The Guardian for this meeting was stevenaia Michinaga. The comments are by stevenaia Michinaga.

Jasteen Resident, Korel Laloix, Lila Darkmatter, Vorder Forder, Eliza Madrigal amd Yakuzza Lethecus joined me

stevenaia Michinaga: hi Korel
Jasteen Resident: Hello :D
Korel Laloix: Heya
Korel Laloix: Morning
stevenaia Michinaga: this is jasteen, she is from Perfect Paradise
Korel Laloix: OH heya...
Jasteen Resident: nice to meet you :D
Korel Laloix: Not been over there in a while.
stevenaia Michinaga: have you been here before?
Korel Laloix: Good to meet you.
Jasteen Resident: yea, few times :))
stevenaia Michinaga: we meet ever 6 hours here at 7 and 1 am and pm... awww ok, then you know we record our meetings here and post them to the groups Wiki
stevenaia Michinaga: we have over 3 years of meetings and other information about the group there
stevenaia Michinaga: posted there
Jasteen Resident: :)) wow 3 years!
Korel Laloix: I have not been in ti that long though.
stevenaia Michinaga: I think we are on our 4th now
Korel Laloix: But it is a fun and interesting place for a chat.
stevenaia Michinaga: ooops, we are actually on our 5th year now
Jasteen Resident: Great! Im not good at English but that's so interesting!
stevenaia Michinaga: time flies
stevenaia Michinaga: hmmm, you seem to type better than I
Korel Laloix: And.. this place has really helped me with pushing my ENglish.
Korel Laloix: So that is another good thing about it... I am always looking up topics and words.
Korel Laloix: Strange my glasses won't rez.
Jasteen Resident: :) that's good, I need learn english
Korel Laloix: There we go.
stevenaia Michinaga: can I ask where are you from?
Jasteen Resident: Im from Japan :)
Korel Laloix: Never been to Japan.. but would love to.
Korel Laloix: We have one mempber who lives there now though.
Korel Laloix: member
Jasteen Resident: I got a message from her maybe....unfortunaly I forgot her name... :(
stevenaia Michinaga: perhaps ELiza
stevenaia Michinaga: we have been discussing listening and types of awareness for the past week
stevenaia Michinaga: I;m sure you have a completely different social sence of listening and awareness there, would be nice to compare
Jasteen Resident: Eliza? hmm she is my friend but not her
stevenaia Michinaga: :)
Korel Laloix: I think a lot of awareness is situational.
Korel Laloix: But there is some related to basic world view though.
Jasteen Resident: :)
stevenaia Michinaga: when I think of types of awareness, I think we each have our own perspective
stevenaia Michinaga: link dreams and pain, they are truely our own, but something we can hope to be able to share
Korel Laloix: So our awerness affects our opinions on awareness?.. grins
stevenaia Michinaga: awareness is our opinion of awareness
Korel Laloix: Another thing I have found is that people that claim to be the most aware typically are not.
stevenaia Michinaga: like the person who claims to be humble is the least humble
Korel Laloix: I am proud of my humility... smiles
stevenaia Michinaga: it is a quality seen by others

