2009.12.14 07:00 - Digital reincarnations

The Guardian for this meeting was Eden Haiku. The comments are by Eden Haiku.

Geoff Baily: Salut! Eden
Eden Haiku: Bonjour Geoff! Heureuse de vous revoir!
Geoff Baily: Moi aussi
Eden Haiku: How have you been?
Geoff Baily: Busy!
Geoff Baily: and you?
Eden Haiku: Yes, also, with holiday preparations...
Eden Haiku: And snowstorms...
Geoff Baily: wrapping presents etc,
--BELL--
Eden Haiku: I have been reading a theme session log that I really enjoyed.
Eden Haiku: The one about Zeroth time. http://playasbeing.wik.is/Chat_Logs/...-__Zeroth_time
Geoff Baily: yes I see you have lots of snow. But it is good exercise clearing snow!! Tell me the log u enjoyed.
Geoff Baily: Too much to read now!
Eden Haiku: Yes, I like shoveling snow, sometimes ;-) It is good exercise, yes ;-)
Geoff Baily: But looks interesting
Eden Haiku: Yes, yes, I did not mean for you to read that now. I much prefer talking with you now!
Geoff Baily: Yes i'm cutting hedges just now, no snow here!
Geoff Baily: Yes its good to talk like this
Geoff Baily: and to be together here
Eden Haiku: Yes, I like talking about the snow and the no-snow :-)
Gaya Ethaniel: Hello Eden and Geoff :)
Geoff Baily: ;) you look nice and warm this morning
Geoff Baily: Hi Gaya
Eden Haiku: As a guardian on Duty, I should have claimed the log a bit earlier but that is ok
Eden Haiku: Hi Gaya. The habit morphed into a cat?
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Eden Haiku: A purple cardboard cat?
Gaya Ethaniel: What you see matters I guess :)
Gaya Ethaniel: Hello Widget :)
Eden Haiku: You remind us of our status: we are only avatars, pixels and prims...
Geoff Baily: Ni Widget
Widget Whiteberry: good day
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Susi Alcott: sorry
Susi Alcott: _/!\_
Eden Haiku: Hummm
Geoff Baily: Hi Susi
Eden Haiku: hello Wihget,
Eden Haiku: Susi, welcome.
Widget Whiteberry: I'm just waking up and glad to be there
Widget Whiteberry: bemused by Gaya
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Eden Haiku: Gald to have you here Widget?
Eden Haiku: Sorry for the typos Widget. feeling kind of hermity still? But at least with us to share it?
Widget Whiteberry: the four of us illustrate a fair range of approaches to avatars
Eden Haiku: Did I dream or was Susi here?
Widget Whiteberry: Susi was
Widget Whiteberry: briefly
Widget Whiteberry: smiles
Eden Haiku: Yes, we are a fair range..
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Geoff Baily: ;)
Widget Whiteberry: oh, Geoff, I just realized: welcome to SL
Geoff Baily: Nice to meet you Widget
Widget Whiteberry: how did you find us so quickly?
Gaya Ethaniel: brb
Geoff Baily: nondualism!!
--BELL--
Gaya Ethaniel: back
Widget Whiteberry: Geoff: a digital reincarnation?
Geoff Baily: mmmmm
Eden Haiku: Would anyone like to share their 90 secs experience?
Widget Whiteberry: mine was unspecial; just breathing and drinking in the scene
Gaya Ethaniel: I wondered about Widget's comment, 'bemused' ... how it changed her perception of me.
Widget Whiteberry: moment, Gaya, brb
Gaya Ethaniel: Or perception of anything :)
Gaya Ethaniel: ok :)
Eden Haiku: I like the fact that you are reminding me how much digitals we are...
Gaya Ethaniel: Hello paris :)
Gaya Ethaniel: Care to say more Eden?
Eden Haiku: Paris?
Gaya Ethaniel: Looks like a new visitor but s/he just disappeared.
Eden Haiku: Yes Gaya,
Widget Whiteberry: I was reminded of the range of possibility we have
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Widget Whiteberry: so much greater or more instantaneous than in our f2f lives
Geoff Baily: yes so many possibilities!
Gaya Ethaniel: Is that a good thing you think?
Widget Whiteberry: we can appear however we like for as long as we like
Widget Whiteberry: I think 'goodness' is a separate thing
Eden Haiku: As in RL, we tend to identify with our bodies, our feelings, our thoughts in SL, I have a tendency to identify with my avatar and to relate to other avatars as if they were real persons . They are, :-) but residents who play like you do with non-realistic forms help us remember that this is a virtual world.
Widget Whiteberry: was it good for you, Gaya, to make yourself a 2D cat?
Gaya Ethaniel: Of course, good or bad isn't inherent in the possibilities. I think it can cut both ways.
Gaya Ethaniel: It's fun :)
Widget Whiteberry: smiles
Widget Whiteberry: I stumbled on these hermit robes about a week ago
Widget Whiteberry: and find they are the only thing I want to wear
Eden Haiku: What prompted the metamorphosis from rabbit to 2D cat Gaya?
Gaya Ethaniel: ah :)
Geoff Baily: looks good
Widget Whiteberry: yes, Gaya, what prompted you to adopt this form?
Eden Haiku: I found these winter clothes yesterday and I think they fit with the snowfalls.
Gaya Ethaniel: You can do a Gandalf credibly in that I'm sure Widget, "you shall not paaaassssss.'
Widget Whiteberry: smiles
Eden Haiku: ;-)
Geoff Baily: ;)
Widget Whiteberry: especiallly with the staff
Gaya Ethaniel: Exactly :)
Gaya Ethaniel: I just wanted a change and found this.

