2011.07.08 19:00 - Smiles as masks

The Guardian for this meeting was Sylectra Darwin. The comments are by Sylectra Darwin.

Hokon and I started the session with only the two of us, except for my virtual dog, Sophy. 

Sylectra Darwin: sophy down
Hokon Cazalet: hehe
Sylectra Darwin: hey
Hokon Cazalet: hi =)
Sylectra Darwin: hi Hokon!
Sylectra Darwin: how are you?
Sylectra Darwin: this is my replica of my real dog Sophy :)
Hokon Cazalet: awww
Hokon Cazalet: cute =)
Sylectra Darwin: can you see her?
Hokon Cazalet: yup
Sylectra Darwin: cool
Sylectra Darwin: I have had her for a year and a half
Hokon Cazalet: im gonna log off though, gonna meet up with rl friends shortly
Hokon Cazalet: aww =)
Hokon Cazalet: oo
Sylectra Darwin: okay, hope you have a good time!
Hokon Cazalet: ty =)
Sylectra Darwin: Nice seeing you!
iwandertoo Resident: waves

As soon as Hokon left, Susan arrived. 

Sylectra Darwin: Hi Susan!
iwandertoo Resident: how are you ?

--BELL--

Sylectra Darwin: good!
Sylectra Darwin: how are you?
iwandertoo Resident: :_
iwandertoo Resident: *
iwandertoo Resident: :)
Sylectra Darwin: Ah, I see you speak emoticon ;)
iwandertoo Resident: lol
Sylectra Darwin: what was that first one?
iwandertoo Resident: it wasnt a mess up
Sylectra Darwin: :_*
iwandertoo Resident: was
iwandertoo Resident: err cannot think
iwandertoo Resident: i meant it to be :)
Sylectra Darwin: noooo worrrrrieeeessss
Sylectra Darwin: grin
Sylectra Darwin: So how was your week?
iwandertoo Resident: crazy. yours?
Sylectra Darwin: similar. You can tell by my hat. :)

(I was wearing an old-style aviator hat with flaps, and pink hair underneath)

iwandertoo Resident: ?
Sylectra Darwin: Remember that kid in Christmas Story who always wore the aviator cap with the flaps and goggles?
iwandertoo Resident: no...sorry
iwandertoo Resident: what does it mean?
Sylectra Darwin: It was just a funny character in the movie. The kid was always grinning weirdly at the main star of the movie, and it made him nervous.
Sylectra Darwin: So I decided the kid with the funny hat must have been suffering from excessive stress at home.
iwandertoo Resident: ah
Sylectra Darwin: And when I saw this hat, I knew I needed to wear it to express my sense of mental dishevelment after a very tough week or two.
Sylectra Darwin: I just need the goofy grin...hehe
iwandertoo Resident: things will get better, yes?
iwandertoo Resident: goofy grins rock!
Sylectra Darwin: Indeed, don't they always?
Sylectra Darwin: Do you have any goofy grins?
iwandertoo Resident: no, not always.
iwandertoo Resident: some wood say...but none in the SL context
Sylectra Darwin: smiles
Sylectra Darwin: I went on a quest once to find and buy facial expressions for my avatar.
iwandertoo Resident: how did it go?
Sylectra Darwin: I got a pleasant enough free smile from Alady hair, but it was oddly intermittent
Sylectra Darwin: Later I found one that was full range with some silly expressions, but it had a bizarre time lag so it never responded at the right time.
iwandertoo Resident: imagining such
iwandertoo Resident: to be perpetually out of sync and know it
Sylectra Darwin: I guess we need a camera activated one that reads our real faces.
Sylectra Darwin: yes
Sylectra Darwin: Well that's living as an avatar for you. You know it's a mask so you have to try to make up for it somehow.
iwandertoo Resident: a mask?
Sylectra Darwin: Yes, in my opinion, don't you think so? A representation of a human being but without natural expression.
iwandertoo Resident: within the given context it doesnt appear a mask
Sylectra Darwin: Yes, I have found that to be true as well.
iwandertoo Resident: i may not be understanding
Sylectra Darwin: I will give you an example.
Sylectra Darwin: I had a good friend several years ago who eventually became my boyfriend and then my husband. Back then, we lived in different states and I could not always see how he was feeling by spending time in SL with him.
Sylectra Darwin: One time I completely misread him - I thought he was being dismissive when he was actually very sad.
iwandertoo Resident: and this is a mask of sorts?
Sylectra Darwin: It is hard to know what our friends here are really going through unless they tell you.
Sylectra Darwin: That is how I describe it.
iwandertoo Resident: is this not so in RL as well?
Sylectra Darwin: Yes, it can be. But at least in RL I can read facial expression.
iwandertoo Resident: true
Sylectra Darwin: brb

