2009.03.27 13:00 - Jazz in the subway, snow on Fuji

The Guardian for this meeting was Solobill Laville. The comments are by Solobill Laville.

I arrived at the Playgoda and sat in silence for a few minutes; a rarity!  Then Mick arrived.

    Solobill Laville: Miya, Mick :)
    Solobill Laville: *Hiya
    Mickorod Renard: hiya Solo
    Mickorod Renard: how are you?
    Solobill Laville: Good, thanks, and yourself?
    Mickorod Renard: fine ty,,just about warmed up,,very cold today
    Solobill Laville: ahh, it is a fine spring day here :)
    Mickorod Renard: grin,,well,,it serves me right going to work on motorbike
    Solobill Laville: Yes, especially in the cold! But the cold can be invigorating too
    Mickorod Renard: yes,,normally I prefer some discomfort for the freedom,,but it wore thin tonite
    Solobill Laville: :) Good excuse to drink something warm and delicious :)
    Mickorod Renard: yea,,well I am just having some tomato soup,,not quite what you were thinking of but does a similar thing
    Solobill Laville: yes, sure does
    Solobill Laville: I had a sushi lunch today :)
    Mickorod Renard: wow,,I have only had sushi once,,but I wasnt that taken by it
    Solobill Laville: :)
    Mickorod Renard: Hiya Wol

Wol joins us, then Eliza.

    Wol Euler: hello solo, mick
    Solobill Laville: Ms. Euler :)
    Mickorod Renard: Hiya eliza
    Wol Euler: helllo eliza
    Eliza Madrigal: Hi Mick, Wol, Solo :)
    Solobill Laville: Well hello, Eliza :)
    Eliza Madrigal: :)
    Solobill Laville: (seems we're going from SL meeting to SL meeting...)

I had just seen Eliza at a talk at another sim...

    Solobill Laville: :)
    Wol Euler: heheh
    Eliza Madrigal: hah...yes...a good day
    Mickorod Renard: yes,,sl now takes most of my spare time,,but the P a B and Kira are worthy interests
    Wol Euler: yeah, doesn't it just :)

Now Adams D, joins us.

    Wol Euler: hello adams
    Eliza Madrigal: Hi Adams :)
    Mickorod Renard: Hi Adams
    Wol Euler: and hello ara
    Solobill Laville: And in a way, we're all consumers of SL time/content, and thereby have to choose where to spend it

Now Arabella.

    Mickorod Renard: Hiya Ara
    Eliza Madrigal: Arabella, hello
    arabella Ella: hiya
    Solobill Laville: Hi, Adams, Arabella! :)
    Adams Dubrovna: Hello everyone. I am not going to stay. I just got a note from Zenon and am looking for him :)
    Adams Dubrovna: take care evryone :)
    Eliza Madrigal: Ah. Bye Adams
    Solobill Laville: I do believe we have a forum now! ;)
    arabella Ella: bye adams
    Mickorod Renard: bye Adams
    Wol Euler nods. Attention: the only commodity still in short supply (apart from commonsense)
    Solobill Laville: ok, Adams :)
    Wol Euler: you'll have fun with Zenon, Adams, he's great.
    Solobill Laville: "the value of uncommon sense"...

The 15-minute bells sounds.

    Wol Euler: oh, that's new. Did Storm add that?
    Solobill Laville breathes 10...
    Eliza Madrigal: Yes, this morning. So that if the sound is off for someone
    Eliza Madrigal: they'll be attentive anyway :)
    Eliza Madrigal: Pema thought it would be a good idea...

I steer us a bit on-topic.

    Solobill Laville: Any PaB practical topics to share today, folks?
    Mickorod Renard: mmmmmmmm can't think of much
    Solobill Laville: OK, any non-practical ones? ;)
    Mickorod Renard: maybe not thinking is a good one
    Solobill Laville: When was the last time everyone "stopped", in any way?
    Wol Euler: at lunch today, actually. Over a glass of white wine :)
    Solobill Laville: :))
    Eliza Madrigal: :) A nice wine, Wol?
    Wol Euler: very nice, a mild Chablis.
    Mickorod Renard: when I got home,,after a hard week,,and now my brain refuses to respond,,he he

Pema arrives for his "hit-em-all-week" visit.