Widget sheds her 'hermity' look and transforms into…something else!

Widget Whiteberry: I have a tea tray, but I find I can't 'live' in itWidget Whiteberry: ot

Eden Haiku: The 2D is especially puzzling.
Gaya Ethaniel: ?
Widget Whiteberry: it's good for a laugh
Geoff Baily: yes
Widget Whiteberry: but there isn't much room for me* in it
Eden Haiku: A tea tray avatar!!!
Widget Whiteberry: yes!,
Gaya Ethaniel: Sounds cool :)
Widget Whiteberry: would you like to see it?
Gaya Ethaniel: Why tea tray btw?
Gaya Ethaniel: Sure :)
Eden Haiku: Gaya would wear it!
Widget Whiteberry: 'why' is a question for it's creator
Gaya Ethaniel: lol
Geoff Baily: yes please
Geoff Baily: yes please
Gaya Ethaniel: I mean what did you like about the idea of a tea-tray avatar.
Eden Haiku: Wait, I will take a snapshot of you as a teapot Widget!
Widget Whiteberry: I'll show you
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Gaya Ethaniel takes a snap.
Geoff Baily: amazing!!!!
Widget Whiteberry: that's what I thought, Geoff. I was amazed
Gaya Ethaniel: Willing serve now Widget? :P
Widget Whiteberry: smiles
--BELL--
Geoff Baily: one of the things here is the 'unexpected'
Gaya Ethaniel: Hello Mila :)
Widget Whiteberry nods
Mila Greene: the bunny! :)
Gaya Ethaniel: here - SL Geoff?
Mila Greene: er.. no, not today :)
Geoff Baily: hello Mila
Mila Greene: hey all
Gaya Ethaniel: It's amazing how fondly people remember my bunny avatar :)
Geoff Baily: yes Gaya
Mila Greene: it's alfred, btw :)
Mila Greene: oh yes, gaya - i really liked it :)
Gaya Ethaniel: It defies Mila's vision, she sees this cat but really she doesn't. :P
Mila Greene: hehe
Gaya Ethaniel: I know Mila and Alfred kissing on the tree.
Mila Greene: well, the cat is cute, too :)
Gaya Ethaniel: ty :)
Widget Whiteberry: what is alfred?
Eden Haiku: Who expected to spend her/his morning (or afternoon for you) conversing with a tea tray and a 2D cat?
Mila Greene: gah! rl... sorry
Gaya Ethaniel: lol
Gaya Ethaniel: ok have fun Mila :)
Eden Haiku: Hi Milla!