--BELL--

stevenaia Michinaga: some qualities are more accrately idenified by others about you, not by yourself about yourself
stevenaia Michinaga: like the person who say he is well likes, but in reality no one likes them
Korel Laloix: That is a good point... never thought of that, but it seems real.
Korel Laloix: Heya Lila
Jasteen Resident: Hello Lila :)
stevenaia Michinaga: greeting Lila
Lila Darkmatter: Hi everyone, Hi Jas :)
stevenaia Michinaga: sorry. crash
Korel Laloix: NO worries.
Lila Darkmatter: what are we discussing today? :)
Korel Laloix: I think there are things that you can do to expand your awareness as well.
Korel Laloix: Awareness.
Lila Darkmatter: oh, awareness... nice
Korel Laloix: As far as I am aware.
Korel Laloix grins
stevenaia Michinaga: lol
stevenaia Michinaga: listening expands your awareness
Korel Laloix: Unless you listen to the wrong things....
stevenaia Michinaga: I don't think you can "Say" you are aware as much as you have to be aware... like being in love, words do not define it completely
Korel Laloix: That is probably true.
stevenaia Michinaga: the trick is to understand the quality of awareness
Lila Darkmatter: ah, there is the word again "quality"
Lila Darkmatter: "texture" maybe?
stevenaia Michinaga: nods, waves of awareness surround you being
stevenaia Michinaga: not a thing, but a field
Korel Laloix: I think we are trying to look at this subject far to deeply.... basic awareness like not littering, or not putting your shopping cart int he midle of the isle so no one can pass is the basic layer.
Lila Darkmatter smiles
Korel Laloix: If we can't manage that, how can we be aware of things on a larger or more subtle scale.
stevenaia Michinaga: that is certainly a big part of it, it;s the things that drives other people crazy that you are unaware of
stevenaia Michinaga: is lack of awareness of others
stevenaia Michinaga: inner focus vs outward awareness
Lila Darkmatter: so it takes time to get to know others... to find out what they are like...
Lila Darkmatter: in some instances
Lila Darkmatter: I was thinking of manners but maybe that varies place to place
stevenaia Michinaga: it may be how you affect people you don;t even know
Lila Darkmatter: when I first learned it is okay and even preferable to slurp soup, in Japan, it took getting used to :))
Lila Darkmatter: now I am slurping all the time even in the US, hah, but not being Japanese in appearance it isn't taken well always, haha
Jasteen Resident: :)
stevenaia Michinaga: have you traveled outside Japan jasteen?
Jasteen Resident: yes!
Jasteen Resident: Uk and New Zealand

--BELL--

Lila Darkmatter: oh, nice
Jasteen Resident: I love NewZealand!!
Lila Darkmatter: what is nice there?
stevenaia Michinaga: have you discovered puzzeling things others do other places
Jasteen Resident: puzzeling things?? what is it?
stevenaia Michinaga: confusing cultural things, like what lila said about slurping soup in Japan was unusual to her
stevenaia Michinaga: (I don't know here Lila is from)
Lila Darkmatter: US, Stevenaia, thanks
Jasteen Resident: ah! I didn't feel anything confuse me...
stevenaia Michinaga: :)
Jasteen Resident: I am a little bit crazy maybe :) but I visited Nz on school trip
Jasteen Resident: and stay there a month
stevenaia Michinaga: nice, did you stay with families?
Jasteen Resident: yea!
Jasteen Resident: my host family is so nice :)
stevenaia Michinaga: was this before college?
Jasteen Resident: sometimes stranger come into home and fight with my host mother
stevenaia Michinaga: that must have been uncomfortable
Jasteen Resident: ah ah not panch and kick fight :)
stevenaia Michinaga: nods
Jasteen Resident: I didnt understand what are they saying
Jasteen Resident: but....fun :)
stevenaia Michinaga: smiles
Lila Darkmatter: so the energy was different maybe...
Jasteen Resident: yea, I felt so :D
Jasteen Resident: most amazing thing was about grave yard :)
Lila Darkmatter: aggression can be felt differently from place to place... like, in one place if you are directly argumentative that means you are engaged and paying attention, but in another it i implies the opposite, that you are caught in own views
Lila Darkmatter: grave yard?
Jasteen Resident: yea, Japanese grave yard is bored.
stevenaia Michinaga: bored?
Jasteen Resident: same stones line up in the yard in japan
Lila Darkmatter: ah
Jasteen Resident: and hard to find my family's grave stone ;(
Lila Darkmatter: :(
Jasteen Resident: but NZ's grave yard, all different and unieq grave stones were there
Jasteen Resident: I felt it was amazing :))
Lila Darkmatter: wonderful.. so there was less formality in a way
Jasteen Resident: :)
stevenaia Michinaga: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=japanese+graveyard&hl=en&client=safari&sa=X&rls=en&biw=1115&bih=752&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=DgEdBM8HjQlQCM:&imgrefurl=http://www.dannychoo.com/post/en/818/Japanese%2BGraveyards.html&docid=fDXVC-uLJQ5muM&imgurl=http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2101/2695606992_c6007afe8c_o.jpg&w=800&h=450&ei=ThEMUOiLJejY0QG1sdXPAw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=106&vpy=166&dur=434&hovh=164&hovw=293&tx=159&ty=100&sig=117772536146422800802&page=1&tbnh=99&tbnw=176&start=0&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:75
stevenaia Michinaga: ekk long web addess
Jasteen Resident: exactly! that's it!
Jasteen Resident: Japanese grave yard!
Lila Darkmatter smiles
Lila Darkmatter: I guess in the US it is "okay" to have different sorts of headstones but rarely do people do that
Korel Laloix: There are lots of different headstones here though.
Korel Laloix: Maybe it is just Oklahoma though.
stevenaia Michinaga: wealth when alive is reflected in the stone size