    Wol Euler: hello pema
    Mickorod Renard: Hiya Pema
    Eliza Madrigal: Hello Pema :)
    arabella Ella: hiya pema
    Solobill Laville: Hiya, Pema :)
    arabella Ella: sounds good to me
    Pema Pera: Good afternoon, or as the case may be!
    Solobill Laville: 5 minutes ago for me...10 breaths
    Eliza Madrigal: :)
    arabella Ella: i may not be too active tonite as i had a very tough day today
    Solobill Laville: After lunch as well...great sushi...then walking in the sunshine; just happy-stuff
    Solobill Laville: Oh, so sorry, Arabella
    Wol Euler: sorry to hear it, Ara.
    Eliza Madrigal: Good place for you to be then (here now), Arabella :)
    Pema Pera: you can use this is a place to rest and recharge, Arabella!
    arabella Ella: yes i need PaB so much now
    arabella Ella: long day long week with around 12 hours work a day
    Solobill Laville: Oof
    Wol Euler nods sympathetically

I had sent Pema a notecard of the chat log until his arrival...

    Pema Pera: Solobill asked [13:18] Solobill Laville: When was the last time everyone "stopped", in any way? -- thank you for the notecard, Solo! Well for me it was ten minutes ago, making me late :(
    Pema Pera: there was this wonderful jazz septet in the subway station here in New York
    Wol Euler: ah :)
    Solobill Laville: :)
    Pema Pera: incredidle energy
    Pema Pera: just amazing
    arabella Ella: how lovely
    Pema Pera: you just have to love New York at such a moment
    Pema Pera: and seeing everybody smile
    Wol Euler smiles
    Pema Pera: such a difference from the daily rut
    Eliza Madrigal: Ah, nice! Great to live in that place where anything can happen :)
    Pema Pera: and they were *good*
    arabella Ella: cool
    Solobill Laville: I bet
    Pema Pera: and then I had to rush to find a Starbucks, but here I am :)
    Wol Euler: yes, that is something that always strikes me about New York, how amazingly competent everyone is (or seems).
    Solobill Laville: I have a title
    Mickorod Renard: were you free to take the time to enjoy Pema,,or under presure to meet a deadline?
    Pema Pera wishes he could invite the jazz band to Bieup

Steve joins us.

    Wol Euler: hello steve
    Eliza Madrigal: :) Didn't you, Pema? hah
    Pema Pera: well, the only pressure was to show up at PaB, Mick :-)
    Mickorod Renard: Hi Steve
    Pema Pera: hi Steve!
    Eliza Madrigal: Hi Steven
    Wol Euler: well, you know, people do play live music in SL ...
    Solobill Laville: Hiya, Steve :)
    arabella Ella: Hiya Steve
    Mickorod Renard: Thats not so bad then pema
    stevenaia Michinaga: and all
    Pema Pera: yes, Wol, we're thinking about making Kira a bit livelier, all in due time . . .
    Wol Euler: :)
    Pema Pera: do you know performers, Wol?
    Wol Euler: not by name, I could look in my chat logs. I've seen a few.
    Pema Pera: no rush!
    Pema Pera: what do you think of Storm's new bell script?
    Pema Pera: I saw you commented on it
    Solobill Laville: good idea
    Wol Euler: mmhmm
    Pema Pera: in principle no need for note cards anymore, though it can't hurt
    Mickorod Renard: yes,,lookes good
    Pema Pera: but if we forget
    Pema Pera: then at least everybody is warned
    stevenaia Michinaga: bell script?
    Pema Pera: so no problems with ToS
    Wol Euler: wait another two minutes :)
    arabella Ella: yes what is it?
    Pema Pera: just you wait Steve
    Pema Pera: in two minutes
    Solobill Laville: on the 15's Steve, you'll see it
    arabella Ella: see or hear?
    arabella Ella: do you mean chimes?
    stevenaia Michinaga: turning up sound
    Pema Pera: how about going all out, for a 90-sec retreat, instead of 9 seconds
    Solobill Laville: Wow, we've made it into a much bigger deal than it really is! hehe
    Pema Pera: after the bell rings?
    Eliza Madrigal: absolutely
    Solobill Laville: I'm in
    Mickorod Renard: ok
    arabella Ella: yea
    Pema Pera: Solo, tell people to wait and they'll get curiouser and curiouser
    Solobill Laville: Anthing specific?
    Pema Pera: drop and stop and see
    Solobill Laville: true... ;)
    Solobill Laville: k
    stevenaia Michinaga: does the ground shake?
    stevenaia Michinaga: fire from the sky?
    Eliza Madrigal: there's an idea! hah
    Solobill Laville: yes, the firmament, Steve! lol
    arabella Ella: cool
    stevenaia Michinaga: perhaps wew can electirfy the pillows
    Wol Euler: :)

