2011.08.10 13:00 - Geeks Can Be Romantic Too

The Guardian for this meeting was Fefonz Quan. The comments are by Fefonz Quan.

FcSeeker Resident: Hello Bruce
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Fc! Good to see you!~
FcSeeker Resident: good to see you too :)
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
FcSeeker Resident: Hi Fefonz
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Fefonz!
Fefonz Quan: hello FcSeeker, Hi Bruce!
Fefonz Quan: and hello, Korel
FcSeeker Resident: Hello Korel
Korel Laloix: Heya
FcSeeker Resident: Hello Wol
Wol Euler: hello fef, korel, fc
Korel Laloix: hau
Fefonz Quan: Hey Wol!
Wol Euler: long time no see! how's the family?
Fefonz Quan: very good!
Wol Euler: glad to hear it :)
FcSeeker Resident: <3
Wol Euler: by the way, I was reminded of this today: http://xkcd.com/283/
Wol Euler: proof that geeks can be romantic too :)
Fefonz Quan: Ah, sure :)
Wol Euler smiles.
--BELL--
Fefonz Quan: otherwise no one would go see sci-fi romantic features
Korel Laloix: Good gosh, you and my gf would get along so well.
Wol Euler chuckles.
Wol Euler: well, we both like you, that's a start :)
Korel Laloix: Erin seems to live for sappy moments in her sicfi flicks.
Wol Euler: genre-bending is a good thing, IMHO
Korel Laloix: Most of the time I grab a book and read while she watches.... with my earbuds in.
Wol Euler: back in a sec :)
Fefonz Quan: A sci-fi book? ;-)
FcSeeker Resident: :)
Korel Laloix: Umm.. let me think.
Korel Laloix: Probably not.
Korel Laloix: I find scifi mostly silly.
FcSeeker Resident: mostly they are that imo also
Korel Laloix: And I do like some scifi movies.
Fefonz Quan nods
Korel Laloix: I can't remember different between Star Wars and Star Treck.
FcSeeker Resident: silly can be amusing
Korel Laloix: But the one with Darth Vader and the like.
Korel Laloix: I like those.
FcSeeker Resident: that's Star Wars
Korel Laloix: THe other with Janeway or the like was unwatchable.
FcSeeker Resident: Star Treck has been told to change the world...
Korel Laloix: I can never keep that straight.
Fefonz Quan: well, the first has the force, and light sabers, the second has 'beam me up" and phasers!
Korel Laloix: I used to have a way to keeop the names straight in my head.
Korel Laloix: But I can't even remember that now.....
Fefonz Quan: so you need a way to keep ways too
Korel Laloix: Eveidently.
Korel Laloix: OR fix my ability to care about scifi.
Korel Laloix: Erin would proably appreciate that.
Korel Laloix grins
FcSeeker Resident: wb Wol
Wol Euler: ty
Fefonz Quan: I suspect that 'ability to care" is one of the unfixable things mostly
Fefonz Quan: either you care, or you don't (or you can just be careless)
Korel Laloix: WEll, I do care, just in the wrong direction.
Korel Laloix: After sitting throuhg that Bukaroo Banzia movie though, my ability to act like a care is a bit strained.
FcSeeker Resident: ...there's four directions one should care...
Fefonz Quan: (Bukaroo?)
Korel Laloix: I think that scared me for life....lol
Wol Euler: well, one doesn't have to care about *everything* :)
FcSeeker Resident: thankfully
Wol Euler smiles.
Korel Laloix: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckaroo_Banzai
Korel Laloix: What are those directions?
Fefonz Quan: caretakerNever heard of that one Korel
FcSeeker Resident: with no special order; work, nature, self and other people
FcSeeker Resident: all should be cared with balance...
Korel Laloix: Something else to be thankful for Fefonz.
Fefonz Quan: :) I guess
--BELL--
Wol Euler: hello eliza
Fefonz Quan: Hey Eliza!
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Wol :), Hi Fef :), Hi Korel :), Hi FcS :)
Fefonz Quan: Great green color! and fits well with your red hair
Korel Laloix: Heya
FcSeeker Resident: Hi Eliza
Eliza Madrigal: Thanks! I do like this color a lot
Eliza Madrigal: So nice to see you Fef... am hesitant to ask you to catch up since I know so much has been going on
Korel Laloix: I have abit of that color RL as wel.
