folks, i think i need to bid you all farewell
    Pema Pera: okay, Fred
    Terri Holrych: and i was like wot??
    Pema Pera: thanks for coming over!
    Friedrich Ochsenhorn: best regards.
    Terri Holrych: bye Fried
    Terri Holrych: peace
    Terri Holrych: so i am still getting used to this program
    Terri Holrych: i was never a gamer
    Terri Holrych: unless zelda counts when i was in jr high
    Pema Pera: me neither
    Pema Pera: it takes a long time
    Terri Holrych: on an ancient nintendo
    Terri Holrych: lol
    Pema Pera: shall we go see the neighbors?
    Terri Holrych: okee
    Pema Pera: Gen, the neighbors just shouted
    Pema Pera: they have a dance party
    Pema Pera: shall we go over?
    Pema Pera: I have not met them yet
    Terri Holrych: which neighbors
    Terri Holrych: that canadian one
    Terri Holrych: ?
    Pema Pera: nearby
    Pema Pera: follow me
    Pema Pera: okay Gen?
    Terri Holrych: ill try
    Pema Pera: I will tp you both if you get lost
    Terri Holrych: ok

    With the three of us who remained, we jumped into the dance hall next door.

    Pema Pera: the trick is to look for the green dots on the mini-map
    Pema Pera: that way you spot people
    Pema Pera: Gen?
    Terri Holrych: ooo
    Terri Holrych: i see
    Pema Pera: crashed?
    Terri Holrych: maybe
    Pema Pera: wb
    Terri Holrych: there is a lot of green dots in one spot
    genesis Zhangsun: Hi I’m back my program crashed
    Terri Holrych: hi welcome back
    genesis Zhangsun: Hi Terri nice to meet you
    Terri Holrych: hi
    Terri Holrych: :)
    genesis Zhangsun: are you new to SL too?
    Terri Holrych: yes
    Terri Holrych: a week old
    Terri Holrych: lol
    genesis Zhangsun: just a baby!
    neighbor: HEY PEMA HUN!
    Pema Pera: hi there!
    neighbor: HOW IS EVERYONEN
    genesis Zhangsun: Hi wow lets boogie
    neighbor: THANK U FOR COMIN
    Pema Pera: thanks for inviting!
    neighbor: WELCOME HUN
    neighbor: =)
    Terri Holrych: hi
    Terri Holrych: thanks for inviting us

    Seeing everyone dancing, Genesis quickly did our chocolate disco gig:

    genesis Zhangsun: チョコレイト・ディスコ ♪
    neighbor: UR SO WELCOME
    Pema Pera: haha, Gen, great!
    Pema Pera: Japanese disco!
    Terri Holrych: fun
    Terri Holrych: lol
    genesis Zhangsun: Unfortunately or fortunately those are the only moves I’ve got
    Terri Holrych: i love her cat slippers
    genesis Zhangsun: at the moment
    Terri Holrych: haha
    genesis Zhangsun: me too
    genesis Zhangsun: wow I have to get a pair

    From that point on we greeted a lot of other people, and joined various dances, voted for best dancers, and finally tipped the DJ before we left. We had gotten yet more of a flavor of what is going on in the rest of SL, beyond the horizon of the tea house :-).

    Just when we were about to disbandon, Terri suggested to make a brief visit to Bodhi Island. Before we knew it, we would stay there for another hour. Time sometimes seems to be almost infinitely stretchable in SL :-). It was a chance for me to mean Spiritnoname, who had visited the tea house for the first time while I was in the air in RL.

    Pema Pera: hi Spirit!
    Spiritnoname Saphir: Hiya
    genesis Zhangsun: Hey Spirit
    Spiritnoname Saphir: Terri, right in front of you now :p
    Terri Holrych: hi this is my friend Spiritnoname
    Terri Holrych: this is bodhi island spirit no name
    Pema Pera: nice meeting you Spirit!
    Terri Holrych: that’s pema and genesis
    Pema Pera: Gen, you may want to log out and in again
    Pema Pera: simplest
    Terri Holrych: they are possessed by a dancing ghost
    Pema Pera: hahaha
    Spiritnoname Saphir: :p
    genesis Zhangsun: Oh ok am I still dancing too?
    Terri Holrych: so who wants to see my vajrayogini outfit
    Pema Pera: sure!
    Terri Holrych: yes u are still dancing
    Spiritnoname Saphir: I would like to see it :p
    Terri Holrych: ok hold on
    genesis Zhangsun: I can’t see that ok I will log out
    Pema Pera: I’ll tp you
    Spiritnoname Saphir: omg lol cool
    Terri Holrych: tada
    Pema Pera: beautiful necklace!