--BELL--

Lila Darkmatter: the desire to be respectful often outweighs the desire to be unique
Jasteen Resident: ohh I see
Lila Darkmatter: what is it like in OK Kori?
Korel Laloix: Well, there are very different sizes and shapes of heastones.
Korel Laloix: And you have various types burried together.
Korel Laloix: Differeont colors of markers, different stones, and materials.
Korel Laloix: Some are like modern art.
Lila Darkmatter: nice
stevenaia Michinaga: what were/are the customs of your people Korel?
stevenaia Michinaga: native Americans
Korel Laloix: Well there is a segrigation.
stevenaia Michinaga: In my religion, people are buried in an unfinished wooden box touching the ground
Korel Laloix: If you are really part of the tribe active... then there are cerimonies.. then the regular burial.
Korel Laloix: If not, the just the regular.
Korel Laloix: In the old days though, there were differences.
stevenaia Michinaga: I recently found that the bottom of the concrete vault was missing so they are resting on the earth
Korel Laloix: In Tsalaig tradiction, we have four souls and each are taken care of.
Korel Laloix: But all leave the dead body after a year, so marking a grave after that is not needed.
stevenaia Michinaga: and we mark the grave AFTER a year has passed
Lila Darkmatter: so interesting
Jasteen Resident: wow...interesting :)
Lila Darkmatter: lineage is such a fascinating thing ... traditions protected down through lines
Lila Darkmatter: then some may want their 'no tradition' protected too
stevenaia Michinaga: and some traditions offend others as not respectful
Lila Darkmatter: yes
stevenaia Michinaga: rather than accepting the differences
Lila Darkmatter: and changes ... no one wants to have their relatives battling after they die I'm sure...
Lila Darkmatter: :) would be great if everyone had the chance to travel to at least a few places wildly different from their own
Lila Darkmatter: and to immerse is even better, like for a Month as Jas did
Korel Laloix: I went to Germany for two months.. that was lovely.
Jasteen Resident: :)
Lila Darkmatter: what felt most different there?
stevenaia Michinaga: (beer?)
Lila Darkmatter: :)
Korel Laloix: Beer, wine, food, weather, women, cigarettes, churches, attittudes.
Korel Laloix: It was all lovely.
Lila Darkmatter: Hi Vorder , great to see you
Vorder Forder: thank you great to see you all

--BELL--

Jasteen Resident: Hello Vorder :D
Vorder Forder: I can only stay for a little while
Vorder Forder: Korel to me abot your talk about awareness
stevenaia Michinaga: greetings Vorder
Lila Darkmatter: oh :) we've been talking about awareness of cultural differences today
stevenaia Michinaga: from food to graveyards
Korel Laloix: Or food at graveyards.
Lila Darkmatter nods - differences in formalities
Jasteen Resident: :D
Lila Darkmatter: Hi Yaku
stevenaia Michinaga: yes, every year we visit a past friend and drink and eat with her on her grave
Jasteen Resident: Hello Yaku :)
stevenaia Michinaga: hi Yakuzza
Korel Laloix: Take care all.. off to church... ciao
Lila Darkmatter: bye Korel, have fun
Lila Darkmatter: I will brb
stevenaia Michinaga: bye Korel
Jasteen Resident: Bye :))
Vorder Forder: sorry to say I have to go now take good care all
stevenaia Michinaga: not sure, you are welcome to join us until the meeting is convened
stevenaia Michinaga: bye Voder
Jasteen Resident: Take care Vorder :)
stevenaia Michinaga: hi ELiza, how was coffee
Jasteen Resident: Hi Eliza :D
stevenaia Michinaga: he was just here for a few minutes
stevenaia Michinaga: just received his welcome email this second
Jasteen Resident: so late night for me :p
Jasteen Resident: I will visit here next time :D
stevenaia Michinaga: I must be heading out.... thank you for joining us Jas, nice to meet you
Jasteen Resident: good night :))
stevenaia Michinaga: bye eliza, Yak

Eliza Madrigal: bye Stevie
stevenaia Michinaga: bye eliza, Yak
Yakuzza Lethecus: ok, have a great sunday