2012.04.21 07:00 - I don't really know how I am

The Guardian for this meeting was Xirana Oximoxi joined by Zen.

We've had a nice conversation with different topics...

Xirana Oximoxi: hello Zen,!!
Zen Arado: Hi Xirana :)
Xirana Oximoxi: how are you?
Zen Arado: not bad thanks
Zen Arado: you?
Xirana Oximoxi: ok...it sounds much better than 'bad:)
Xirana Oximoxi: I'm fine too:) ty:)
Zen Arado: I don't really know how I am
--BELL--
Xirana Oximoxi: yes... I understand:)) As soon as I've asked, I've remembered a discussion we had long ago about the question 'how are you?':))
Xirana Oximoxi: it's a polite way to welcome someone for me...and it has sense, because if someone wants to really answer..I am ready to listen :)
Xirana Oximoxi: so, in what sense don't you know how are you?
Zen Arado: yes and I usually answer for lately too
Zen Arado: but then I explained that really, I don't know:)
Zen Arado: politely that should be
Zen Arado: well, I have a kind of 'normal' state
Xirana Oximoxi: sometimes if we think more seriously about how we are...we find ourselfs really confused
Xirana Oximoxi: :)
Xirana Oximoxi: ok...if it's a normal state....
Zen Arado: when I am not very happy or very sad
Xirana Oximoxi: happy... we have had a challenge to express what happiness means:)
Zen Arado: perhaps there is also a "not knowing"
Xirana Oximoxi: maybe we could also have one challenge to express sadness
Zen Arado: life has normal ups and downs
Zen Arado: maybe we couldn't be happy if we didn't have a corresponding sad time as well
Zen Arado: we wouldn't have anything to compare it with
Xirana Oximoxi: yes!...that's life...but we try to 'define' concepts and that's what is complicated
Zen Arado: yes
Zen Arado: how do I know what I define as happy is the same as other people's definition?
Xirana Oximoxi: I gues it will always have subtle differences
Zen Arado: But of course, when we meet someone, we want to let them know we are interested in them, because we are
Zen Arado: and if they are feeling down we could comfort them perhaps
Zen Arado: I suppose it is all part of the way we humans have been trained to behave
Xirana Oximoxi: maybe the comfort can just be sharing this time together
Zen Arado: yes of course

Zen Arado: I was just watching a video about dogs
Xirana Oximoxi: ohh nice
Zen Arado: I have a friend who is really passionate about looking after stray dogs
Zen Arado: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjPSz...feature=relmfu
Zen Arado: she paid to have a stray dog shipped from Romania and now looks after it
Xirana Oximoxi: wow... and how did she know about a stray dog in Romania?
Zen Arado: I don't know, but she posts things from a place in Romania that seeks to rescue dogs
Zen Arado: dogs run around in packs there
Xirana Oximoxi: welll..that's really a passion about dogs:) I love dogs too...but never though about taking care of dogs this way
Xirana Oximoxi: we have had the King of Spain killinf elephants in Africa last week...
Xirana Oximoxi: a bid discussion here about it
Zen Arado: yes that was bad
Xirana Oximoxi: https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/im...bOP7F-9zi-oxAg
Xirana Oximoxi: I don't undestand if this is a way to feel more important
Zen Arado: that photo was printed all around the world
Xirana Oximoxi: yes! in Spain too...
--BELL--
Xirana Oximoxi: maybe it is a usual practice between millionaires...but it's sad..in more than one sense..in one hand we have people taking care of animals, nature...and at the other side the ones that take it as a way to have fun...crazy world!
Zen Arado: yes

