chats are dead?

[WonderlandAlli]

Are there no longer Sunday chats? I went to the room just now and its empty.

[Klara]

How lovely to find you're interested. If we announce ahead of time for all of us to be there at the same time, I think it's still working. Gary???

Have you read over the old chats? They were wonderful.

Klara

[WonderlandAlli]

Some of them

[Klara]

OK, thanks to your initiative, WonderlandAlli, we, you, I and everyone else who'd like to join us, can get together to do a chat.

So, the good news and the bad: Good: I've talked to Gary and for now, yes, the chat is operable.

Bad: It takes a little organizing to get a time that's good for everyone. Since you brought this up, you can tell us what time zone you're in and what's good for you (day and time)

So for everyone else who might be interested (and I hope there's plenty of you out there) (it really is a case of more the merrier here, like a party), let us know where you are and when's good for you. If you push "macrobiotic chat" above, you'll get to the place where Gary has very thoroughly written out instructions, one how to get on (you need java downloaded) and two, how to figure out what your time zone is - if anyone has difficulties, post back here - Gary's great with figuring out these technological challenges.

As for the chat, a couple things I've learned. sometimes if there are several people, comments can overlap and sometimes there are different topics going on at the same time, so one has to be careful when referring to something, to not use a pronoun, like "that's a good idea," but rather say "eating slower was a great idea that you (whoever said it) mentioned" and it makes the conversation a little easier to understand.

When you post regularly, you can take your time and think or erase - in a chat, there are awkward silent moments sometimes - it's just part of the game - when you read the chats afterwards, it doesn't appear, as you're not in real time.

It's fun getting instant replies and having a back and forth conversation and for some reason easier to get to know others -

so you game?? anyone?? day and time good for everyone??

Klara

[WonderlandAlli]

Awesome, I can use the normal chat time you've always used, its noon for me when its 2 eastern time.

Just wait till January, I'm about to go to Houston for 11 days for the holidays and will be with family for the rest of December, as I'm sure many others are too.

[Klara]

No problem - I can wait.

Enjoy your family (take some ume plums - they're great if you've overeaten or eaten way off what you've meant to - and if you are already cooking, take along also some kuzu, so you can make yourself some ume/kuzu drink if you feel not so great after the eating.)

Looking forward to the chat. Hope others will join in. The first Sunday in January is Jan 6 - would that work???

Klara

[WonderlandAlli]

Are umeboshi the same as the dried plums I see imported? I can never find anything labeled umeboshi specifically, even at the Asian imports market here.

Jan 6 should work

[Klara]

Hey everybody -

by me it's Jan 5th!!!! HUGE REMINDER if anyone's interested in the chat to come join us SUNDAY - June 6th, 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

Personally it's been wonderful to see more activity here on the forum, so I encourage all of you to try to come - it's been ages and although we don't have any prepared topic or moderator, it's also fun just meeting others.

But it's no fun coming to the chat and finding no one there :<( (someone teach me how to use the icons!!).

The first part is to decide you can afford the hour or so you want to be on the computer (you can also come on for less time, up to you, just to come say hi)

The second part is to remember when the time comes to get on the chat

oh, and the most important part is to have java set up - and here I am not very technically enhanced, and I've had popups telling me to update my java, so I'm going now (Sat night, 6:25) and see if I can get on - anyone out there want to try also, just for a trial run - if I see my java is ok)

wish me luck

Klara

[Klara]

It worked!!!!

What you need to do is scroll down all the way to the bottom and wait for the clock to appear and then sign in.

For me it asked for a code, which is macrochat

I didn't see all the instructions that were once there, about java, etc - Gary??

If anyone has problems, you can post here and I'll go back and forth to see if anyone's trying to get in, but as I said, I'm no expert. Try to go on before if you can, see if you have java downloaded, and if you post here and I'm on the computer at the same time, I'll try to get on and practice with you

The more the merrier. Just another reminder for tips on making it easier:

Since there's no moderator, use the bottom box that says "send" NOT the ask box

you can send just by pushing enter

you can break up your statements if you're a slow typer and send in parts

don't use pronouns to refer to past statements - like I agree with "that" - because by the time you write there might be a few that's - so say exactly what it is you're referring to

don't get too flustered if conversations goes in several directions as once, just pick up the thread by referring as I said above, to exactly the subject, eg. about breakfasts....

and let anyone else you know who's interested in mb and has a computer know about the chat

hope I see lots of you tomorrow night (well, night by me)

Klara

[Klara]

anybody on the site now?? want to come to the chat room??

[WonderlandAlli]

I'm on at the very moment, I just realized that I missed it this morning Had a wierd dream and then the first thing I thought of was a drawing I've been doing so I worked on that today. Sorry!

[Klara]

It's ok, no one showed up - and just as easy to exchange thoughts here as well - just a kind of instant response when chatting

don't know if there's anyway to read what I'd written there - but my father had just passed away so I've been on a huge emotional roller coaster ride - maybe the chat would have been too stimulating for what I need now anyway.

I can't do next Sunday, as we bury him today and then we sit in mourning for a week - so I won't be on the computer at all, just doesn't seem fitting.

If anyone else wants, you can do next Sunday. Gary said the chat capabilities will still be there through the end of the month, so worth taking advantage.

And if you're interested the Sunday following, I'd be happy to join you

Klara

[WonderlandAlli]

I'm so sorry for your loss. Take care while you're mourning.

[azulparsnip]

I'm up for chatting............I'm Eastern Standard time..........

[Klara]

I don't mean to burst your bubbles, Clarajones, but technical stuff isn't what interests me so much - although macrobiotics means large life, so EVERYTHING can be included, perhaps there is someone else who is interested

but the purpose as I see of the chats when there are no special guests running them, is just to get to know each other and let the conversation flow - the more people the more possibilities

rather than limiting it to any subject matter

WonderlandAlli, rereading this thread I saw your question about ume plums were never answered. I'm not sure what the dried plums are that you see at your store, but if they're red (because of the shiso leaves they are fermented with) it seems that they might be. I find it hard to believe they are not labeled at all - perhaps the labels are in Japanese and you need someone to interpret them for you?? did you buy them?? are they salty??

Klara