    Indeed, Terri looked lovely in her Vajrayogini dress.

    Terri Holrych: thanks
    Terri Holrych: lol
    Pema Pera: you’re looking more quiet now, Gen!
    Terri Holrych: so i was hella bored
    Terri Holrych: so i got dressed up
    Terri Holrych: if you take the sky life it takes you to the mandala
    genesis Zhangsun: Great but Pema I think you are still dancing
    Terri Holrych: its awesome
    Pema Pera: do you come here ofen Terri?
    Spiritnoname Saphir: hmm,… I think I’ll try it :p
    Pema Pera: I am dancing?
    Pema Pera: not for me
    Lift: Lift ready. Sit to start ascending by non-physics to 310 meters.
    genesis Zhangsun: Yes you are still dancing in my screen
    Terri Holrych: have u guys been to the mandala
    genesis Zhangsun: when you told I was still dancing I didn’t know
    Pema Pera: sorry terri which tp?
    genesis Zhangsun: LOL
    Terri Holrych: did you type the stop command
    Pema Pera: am I dancing for you Terri?
    Terri Holrych: yes you are still dancing
    genesis Zhangsun: LOL
    Pema Pera: odd
    Pema Pera: just a sec
    genesis Zhangsun: you are really working it Pema
    Terri Holrych: you click on the box over there
    Pema Pera: that was /99stop?
    genesis Zhangsun: in front of this beautiful bridge
    Terri Holrych: yes
    Terri Holrych: type /99stop
    Pema Pera: am I still dancin now?
    Terri Holrych: you click on the box
    Terri Holrych: yes you are still dancing
    Terri Holrych: lol
    genesis Zhangsun: wow Terri did you chance outfit?
    Terri Holrych: i made it
    Terri Holrych: did you find the mandala

    I logged out and in again, and finally got rid of my dancing behavior which had been invisible to me but visible to the others.

    Terri Holrych: it will take u
    Pema Pera: out of dance now?
    Terri Holrych: hold on
    genesis Zhangsun: Yes you are out of dance
    Terri Holrych: yes
    genesis Zhangsun: it was great fun though to watch you!
    genesis Zhangsun: ;)
    Lift: Lift ready. Sit to start ascending by non-physics to 310 meters.
    Pema Pera: love the vajrayogini dress Terri
    Pema Pera: have you practiced with vajrayogini?
    Pema Pera: haha, Gen, thanks!
    Terri Holrych: no i dont have an empowerment but my friend is all gaga over her
    Terri Holrych: lol
    Pema Pera: she’s pretty special!
    Terri Holrych: wait i think its not this lift
    Pema Pera: do you know about vajrayogini Gen?
    Terri Holrych: its the one by the stupa
    Terri Holrych: follow me
    Spiritnoname Saphir: k
    genesis Zhangsun: no I don’t what it?
    Terri Holrych: follow me
    Spiritnoname Saphir: (nods)
    Terri Holrych: touch it and choose mandala
    Spiritnoname Saphir: k
    Terri Holrych: then you click it again and select get on
    Spiritnoname Saphir: Okay
    Terri Holrych: make sure you set it to mandala
    Terri Holrych: ok
    Terri Holrych: lol
    Terri Holrych: i didnt know there was only 1
    Pema Pera: vajrayogini is one of the most powerful dakinis
    Pema Pera: Gen
    Terri Holrych: i am usually here by myself
    Terri Holrych: ok get on it
    Pema Pera: Tibetan dakini
    Pema Pera: nice stupa!
    Pema Pera: I had a poster of vajrayogini for many years
    Pema Pera: in my kitchen ;>)
    Pema Pera: after you !

    One by one we took the elevator to the mandala, constructed in blazing primary colors. We walked around there, on the several levels of the building there, and continued our discussion. Since the current blog entry is already unusually long, I will not include all that here.

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    Originally written on 23:42, 26 Oct 2008
    From Terri Holrych // 2008, June 4, Wednesday at 8:41 am:

    that was a really fun night! I hope we have more!
    Posted 01:16, 9 Apr 2010
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