Xirana Oximoxi: have you been playing as DJ?
Zen Arado: I was yesterday
Zen Arado: why do you ask?
Xirana Oximoxi: because of the 'instrument' in your hand:)
Xirana Oximoxi: don't know the name in English:)
Zen Arado: ah no that is aflac
Zen Arado: aflac
Xirana Oximoxi: ok:)
Xirana Oximoxi: haha nice!!!
Zen Arado: you haven't seen that before?
Xirana Oximoxi: noo:))
Zen Arado: are they do it in PAB quite often :-)
Xirana Oximoxi: I have seen the onigokko:)
Zen Arado: my friend thinks everyone should adopt a dog
Xirana Oximoxi: do you want to talk about the topic for this week?
Zen Arado: I had a dog but I don't think I could look after one properly now
Zen Arado: sure if you want
Xirana Oximoxi: welll.. a dog is not a puppy, and need good conditions to live and time to take care of it
Zen Arado: I know
Xirana Oximoxi: there are small dogs too..that are more easy to take care
Zen Arado: I have trouble enough looking after myself
Zen Arado: if I wasn't so disabled I certainly would have a dog
Xirana Oximoxi: yes... it may not be easy

Xirana Oximoxi: ui...you are floating:)
Zen Arado: :)
Xirana Oximoxi: :)
Zen Arado: are they still discussing the nine seconds?
Xirana Oximoxi: I guess each session is different:)
Xirana Oximoxi: I've had not a lot of time to read all the proposals for discussions and so on
Zen Arado: I think they do one topic per week
Xirana Oximoxi: I think it's important to have a topic, but I also think that sometimes not forcing a topic could make it come spontanously
Zen Arado: yes
Zen Arado: a week is a long time on one topic when you think about it :-)
Xirana Oximoxi: yes! I agree:)
Xirana Oximoxi: I supppose depends on the topic too...
Zen Arado: I have never really done the nine seconds practice very much
Xirana Oximoxi: somehow I don't feel I am ready to talk about a lot of topics that are on the list
Zen Arado: it isn't my kind of meditation
Xirana Oximoxi: not well prepared
Zen Arado: well, we can share our experiences
Zen Arado: this is more important than a lot of philosophical theories, I think
Xirana Oximoxi: yes...in that way yes... as some opinion we can have about it
--BELL--
Xirana Oximoxi: I don't practice meditation and either the 9 seconds...but I find it interesting to learn about how others experience it
Zen Arado: it is a thing you can only find out about by doing I think
Xirana Oximoxi: yes
Xirana Oximoxi: you always say it's very good for you..it helps you to feel better
Xirana Oximoxi: not worrying about everything
Zen Arado: hmmm yes
Zen Arado: it's also a way to investigate 'what is this?'
Zen Arado: What is happening here in this moment in this body in this place?
Zen Arado: It's not all about self improvement
Xirana Oximoxi: my way of not worrying about everything is doing a lot of things, studying, painting, learning languages...
Zen Arado: yes

Xirana Oximoxi: I think your French is good to come to advanced chat :)
Zen Arado: meditation can be a break from all the self improvement strategies we use
Zen Arado: just sit and do absolutely nothing
Zen Arado: no Xirana, it isn't :-)
Xirana Oximoxi: ok:))... we wait it improves and you come with Elinor and me:))
Zen Arado: I don't understand the conversations well enough
Xirana Oximoxi: usually only the two of us...but a lot of people as beginners...the French can be happy about it
Zen Arado: oh, I see
Xirana Oximoxi: interest to learn French! :)
Xirana Oximoxi: no worries...we have fun too and learn a lot
Zen Arado: Cem and Jeff will tell me if I should go to intermediate class
Xirana Oximoxi: we speak even more beeing few
Xirana Oximoxi: ahhh you see??? !! :)
Xirana Oximoxi: if they say you must come too:)
Zen Arado: but they didn't :-)
Xirana Oximoxi: but I understand that is better to go slowly...I go to German chat and some days I don't understand a word :))
Zen Arado: I find that with Cem and Jeff, you need to understand what they are saying
Zen Arado: because they ask you questions and make you do exercises all the time
Xirana Oximoxi: we say an idiom like 'wanting to build a house beginning making the roof' :)
Zen Arado: you can't just sit back and listen
Zen Arado: yes I see some of the idioms on Facebook
Xirana Oximoxi: yes...that's good, they prepare the chat and some exercices
Zen Arado: sometimes I disagree a little on the meaning of the idioms that Jeff posts
Xirana Oximoxi: this idiom is in Spanish...I've made a translation:)...but a lot are similar
Zen Arado: and there is a difference between American English and English English
Xirana Oximoxi: ahh well...then you must tell him...he will be very happy to discuss and learn, I am sure:)
Xirana Oximoxi: ahh yes... even more complicated:)
Zen Arado: I might start a university French course this year
Xirana Oximoxi: oh! wonderful!!
Zen Arado: I started a degree with the open University but I have only done a few short courses
Zen Arado: maybe I should concentrate on French and English
Zen Arado: (this is my fourth degree)
Zen Arado: :)
Xirana Oximoxi: well...English you know perfectly!! :)
Xirana Oximoxi: you are clever! :))
Xirana Oximoxi: muy listo (in Spanish)
Xirana Oximoxi: :)
Zen Arado: I did an engineering degree, and arts and humanities degree, and a MA in philosophy
Xirana Oximoxi: wow! :)