The chime sounds and we make 90 PaB seconds of silent practice.

    Pema Pera: that must be well over 90 seconds :)
    Solobill Laville: yes
    Solobill Laville: about
    Eliza Madrigal: :)
    Pema Pera: for me, it was great to just center and sit really still, for the first time since I got up today . . .
    Pema Pera: how about you all
    Solobill Laville nods
    Eliza Madrigal: I'm getting more and more from the practice
    Pema Pera: in what way, Eliza?
    Eliza Madrigal: I'm finding that it is becoming part of my rhythm...enjoy it
    stevenaia Michinaga: I want to know how pema handles a backlog of 500 emails?
    Pema Pera: one by one, Steve :)
    Wol Euler: "mark all as read"
    Pema Pera: hehehe
    Solobill Laville: hehe
    arabella Ella smiles and empathises
    stevenaia Michinaga: to bad about that
    Eliza Madrigal: And I find it surprising that I can "feel" so full..or empty as the case may be...in those "little" moments
    Pema Pera: yes, empty and complete . . .
    Eliza Madrigal: (always qualifying with quotes, aren't I?) Because difficult to articulate of course...
    Pema Pera: :-)
    Mickorod Renard: well I confess to being envious
    Solobill Laville overuses quotations as well....
    Eliza Madrigal: Mick, I think it is helpful to do longer meditations also..fits together for me
    Mickorod Renard: I havnt managed any rythem to doing it during the day
    arabella Ella: neither have i mick
    Mickorod Renard: ok,,I will try that Eliza

Wow, that is great, Mick!

    Pema Pera: during our PaB retreat we'll be doing something the whole day . . . .
    Pema Pera: late August
    Pema Pera: for whoever can make it
    Pema Pera: in the San Francisco area
    Mickorod Renard: I would love to come over Pema,,but cant see how
    arabella Ella: any possibility of a european PaB retreat Pema?
    arabella Ella smiles ... would be a dream
    Eliza Madrigal: I'd love to go also, but alas :)
    Pema Pera: sure, why not, Arabella?
    Pema Pera: preferably on a small island
    arabella Ella looks forward ... anytime
    Mickorod Renard: yeaa
    Pema Pera: why not in between Europe and Africa?
    Wol Euler: with good food and cliffs ...
    arabella Ella: of course you are all welcome
    Pema Pera: say when!
    arabella Ella: HNOW?
    Mickorod Renard: Sicily?
    Pema Pera: hehehehe
    arabella Ella: NOW
    Wol Euler: ha!
    Mickorod Renard: joking
    Pema Pera: smaller, Mick :)
    Pema Pera: may I bring my jazz band, Arabella?
    arabella Ella: a little island on another planet as i say in my profile
    Pema Pera: not everyone here knows your habitat, Arabella
    arabella Ella: of course Pema we also have a jazz fest here in July so i can arrange for them to participate

From Malta...