 

Conversing with a flying tea tray and a walking 2D cat about the opening of the Sacred Art Museum

Widget Whiteberry: it is so easy to identify with our avatars
Widget Whiteberry: identify
Gaya Ethaniel listens.
Widget Whiteberry: much about SL encourages this identification
Widget Whiteberry: including the naming conventions
Mila Greene: i'm still here :)
Gaya Ethaniel: And attachment in some sense too.
Mila Greene: just get distracted
Widget Whiteberry: and much aroub our minds
Gaya Ethaniel: ok :)
Widget Whiteberry: if we want to be not* us
Widget Whiteberry: and switch genders to achieve that
Widget Whiteberry: I notice many people will be upset
Eden Haiku: Is it ok if we record what you say Mila? Everything is recorded here and then posted on a Wiki.
Geoff Baily: does a tea tray have a gender?
Widget Whiteberry: but we are easy with bunnies and tea trays
Gaya Ethaniel: It cuts both ways though ... being able to change, the possibilities, can be liberating also.
Mila Greene: no worries, eden :)
Gaya Ethaniel: heheheh
Eden Haiku: Thank you Mila.
Widget Whiteberry: a tea tray has no more gender than a purple 2D cat
Eden Haiku: Does a tea tray have a gender, what a profound question Geoff.
Geoff Baily: ??
Gaya Ethaniel: What's the gender of the word, tea-tray in French?
Widget Whiteberry: although Gaya's name and mine both suggest gender
Mila Greene: i've talked to adams this morning. he's in the museum awaiting his grand opening :)
Eden Haiku: In the Middle Age, they wonder about the genders of the angels and here we are...
Widget Whiteberry: grand opening, Mila?
Gaya Ethaniel: Yes Mila :)
Gaya Ethaniel: I'll give you a notecard Widget :)
Mila Greene: yes, "museum of sacred arts" - today at 11 am
Widget Whiteberry: I don't think I know the museum
Widget Whiteberry: oh, ty
Eden Haiku: I like your question Geoff ;-)
Mila Greene: he didn't have time for publicity :)
Mila Greene: you won't find it in search either
Eden Haiku: Thank you for the notecard about the Museum Gaya!
Mila Greene: thank you, gaya
Gaya Ethaniel: yw :)
Mila Greene: oh, did wol get herself a pixel av, gaya? :)
Geoff Baily: so.......thanks for the card Gaya
Mila Greene: she really liked yours :)
Gaya Ethaniel: Not sure, will talk to her later :)
Mila Greene: wiggling tail is cute :)
Gaya Ethaniel: I'm never sure if to offer lms if someone complement on SL stuff I buy.
Mila Greene: but, er.. how do you walk? :)
Eden Haiku: Can you wear onigokko tail when dressed as a 2D cat or a tea tray ?
Gaya Ethaniel: It walks :)
Eden Haiku: Widget you look yummy!
Mila Greene: sorry to confuse you with the compliment :)
Gaya Ethaniel: hm ... I don't think animations work well with tinies ...
Gaya Ethaniel: Not at all Mila! You want a lm?
Mila Greene: yes, please :)
Mila Greene: oh my! widget! i just noticed your.. av :)
Mila Greene: a tray could probably fly
Eden Haiku: Nice! I might just get a 3D cat pet but I will check this Pet Store…
Eden Haiku: Flying tea tray!
Geoff Baily: thanks Gaya
Eden Haiku: feeling like in Harry Potter...
Mila Greene: wow! awesome, widget! :)
Geoff Baily: ;)
Mila Greene: creative people :)
Eden Haiku: Gaya 2D purple cat is threading on his cardboards paws...changing colors..miaowing wow!
--BELL--
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Mila Greene hugs the kitty
Mila Greene: :)