Zen Arado: they use a lot of big words in art history I found :)
Zen Arado: in philosophy you have to be very clear in what you say
Xirana Oximoxi: well, in Art history they have to define concepts too
Zen Arado: I only did one year of art history
--BELL--
Xirana Oximoxi: art is also related with philosophy... but yes, sometimes they find meanings and theories that seem a little pretentious...
Zen Arado: yes
Zen Arado: the course I studied seemed to use a lot of social science
Zen Arado: they talked about feminism, about why there weren't any great female masters
Zen Arado: and about the society the artists lived in
Xirana Oximoxi: ahhh:))...in Art history is not easy to find women artists recognised
Zen Arado: yes, but because women didn't receive much education in bygone centuries
Xirana Oximoxi: and when you find one...they say she is great because of the influence of a man
Zen Arado: women were expected to sit at home and look after the children
Zen Arado: there were some female impressionists
Zen Arado: around that time the barriers began to be broken
Xirana Oximoxi: yes... but some did have the opportunity to be educated and to be painters ...  as great as a man, but they never talk about
Zen Arado: yes
Xirana Oximoxi: there are groups of feminists that try to recognise these women
Zen Arado: Berthe Morisot was one
Xirana Oximoxi: yes...she was known, her works are at Paris jeu de Paumme
Xirana Oximoxi: (if I remember well)
Xirana Oximoxi: :)
Zen Arado: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berthe_Morisot
Zen Arado: but women artists get recognition these days, don't they?
Xirana Oximoxi: yes, I think so...
Xirana Oximoxi: it has changed a lot
Xirana Oximoxi: also about writers
Zen Arado: Perhaps not quite as much as men perhaps, even now
Xirana Oximoxi: I don't know, but I have the impression that if you are good you have the same oportunities...(if you are well related)))
Zen Arado: there are still probably more men than women in exhibitions in London I think
Zen Arado: and maybe more men get the chance to go to art college than women
Zen Arado: but I'm not sure about that
Zen Arado: do they have great masters in art these days?
Zen Arado: Like Monet and Van Gogh?
Xirana Oximoxi: what I also see in SL is that there are a lot of women artists that could not follow their careers because of taking care of children ... but that can happen to men too (time to time)
Zen Arado: or maybe they have to be dead
Zen Arado: yes, maternity always slows women down in any career
Xirana Oximoxi: the marked of Art is a big business...and it's not enough to be good, there are a lot of interests and money to promote a writer, a painter... publicity, edition...
Zen Arado: yes, I agree
Zen Arado: I put an abstract painting into my art club exhibition
Zen Arado: 'Evolution'
Xirana Oximoxi: you mean in RL?
Zen Arado: but I am doubtful if it will sell
Zen Arado: yes
Xirana Oximoxi: wonderful! :)
Zen Arado: I bought a graphics tablet to try digital art
Zen Arado: but I'm not sure I like that
--BELL--
Xirana Oximoxi: I am sure you will do interesting works Zen!!! it's nice to explore...
Xirana Oximoxi: I must go now...
Xirana Oximoxi: I wish you a nice day!!! :)
Zen Arado: anyway, if I take a digital photo and upload it to second life, it is digital art :-)
Xirana Oximoxi: I want to see it soon!! :)
Zen Arado: okay I need to make my dinner too
Xirana Oximoxi: see you soon! :)
Xirana Oximoxi: bye bye
Zen Arado: byee