    Pema Pera: Eliza, Arabella lives in Malta
    arabella Ella: yes
    Pema Pera: wow!
    Pema Pera: jazz in July!
    Pema Pera quickly checks his July schedule
    arabella Ella: and we have the oldest civiliazation in the world with temples aged over 5,000 years
    Pema Pera: and finds he is in Kyoto that whole month
    Wol Euler: O.O
    Mickorod Renard: mmm,,thinking when school breaks up
    arabella Ella: oooooOOOOOOOooooo
    Pema Pera: breaks up????
    Wol Euler: "end of term" in English-english :)
    Pema Pera wonders about the state of school buildings in the UK
    arabella Ella: nice to imagine schools breaking up
    arabella Ella: LOL
    arabella Ella: and unis too perhaps?
    Pema Pera: is December cold in Malta, Arabella?
    arabella Ella: it can vary
    arabella Ella: this year summer is a bit later than usual
    arabella Ella: still quite cool here
    arabella Ella: around 16
    Pema Pera: we could do it in the fall in principle, but not too close to the August retreat
    Pema Pera: 16 is balmy!
    arabella Ella: yes
    Eliza Madrigal: goodness
    Pema Pera: 16 C right?
    arabella Ella: yes
    Eliza Madrigal: ah
    Pema Pera: 60 F
    Eliza Madrigal: haha
    arabella Ella: on a nice day goes up to 20C
    Mickorod Renard: do I get sometime in october off?
    Solobill Laville: quite cool...sheesh ;)
    arabella Ella: at the moment i mean
    Pema Pera: 68 F
    Pema Pera: 20C = 68 F
    Pema Pera: 16C = 60F
    Solobill Laville: I'll see snow on Sunday they are saying
    arabella Ella: where are you Solo?
    Solobill Laville: Michigan
    Mickorod Renard: lol,,well its very cold here
    arabella Ella: we never see snow here
    Eliza Madrigal: Blizzard in Colorado yesterday...so late in the year for that
    arabella Ella: ouch
    Mickorod Renard: what happened to global warming?
    Eliza Madrigal: (not that I ever have to deal with such things in Miami)

To snow on Fuji.

    arabella Ella: believe it or not the first time i saw snow was on Mount Fuji in Japan
    Eliza Madrigal: Oh, nice!!!!
    arabella Ella: it was a brilliant experience
    Wol Euler: wow
    Solobill Laville: Very nice
    arabella Ella: i could then understand how ancient ppl thought mount fuji must be a god
    arabella Ella: it was so majestic
    Mickorod Renard: i had a mountain near me in france that looked like mt fuji..it was called canigou
    Pema Pera: what a neat connection, from Malta to Mount Fuji
    Pema Pera: a movie title
    arabella Ella: yes
    arabella Ella: lovely contrast
    Pema Pera: "My Memoirs: from Malta to Mount Fuji" . . . . .
    arabella Ella: and when I was there it was cherry blossom time too
    arabella Ella: amazing experience
    Pema Pera: 90 seconds, shall we?
    stevenaia Michinaga: I must go, see you soon
    arabella Ella: thanks for the title Pema will keep it in mind
    arabella Ella smiles
    Wol Euler: bye steve, enjoy the weekend
    arabella Ella: bye Steve
    Mickorod Renard: bye steve
    Solobill Laville: ah, yes! I just did 10 breaths
    Solobill Laville: Let's go
    Solobill Laville: 90 secs

Steve goes, and the chime rings again...