Eliza Madrigal: (and I prob missed the updates by being late)
Wol Euler: hello bruce
FcSeeker Resident: wb Bruce
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Bruce :)
Fefonz Quan: well, you didn't miss much this time. I didn't even tell I've been to chine for 2 weeks
Fefonz Quan: :)
Fefonz Quan: China*
Eliza Madrigal: that's the second thing I wanted to ask about
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Wol Euler: ah! I forgot.
Wol Euler listens.
Eliza Madrigal listens
FcSeeker Resident: <3
Fefonz Quan: Well, is was for business, so no long treks and trips
Fefonz Quan: but I did get to see Beijing for a couple of days
Eliza Madrigal: 2 weeks is quite a stretch for such an experience, even with work
Wol Euler nods.
Eliza Madrigal: What was Beijing like? What were your observations?
Fefonz Quan: quite a streac == ?
Eliza Madrigal: Oh, just that it seems a good amount of time :)
Fefonz Quan: Yes, and it seems much longer when you leave an 8 months old back home
Eliza Madrigal: of course!
Wol Euler smiles.
Fefonz Quan: it was a first, and it made it much harder than in the past.
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Fefonz Quan: Mostly I like to travel, even for business, I love the flight even.
Eliza Madrigal likes flying too
Fefonz Quan: It was fascinating to interact with the locals, most of them hardly speak any english
Wol Euler: I read that there are more people learning English in China than speaking it in the UK :)
Fefonz Quan: luckily many restaurant have pictures of the dishes :)
Eliza Madrigal: haha
Eliza Madrigal: It does seem an especially difficult language, not easy to just 'pick up' around town
Fefonz Quan: the food was great, and very cheap too. mostly if you (like myself) like spicy food
Eliza Madrigal: (not English)
FcSeeker Resident: takes a humble bow
Bruce Mowbray: Bye for now, Fc.
Eliza Madrigal: Bye Fc
Fefonz Quan: Bye Fc
Wol Euler: bye fc, take care
FcSeeker Resident: wishing good time to you all
FcSeeker Resident: namaste
Fefonz Quan: Oh, and they like Pandas...
Eliza Madrigal: :))
Wol Euler: hehehehe
Eliza Madrigal: Do did you find the atmosphere generally friendly?
Eliza Madrigal: *so=do
Fefonz Quan: it was generally friendly, yes. The taxi drivers making the exception :)
Wol Euler: huh
Eliza Madrigal: then who helped you find good restaurants?
Eliza Madrigal: :)
--BELL--
Fefonz Quan: our local guys mostly. and just strolling around usually gets you to the most interesting places
Eliza Madrigal: What was it like to return home afterward? Had your daughter seemed to change a lot?
Fefonz Quan: Unbelievably so!
Wol Euler smiles.
Fefonz Quan: she could stand, and crawl very fast, and had many new gestures and sounds
Eliza Madrigal: wow :)
Wol Euler: :)
Fefonz Quan: fortunately she was very happy and excited to see me
Fefonz Quan: although it ws a very strage experience for her
Eliza Madrigal: of course... you didn't grow a beard or anything while away I'm sure...
Eliza Madrigal: (then it might have taken her a moment)
Fefonz Quan: we did once made a video call through skype, and she was very glad to see me on screen, but Afterwards my wife said she was sad and confused, so we didn't repeat it
Eliza Madrigal: aw
Wol Euler: hmmm
Eliza Madrigal: to see you and not be able to be held maybe?
Fefonz Quan: I didn't grow a beard, but I heard about less sympathetic reactions though
Fefonz Quan: Yes Eliza, seeing on screen is not like the real thing.
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eliza Madrigal: well happy for you all, to be so aware of the precious time
Fefonz Quan: (I missed korel leaving i guwess)
Eliza Madrigal nods
Wol Euler looks around in surprise
Eliza Madrigal: she didn't say bye
Bruce Mowbray: I didn't notice that she'd left either.
Fefonz Quan: BTW - wasn't there an RL retreat lately?
Wol Euler: mmhmm
Wol Euler smiles.
Fefonz Quan: Did you participate Wol?
Wol Euler: three weeks ago already, I think
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Wol Euler: three of us did :)
Bruce Mowbray: yeppers, all three of us were there.
Fefonz Quan: Eliza and Bruce too?
Eliza Madrigal: )
Eliza Madrigal: :) yes
Bruce Mowbray: yes.
Fefonz Quan: Wow, /nme so envy
Bruce Mowbray: Didn't you attend the very first retreat, Fef -- in California?
Fefonz Quan: yes, and the Malta one too.
Eliza Madrigal wonders about retreating in Beijing... but you know, it was lovely, can't imagine it would have been better in a more exotic locale
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Fefonz Quan: can you say some words about it?
