2008.09.11 01:00 - Japan, Korea, and Kansas

That night, at 1 am, I, Pema, found a whole group already gathered in the pavilion: Gaya, Kat, Kristen, Vertigo! Since I fell into the middle of the conversation, I was not exactly sure what the threads of the first few lines were.(Gaya: just saying hello as below)

Kat Lemieux: How are you, Gaya?
Kat Lemieux: Hi Vertigo
Vertigo Ethaniel: :)
Gaya Ethaniel: Hey Vertigo
Kat Lemieux: Nice to see you again
Gaya Ethaniel: _/!\_
Kristen Lefevre: hey vertigo
Vertigo Ethaniel: hi girls, hows is going?
Kristen Lefevre: ok
Gaya Ethaniel giggles. Well thank you, yourself?
Vertigo Ethaniel: exhausted
Kat Lemieux: Doing better, thanks
Gaya Ethaniel: Good exhausted I hope
Kat Lemieux: Yesterday I managed to hand off some heavy responsibilities, so I'm feeling pretty smug
Kat Lemieux: HI Pema
Pema Pera: Hi Kat, Vertigo, Gaya, Kristen!
Vertigo Ethaniel: I don’t think there is ever a good exhausted :)
Kristen Lefevre: hey Pema
Gaya Ethaniel smiles. That's good Kat.
Vertigo Ethaniel: hi Pema, sup!
Gaya Ethaniel: _/!\_
Gaya Ethaniel: Hope there is Vertigo. Say after doing something one enjoys, ie gardening?
Vertigo Ethaniel: yea, that’s true
Vertigo Ethaniel: and it feels pretty good to just sit back and calm oneself down
Kat Lemieux: Yep!
Gaya Ethaniel nods.
Vertigo Ethaniel: hope I didn’t interrupt a deep discussion
Kat Lemieux: No, people were just greeting one another
Kristen Lefevre: we were just discussing hellos
Gaya Ethaniel smiles
Pema Pera: (and waiting seemingly endless for SL to rezzzz)
Kat Lemieux: ;-) That could be a long wait
Faenik: なるほど^^
Kristen Lefevre: lol, might be your network Pema
Pema Pera: you're all still grey for me, with grey balls for cushions on your laps
Pema Pera: could be
Gaya Ethaniel: Again sitting in a coffee shop by an underground station Pema?
Pema Pera: but file transfer is fast otherwise
Pema Pera: no, this time in a library on a hill
Gaya Ethaniel: Ah
Kat Lemieux: Ah, it's the hill that's doing it
Pema Pera: in Shizuoka
Vertigo Ethaniel: Japan is supposed to have amazing internet connections
Pema Pera: halfway between Tokyo and Nagoya
Gaya Ethaniel: Somewhat mixed I've heard Vertigo. Isn't it Pema?
Vertigo Ethaniel: Don’t suppose you are taking pics? :)
Pema Pera: :-)
Pema Pera: they do have fiber almost everywhere
Gaya Ethaniel: My ex-colleagues working in Japan complained a lot about Internet connection once they got used to using Internet in Korea.
Pema Pera: whereas I, living in Manhattan, still have to wait for fiber . . . .
Kristen Lefevre: I'll be back in a bit, sorry
Gaya Ethaniel: Sure

From Japan to Korea to Kansas . . . .

Kat Lemieux: The only place I've seen universal fiber is in -- get this -- rural NE Kansas
Pema Pera: yes, Korea seems to be about the best connected country
Gaya Ethaniel: It's good and bad... how Internet is used in Korea because of such availabilities
Pema Pera: how so?
Kat Lemieux: None of the big telcos would serve the area, so some enterprising person started a local co-op. Not only great service, but low prices, too!
Pema Pera: great, Kat!
Gaya Ethaniel: Well everything is connected but Korea is very contained in a way in terms of Internet. Google has has difficulties dominating the market for example. That's one thing.
Kat Lemieux: Yeah, only trouble is, we're across the river from there. But our cable here is pretty good, so I'm not unhappy
Gaya Ethaniel smiles. That's good Kat
Vertigo Ethaniel: Pema, does the library have a name?
Pema Pera: I presume so :-)
Vertigo Ethaniel: I suppose it’s/m not one you can read? :)
Pema Pera: oh sure
Pema Pera: I just have to get up and walk to where I can see the name
Gaya Ethaniel smiles
Kat Lemieux: Speaking of Japan and Korea, I'm looking for people fluent in one or both of those languages and English who wouldn't mind doing some volunteer work translating
Faenik is a hairy black ball with eyes and ears.
Vertigo Ethaniel: gaya, you stole faenik!
Gaya Ethaniel: Sure Kat. I speak a little Japanese also but only conversational. Did some translation work before.
Faenik points to Gaya, his current mode of transport.
Kat Lemieux: Also, Chinese (traditional and simplified), Arabic, Nederlands, Swedish and Russian
Gaya Ethaniel: Will ask around Kat.
Kat Lemieux: This might be a little tough -- it's technical stuff.
Pema Pera: 静岡県立中央図書館 is the name, Gaya
Kat Lemieux: Documentation of our exhibits at the International Spaceflight Museum
Gaya Ethaniel: Oh one of main library then Pema

Indeed! Gaya must have noticed the characters for "central", 中央.