Firebreathing with a sea dragon

Widget Whiteberry: I especially like the transforming process, the morphing
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Eden Haiku: Is like when you change a set of clothing Widget?
Widget Whiteberry: it's the same process, Eden
Mila Greene: yes, widget. i didn't expect the tray to have legs and walking :)
Eden Haiku: Oh who are you now? Some insect?
Widget Whiteberry: this one is a leafy sea dragon
Mila Greene: a dragon!
Geoff Baily: lovely
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Eden Haiku: Cute!
Widget Whiteberry: a rl creature
Eden Haiku: Really, it does exist in RL? This sea dragon!
Widget Whiteberry: it does
Eden Haiku: Wow, I remember first time I saw a seahorse. I thought they were only cartoons!
Mila Greene: how about some fire-breathing, widgy? :)
Widget Whiteberry: miles
Eden Haiku: ;-)
Mila Greene: hmm.. gaya, i wonder if you look at me or not :)
Gaya Ethaniel: I'm looking at everyone :)
Mila Greene: hehe
Eden Haiku: She did not return the hug Mila?
Mila Greene: well, i'm not sure if she's facing me :)
Eden Haiku: Maybe a 2D cat is not as soft...
Gaya Ethaniel: lol
Mila Greene: a really neat idea
Gaya Ethaniel: I'm afraid I need to get going :)
Eden Haiku: Welcome back Widget-as-Widget the Hermit!
Widget Whiteberry: ty
Gaya Ethaniel: Have a great Monday everyone :)
Eden Haiku: Oh, well, take care Gaya!
Geoff Baily: bye Gaya
Eden Haiku: yes, you started our week Gaya ;-)
Mila Greene: it was nice to see you all
Widget Whiteberry: I'm going to go over to the museum when I leave here
Eden Haiku: You are also on your way Mila?
Mila Greene: yep
Mila Greene: off me go :)
Geoff Baily: bye Mila
Eden Haiku: Bye! have a nice day!
Mila Greene: bye ;)
Eden Haiku: So... back to human beings avatars staring at a virtual fountain ;-)

Widget Whiteberry: or humans being avatars at a virtual fountain
Eden Haiku: Thatb is better said, yes!
Widget Whiteberry: a kind of drop-in fountain
Eden Haiku: I see you are an experienced Second Lifer Widget.
Widget Whiteberry: some folks seem to come and go within the hour
Widget Whiteberry: I've been here awhile now
Widget Whiteberry: and I help others, I train people to 'drive' their avatars
Eden Haiku: What would you say is Play as Being in Second Life experience for you?
Widget Whiteberry: a kind of touch stone, Eden
Widget Whiteberry: an anchor
Widget Whiteberry: I think it could be more
Widget Whiteberry: Geoff, is this your first avatar?
Eden Haiku: That is beautiful Widget, a touch stone, an anchor yes.
Geoff Baily: looking up tray, le plateau la plaque à  patisserie, le bac à  glacons
Geoff Baily: deep in gender now
Eden Haiku: Le plateau à  the I would say,
Geoff Baily: oui
Geoff Baily: la corbeille c'arrive
Eden Haiku: Living in France now and speaking French, do you feel any different than your usual self Geoff?
Geoff Baily: now then what is my usual self?
Eden Haiku: The one you identify with in childhood I guess?
Geoff Baily: i have moved on yes
Geoff Baily: living in a bilingual situation is much richer
--BELL--
Widget Whiteberry nods
Eden Haiku: I get a sense of changing clothes (or selves) when I use English on Second Life and French in Real Life. I'm not identifying in the same way. I still do but there is a lot more space for Being as it is not my mother tongue,
Widget Whiteberry: I'm going to wander over to the museum before some rl activity
Eden Haiku: Bye Widget, Enjoy the Museum!
Widget Whiteberry: nice meeting you Geoff
Widget Whiteberry: farewell, Eden
Geoff Baily: bye Widget
Geoff Baily: interesting!!
Eden Haiku: I find speaking another language creates more space between words, between identifications, automatic responses and so on.
Geoff Baily: i have to think carefully
Eden Haiku: The fact that I am making mistakes anyway, I also feel more free. In French, I watch my words more carefully.
Eden Haiku: In English, I can let go more and see what happens...
Eden Haiku: Do you feel something like that?
Geoff Baily: yes me too
Eden Haiku: The language we use as a toddler is also more charged with affect maybe.
Geoff Baily: think its a real shame that youngsters don't learn a second language when it is easy, when they are 4 or 5
Geoff Baily: ;)
Eden Haiku: Snow is falling again.
Eden Haiku: Thank you Storm-the-Maker-of-Snow.
Eden Haiku: Bonhomme de neige.
Geoff Baily: yes lots and lots of snow thanks Storm
Eden Haiku: i remember how thrilled I felt when a neighbour showed me to create my first bonhomme de neige when I was 5.
Geoff Baily: did you make a nose from a carrot?
Geoff Baily: and eyes from lumps of coal?
Eden Haiku: I felt almost as thrilled when Storm showed me the red ball which is the snow machine...
Eden Haiku: I only remember the rolling of the balls of snow...
Eden Haiku: Bigger and bigger and bigger,...
Geoff Baily: that's how he does it?
Geoff Baily: yes and as they get big they crunch the snow as they roll
Eden Haiku: I'm not sure I understood everything but yes, there was a red ball visible in show menu set at see invisible objects.
Geoff Baily: oh?
Eden Haiku: Oh, let me try...I see them now...
--BELL--
Eden Haiku: Trying to touch one of the red balls for the snow to start again...Does not seem to work.
Geoff Baily: but it still snowing
Eden Haiku: Would you like to share what happened during the 90 secs break Geoff?
Eden Haiku: Still snowing? For me, the snow stopped.
Geoff Baily: to be honest I was thinking about french genders........ LA barbe???
Eden Haiku: La barbe? yes.
Eden Haiku: It is very confusing, genders ;-)
Geoff Baily: just to say I love your poetry on your page, gives a feeling of immediacy. Thanks so much
Eden Haiku: Men wear 'barbe' but the word is feminine.
Geoff Baily: genders are confusing full stop!!!!!!!
Eden Haiku: Thank you so, Geoff.
Geoff Baily: ;))))))
Eden Haiku: It helps me to remember the 9 seconds practice, once in a while. But it is getting easier now, I could notice that recently.