--BELL--

Sylectra Darwin: I'm back
iwandertoo Resident: wb
Sylectra Darwin: thanks
Sylectra Darwin: Do you have your sound on, so you can hear the fountain?
iwandertoo Resident: no...
iwandertoo Resident: i did...but didnt hear it
iwandertoo Resident: (sorry)
Sylectra Darwin: I can't hear it either. I wonder if it makes noise and I just have my settings wrong
iwandertoo Resident: i dont know
iwandertoo Resident: bubbles
iwandertoo Resident: did you do this?
Sylectra Darwin: OK, it's very quiet. It's the "sound effects" setting.
Sylectra Darwin: Very pleasant!
Sylectra Darwin: do, I think Storm did it!
Sylectra Darwin: Stevenaia...:)
iwandertoo Resident: waves
stevenaia Michinaga: hi hi
Sylectra Darwin: I know that dress !
stevenaia Michinaga: you brought Sophie
stevenaia Michinaga: yes, a dress from my past
iwandertoo Resident: i have to go back to pack
stevenaia Michinaga: past
iwandertoo Resident: waves
stevenaia Michinaga: traveling susan?
iwandertoo Resident: moving
stevenaia Michinaga: nice jeans
iwandertoo Resident: ty
stevenaia Michinaga: right, have fun :)
Sylectra Darwin: bye susan
Sylectra Darwin: she's cute
stevenaia Michinaga: how are you my dear friend
stevenaia Michinaga: yes, she is very nice
Sylectra Darwin: good, well, kind of held together with baling wire and paper clips
Sylectra Darwin: Got back from my trip in one piece - was a success though frustrating in a few ways. Hard week this week following up with that.
Sylectra Darwin: I am impressed by the courage and enthusiasm of the sales team in Michigan, and the niceness of Michiganites in general.
stevenaia Michinaga: welcome to the weekend
Sylectra Darwin: Thatnks
Sylectra Darwin: Yesterday I stumbled on the stairs inside the train and hurt my ankle a bit, so that's been a pain.
stevenaia Michinaga: aww, well you take it easy
Sylectra Darwin: thank you...good advice!
Sylectra Darwin: I am wearing a hat with flaps, which should tell you volumes about my mental state! LOL
Sylectra Darwin: Remember the kid in A Christmas Story, the weird one with the same hat that was grinning in Ralph's face?

Stevenaia was sitting in mid-air next to the virtual dog. 

Sylectra Darwin: My pet appears to be hampering your ability to reach the ground.

--BELL--

stevenaia Michinaga: that's fine, floating is nice
Sylectra Darwin: quiet night
stevenaia Michinaga: sweet dreams
stevenaia Michinaga: very interesting outfit
stevenaia Michinaga: what do you call that
Sylectra Darwin: thank you
Sylectra Darwin: this is from miel - the dress
Sylectra Darwin: the hat is new, from the hair fair, to benefit kids with cancer who need wigs.

--BELL--

Sylectra Darwin: Have you heard about Hair Fair?
stevenaia Michinaga: no
Sylectra Darwin: I joined the group before I went there so I could try on all the demos that were given out.
Sylectra Darwin: Had a good time.
stevenaia Michinaga: :)
Sylectra Darwin: That LM is to one of the vendors there...I think the one that I got this hat from.
stevenaia Michinaga: I;m not much for changing hair
Sylectra Darwin: Yeah, I noticed. :)
Sylectra Darwin: I have about 200 hairs.
Sylectra Darwin: I love hair.
stevenaia Michinaga: lol
Sylectra Darwin: I spent three days trying on hair in SL after returning from Michigan, to rest up
stevenaia Michinaga: IHAVE TO SIGN OFF, seem my disk won;t clone tonight
stevenaia Michinaga: See ya
stevenaia Michinaga: hugs
Sylectra Darwin: ok
Sylectra Darwin: night hon
stevenaia Michinaga: bye Sophie