Kat Lemieux: The good part is that the entries are usually not too long
Gaya Ethaniel: Sure Kat but can I start helping you next week. Atm I need to finish up some stuff for PaB.
Pema Pera: yes, Gaya
Vertigo Ethaniel: unreadable to me :/
Kat Lemieux: Wonderful, Gaya! Thanks!
Pema Pera: central library for Shizuoka Prefecture
Kat Lemieux: I'll put you in touch with Opal, who controls the accounts on our wiki where the docs are.
Pema Pera: Kat, I could do some Dutch translations, if you like
Gaya Ethaniel: Was going to give this note card where you can get a translator, Vertigo
Kat Lemieux: Wonderful! I was hoping you'd say that ;-)
Pema Pera: :-)
Vertigo Ethaniel: weee
Pema Pera: And welcome, Vertigo, as our latest guardian :-)
Gaya Ethaniel smiles. Yes welcome and good luck Vertigo.
Kat Lemieux: Congratulations, Vertigo!
Vertigo Ethaniel celebrates
Gaya offers a round of champagne.
Vertigo Ethaniel: 静岡県立中央図書館
Vertigo Ethaniel: hm
Kat Lemieux: You can celebrate acquiring responsibilities, and I celebrate shedding some!
Pema Pera: yes, that is the name
Pema Pera: hehe, kat!
Faenik pokes Gaya. Bit early to drink, don't you think?
why not? (‘fake Faenik’ of Pema)
Gaya Ethaniel giggles
Kat Lemieux: Chgampagne does that to some people, Gaya
Pema Pera: Vertigo, did you accept membership in playasbeinghere?
Vertigo Ethaniel: sure did
Pema Pera: ah! I have to refresh, I see, okay!

After Vertigo had been invited to become a guardian, I had offered him membership in the SL guardian group playasbeinghere, but I could only find his name there after I refreshed my group window.

Pema Pera: keep forgetting that
Pema Pera: Did your translator work, Vertigo, for the library name?
Vertigo Ethaniel: working on it
Faenik: indeed?
Vertigo Ethaniel: sneezing too hang on
Gaya Ethaniel: Sure
Kat Lemieux: bless you!
Pema Pera: (old Chinese saying, Vertigo, "sneezing to hang on"?)
Pema Pera wonders what Vertigo is translating
Faenik: 'Bless me.'
Gaya Ethaniel: What's that saying about Pema? (Gaya really thought there is such a saying doh!)
Kat Lemieux: ;-)
Faenik: なるほど^^
Kat Lemieux enjoys watching the circular joke
Pema Pera wondering, not having answers . . . .
Gaya Ethaniel: Oh I had a break through to share btw
Pema Pera: yes?
Vertigo Ethaniel: blah
Pema Pera: ?
Vertigo Ethaniel: think I’m coming down with a cold
Gaya Ethaniel: I've recently talked about... (oh now I need to change my group tag)
Gaya Ethaniel: Aww...
Faenik is a hairy black ball with eyes and ears.
Gaya Ethaniel: About how I used PaB exercises to 'escape' from looking into my emotions/thoughts
Gaya Ethaniel: Especially doing ESBS
Gaya Ethaniel: Last night, I overcame this fear of the blankness (babbled about this a lot in the past at PaB)
Gaya Ethaniel: By doing a sitting while being angry. That was a break through.
Pema Pera: can you say more, Gaya?
Gaya Ethaniel: Well when I started meditation back in 02-03, I used to use it to calm myself down but wasn't able to 'observe' myself
Gaya Ethaniel: That led me to feeling numb/flat for about 5 years after.
Gaya Ethaniel: Because by just calming myself down, seem that I suppressed my thoughts/emotions.
Vertigo Ethaniel: I think I know what you mean
Fael Illyar: Hi Pema, Kat, Vertigo, Gaya :)
Gaya Ethaniel: This I overcame a few months ago
Vertigo Ethaniel: hi fael!
Kat Lemieux: Hi Fael
Pema Pera: Hi Fael!

Fael joined us.