Bruce Mowbray listens.
Wol Euler smiles.
Eliza Madrigal: all sorts of things were 'off' about it... missing things in the kitchen and lots of heat/mosquitoes... but we enjoyed being around one another I think, which is the main thing
Bruce Mowbray: Eliza has written a beautiful summary of her impressions -- in the wiki.
Wol Euler nods.
Eliza Madrigal: wonderful discussions
Wol Euler: very familial
Eliza Madrigal: would love to hear Wol and Bruce say more :)))
Fefonz Quan: (link, please?)
Eliza Madrigal: thanks Bruce... okay, one sec....
milakel Resident: hi :)
Fefonz Quan: I guess Piet and Eos were there too
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, mila!
Wol Euler: yes, and Stim
milakel Resident: oh, woly is a furry again :)
Wol Euler: that was the first time I'd met him
milakel Resident: nice to see you, fef
Fefonz Quan: Ah, stim! Yes, it is an experience
--BELL--
Fefonz Quan: hello Milakel. have we met before?
milakel Resident: hope you little daughter is doing great :)
milakel Resident: yep, i'm alf's sister :)
Fefonz Quan: oh, that a very respectful lineage :)
milakel Resident: :)
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Mila :) [and here is the retreat reflections link, Fef: http://wiki.playasbeing.org/Retreats/Past_retreats/2011/2011-07_Windhorse_Farm%2c_NS/Retreat_reports%3a_Halifax_2011/Eliza's_Retreat_Reflections_(WHF-2011) ]
Fefonz Quan: you are much curvier though :)
Eliza Madrigal: hehehe
milakel Resident: ah! thank you, eliza
milakel Resident: fef, not too much really :)
Eliza Madrigal: watch out for the dagger
milakel Resident: :P
Fefonz Quan: well, anything will be curvier compared to the boxy envelope :)
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
milakel Resident: ah, that. yes, indeed :)
Fefonz Quan: which is much loved by itself
Eliza Madrigal: :)
milakel Resident: thought you meant the human av :)
Fefonz Quan: nope, I saw you missed that one
milakel Resident: oh, woly's spikes are blinging :)
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Wol Euler: they are? how embarrassing
Wol Euler: /bling of
Wol Euler: meh
milakel Resident: not too distracting :)
Bruce Mowbray: I don't think Bling of will do it, Wol.
Bruce Mowbray: needs to be OFF doesn't it?
Wol Euler: yeah, it helps to know the right command
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Wol Euler: should be fixed now
milakel Resident: they're too awesome not to bling :)
Bruce Mowbray: awesome indeed. I go for the bling.
Eliza Madrigal: it dont mean a thing if it aint got that bling...
Eliza Madrigal: (is that how the hip hop version goes?) heheh
milakel Resident: eliza, i feel the presence of eden the poetess among us :)
Eliza Madrigal: oh, part of a song... Eden writes her own notes :)
milakel Resident: she taught me a french proverb this morning
Eliza Madrigal: yes?
Fefonz Quan: (by Jacque Proveb?)
milakel Resident: short version: there's no 3 without 2 :)
Eliza Madrigal: hm
Eliza Madrigal: it is longer in french?
Eliza Madrigal: :)
milakel Resident: it seems to always be this way :)
Fefonz Quan: yep!
Eliza Madrigal: I do have to for a bit :) Nice to see you guys... hugs all around (and to family fef)
milakel Resident: eliza :)
Wol Euler: bye eliza! take care
Wol Euler: I should go too, actually, I'm really tired and have a few errands to run before bed
Fefonz Quan: great to see you too! and the retreats pics are beautiful
Bruce Mowbray: Bye, Eliza.
Wol Euler: goodnight all
Fefonz Quan: night Wol
Eliza Madrigal: Take care everyone!! Night!
Fefonz Quan: and I'll leave as wwell
Bruce Mowbray: Good night, Wol
Eliza Madrigal: sweet dreams Wol
Eliza Madrigal: bye for now
Bruce Mowbray: Good night, Fef.
Wol Euler: goodnight!
Bruce Mowbray: Gues it's time for my dinner, too.
Fefonz Quan: it is a pleasure to see you all again! _/!\_
Bruce Mowbray: So, I'll also say 'g'night!
Bruce Mowbray: Good to wee you too, Fef.
Bruce Mowbray: see*
Fefonz Quan: night Milakel. can I stop the recording?
milakel Resident: ah, sure
milakel Resident: i'm off in a bit