    Solobill Laville: :)
    Eliza Madrigal: :)
    Pema Pera: :)
    Wol Euler: :)
    Mickorod Renard: ;)
    Pema Pera: (people in Starbucks here are wondering why I am suddenly laughing out loud :)
    Pema Pera: seeing all the :)
    Wol Euler laughs. What, are we not real?
    Eliza Madrigal: haha :)
    Solobill Laville: Hmmmm....
    Wol Euler: oh, where did that come from? How odd.
    Pema Pera: well, you haven't even started the first sup of your chai latte that I ordered for you, Wol !
    arabella Ella smiled
    Wol Euler: I read "Real people in Starbucks ..."
    Pema Pera: *sip
    Wol Euler smiles and nods. Thank you, most thoughtful.
    arabella Ella: that latte sure smells good too Pema
    Eliza Madrigal: I have a pavlovian response to hearing the word "Starbucks"..now want to get into the car and get matcha tea
    Pema Pera: lacking you drinking it, I'll take over the task :)
    Eliza Madrigal: or macha (Sp?)
    Pema Pera: MATCHA TEA
    Pema Pera: you know, I ordered that the other day
    Pema Pera: forgetting that I was no longer in Japan
    Pema Pera: :(
    Pema Pera: macha yes, right spelling
    Pema Pera: 抹茶
    Pema Pera: ah no, matcha
    Pema Pera: sorry
    arabella Ella: does matcha have a meaning Pema?
    Eliza Madrigal: :) The Starbucks tea is sweet...but I still enjoy it
    arabella Ella: if you visit this lil island ... we do not have starbucks here ... would love one tho
    Pema Pera: cha is tea, arabella
    Pema Pera: and matcha indicates the very strong powdered variety
    Pema Pera: for the tea ceremony
    arabella Ella: sounds lovely
    Pema Pera: I'm not sure what the "matsu" means before cha
    Pema Pera: lemma look
    Pema Pera: hmmmm
    arabella Ella: hmmmmm?
    Pema Pera: okay, "rub, paint, erase"
    Pema Pera: is the first part so literally
    arabella Ella: ok ty
    Pema Pera: 抹 茶 rub tea
    Pema Pera: so I guess making it into powder
    Pema Pera: "ground tea"
    arabella Ella: may be analogous to 'soothing'?
    Pema Pera: must be the translation
    Pema Pera: no, I think it is the process of making it, but sounds nice too :)
    arabella Ella: yes
    Mickorod Renard: yea,,a massaging tea
    Eliza Madrigal: :)
    Pema Pera: you massaging, tea massaging
    Pema Pera: YMTM
    Wol Euler considers the possible semantic common ground between "rub" with "paint" and "erase".
    Mickorod Renard: he he he
    Eliza Madrigal: hahha
    Solobill Laville: :)
    Pema Pera: rubbing paint on a surface?
    Wol Euler: then erasing it?
    arabella Ella: well you rub stuff onto brass for example to clean it just like you rub shoe polish on to boots
    Pema Pera: perhaps ?
    arabella Ella: in a similar way tyo using paint or erasing something
    arabella Ella: melding two objects over a surface
    Pema Pera: literally the character 抹 has two parts: at the left a hand, at the right end, like in weekend
    Pema Pera: hand-end
    Pema Pera: hence rubbing, erasing
    Pema Pera: grounding
    Pema Pera: move the hand to an end
    Pema Pera: hand is 手 and end is 末
    arabella Ella: how beautiful the symbols seem
    Pema Pera: time to go to the phenomenology session, sorry, bye everybody!
    Eliza Madrigal: (started session with wine...ending with tea) MMM... cozy hour : )
    Solobill Laville: OK, bye Pema
    Mickorod Renard: bye Pema
    Wol Euler: bye pema,

Pema departs.

    Wol Euler: wow, that was fast.
    arabella Ella: bye Pema
    Wol Euler takes the opportunity to remind everyone of Earth Hour tomorrow. Turn off your lights for an hour starting at 8:30pm local time
    arabella Ella: anyone else off to phenomenology?
    Solobill Laville: :) that is great Wol
    Eliza Madrigal: yes Ara
    Solobill Laville: Not me, Ara, no
    arabella Ella: thanks for the reminder Wol sounds great
    Wol Euler: not I. Enjoy
    Eliza Madrigal: Thanks, Wol
    Wol Euler: hello fefonz
    Eliza Madrigal: Thanks Solo, everyone :) Bye for now
    arabella Ella: ok am off to phenemo ... bye all
    Wol Euler: bye eliza
    Wol Euler: bye fefonz
    Eliza Madrigal: Hi Fefonz
    Solobill Laville: Bye, Eliza
    Wol Euler: you'll probably find him there :)=
    Mickorod Renard: ok folks,,off to phenem
    Solobill Laville: Bye Ara
    Solobill Laville: Bye Mick
    Wol Euler: bye mick, take care
    Mickorod Renard: bye solo,,bye wol
    Wol Euler: bye ara, enjoy the weekend