Faenik is a hairy black ball with eyes and ears.
Pema Pera: I'm glad to hear that, Gaya
Gaya Ethaniel: And I found myself doing the same with PaB exercises but I noticed pretty quick this time to stop myself repeating.
Gaya Ethaniel: _/!\_
Fael Illyar: I came here to be half afk while I make myself some breakfast :P
Gaya Ethaniel: Sure Fael
Gaya Ethaniel: So when I realised myself 'escaping' by 9 sec... that was a first break. Last night when I got to 'observe' anger while sitting without fear of doing meditation... another big break
Gaya Ethaniel: Could you say more Vertigo?
Pema Pera: Meditation can mean so many things to so many people . . . it is often portrayed as a kind of just calming the mind -- but calming and suppressing thoughts can be very close.
Pema Pera: or suppressing emotions
Vertigo Ethaniel: I often feel emotionless, or flat, I think it’s more common than you might think
Gaya Ethaniel: Yes Pema. At times it's good to meditate to calm down but not helpful to meditate just for that
Kat Lemieux: what are your thoughts on using meditation to handle physical pain?
Gaya Ethaniel listens
Gaya Ethaniel: Yes I do that at dentist Kat
Kat Lemieux: I was thinking more of chronic pain than episodic, but I guess that would work, too
Gaya Ethaniel: I've met Buddhists who have chronic illness and found meditation helpful
Pema Pera: There are so many forms of meditation, Kat, it would be like asking "is doing sport good for X" -- there are many kinds of sports
Kat Lemieux: ;-) True
Kat Lemieux: So, maybe I should try to be more specific?
Pema Pera: By and large the benefits of meditation are side effects -- sometimes very nice side effects though

Back to the PaB explorations.

Kat Lemieux: "Would the 9-second practice perhaps be useful for someone trying to cope with chronic pain?"
Pema Pera: although there are specific practices aimed at specific effects
Pema Pera: Well, it may well help, Kat
Pema Pera: but more as a side effect
Pema Pera: if you become more at ease with what is
Pema Pera: everything acquire more "ease"
Pema Pera: acquires
Kat Lemieux: I see what you mean
Pema Pera: dropping what you have to see what you are is the aim of the 9-sec, in a nut shell
Pema Pera: and pain is what you have
Pema Pera: but often feels like it is what you are
Kat Lemieux: Or what has you
Pema Pera: and to learn to dis-identify is a very good thing
Pema Pera: yes, indeed!
Faenik: なるほど^^
Gaya Ethaniel: I can cope with physical pain better now... since I saw the limit of how much I can 'control' my physical entity yesterday
Gaya Ethaniel: Always knew that bodies have involuntary movements, learnt at school but 'seeing' it make all the difference.
Gaya Ethaniel: That dis-identifying is something I could use for the experience I had yesterday Pema
Gaya Ethaniel: Not complete detachment but 'stepping aside' from my body
Pema Pera: can you say more, Gaya?
Faenik asks Gaya to stop repeating herself at various sessions.
fake Faenik reminds Pema that he has to leave for dinner early today
Gaya Ethaniel: Er... just that I 'saw' myself blinking Pema. Most of my childhood and early adulthood, I detached myself from my body. Then since starting meditation, I start identifying with my mind/body but perhaps too attached. From yesterday, I am able to wear this body lightly
Gaya Ethaniel giggles, hearing ‘fake Faenik’ again.
Pema Pera: That's great, Gaya, glad to hear that.
Gaya Ethaniel: Thank you Pema. I'm very happy also.
 Vertigo Ethaniel: yes, I’m currently acutely aware of my body, especially my breathing and my heartbeat
Pema Pera: Finding a balance is always the hardest thing.
Vertigo Ethaniel: so I understand that completely
Gaya Ethaniel nods.

Time for me to go.

Pema Pera: Well, my friends here in Shizuoka are looking to see when I will join them for dinner -- I told them I would be busy for half an hour :-)
Gaya Ethaniel: Enjoy your dinner Pema. Pleasure talking to you.
Gaya Ethaniel: _/!\_
Vertigo Ethaniel: I bet your dinner will be yummy
Pema Pera: thank you!
Kat Lemieux: Bon appetit!
Pema Pera: yeah, I'm sure
Faenik: could be
Pema Pera: ready for a beer too, it's been very hot and humid here
Pema Pera: thank you all!
Vertigo Ethaniel: see ya later
Pema Pera: Gaya, perhaps you can send me the chat log later and/or put it up on the wiki, for the rest of this session (I'm the goc)
Gaya Ethaniel: Sure Pema. Good evening
Pema Pera: see you all soon again!
Kat Lemieux: 'Bye!
Fael Illyar waves Pema goodbye
Kat Lemieux: I think I'm going to go get a cup of tea. It was good to see you all!
Gaya Ethaniel: Lovely seeing you again Kat. Let's catch up soon about the translation project. Good day.
Gaya Ethaniel: _/!\_
Kat Lemieux: Yes, I'll definitely be in touch about that, thanks!
Gaya Ethaniel: Pleasure
Kat Lemieux: See you all later!
Vertigo Ethaniel: oh bye kat!
Vertigo Ethaniel gets distracted
Gaya Ethaniel: Me too no worries Vertigo
Gaya Ethaniel: Perhaps you need some good rest for that cold
Vertigo Ethaniel: yes the couch is looking amazing at the moment.  Ok yup yup, time for couch
Fael Illyar: :)
Gaya Ethaniel: Take care Vertigo
Fael Illyar: See you later, Vertigo :)
Vertigo Ethaniel: namaste
Vertigo Ethaniel: thanks guys, see ya later
Gaya Ethaniel: _/!\_