Geoff and I slowly prepare to leave,  sharing about our practices

Geoff Baily: I must go after the next pause, have my Buddist group this evening!
Eden Haiku: It is becoming part of everything I do, RL and SL,
Geoff Baily: Yes its good practice
Eden Haiku: Yes sure. A buddhist meditation group GeoFf, that sounds interesting. In RL?
Geoff Baily: increases awareness
Geoff Baily: oh yes, we had a lama this weekend teaching
Geoff Baily: teaching in french about chanting in Tibetan
Eden Haiku: Tibetan buddhism then. Great. I studied Tibetan buddhism in England, a while ago.
Geoff Baily: tiring weekend!!
Eden Haiku: ;-)
Geoff Baily: yes there are many groups
Eden Haiku: Lots of language shifts for you. And Tibetan they have very creative accents!
Eden Haiku: I love the deep deep singing voices of Tibetan monks.
Geoff Baily: Yes here I go to a group of the Karma Kagu lineage
Geoff Baily: yes the lama chanted beautifully with us
Eden Haiku: I miss chanting. Is there any chanting group on SL? I should look for that.
Geoff Baily: yes he was telling us of the different Tibetan accents
Eden Haiku: I will be in Dharamsala in February for real life chanting but in the meanwhile...
Geoff Baily: there must be, if not we could start one !!!!!!!
Geoff Baily: lucky you!!!!!
Eden Haiku: Yes, we could start a small one in the village maybe, later on...That would be so nice!
Geoff Baily: ;)
Eden Haiku: There is a way of being together and in touch with Being that nothing else than chanting could bring.
Geoff Baily: I love it too
--BELL--
Eden Haiku: But then we would have to chant Shiva or Krishna or Tibetan mantras, that would cause some difficulties. maybe we could chant YBSB and all the acronyms? With lots of devotional bhakti? :-)
Geoff Baily: is there not a group near you in RL
Geoff Baily: interesting idea!!
Eden Haiku: I have been part of a RL group for 9 years but I left.
Geoff Baily: Well Eden thanks again for a lovely time here today
Eden Haiku: So, I guess it is time for you to go to your buddhist session and for me to be on my way also.
Geoff Baily: why did you leave?
Eden Haiku: Tank you Geoff, it was nice to be with you this morning in the snow!
Eden Haiku: I could tell you more about that some other time maybe :-)
Geoff Baily: thanks again Eden bye
Eden Haiku: Bye Geoff. Enjoy your evening!