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Chat with students Ying Lan from Taiwan and MaggiE from China, and teachers Maggi, Michael, and Vance |
This was not a good day for Cyberspace. Elsewhere on the language teaching lists, a popular site in Japan was reported as being inaccessible. Its manager reported that all was well, so the problem must be at servers somewhere along the Internet. We too had our problems. We kept falling out of the Palace one by one and getting back in, but eventually the Palace stopped working completely. We ended up in the voice chat, but even there, the data packets from Ying Lan in Taiwan were coming in delayed, so her speech was broken and incomprehensible. Sound between Australia, the UAE, and southern China was fine, but something odd was going on in the region of Taiwan and Japan. A day later, it’s ok. I’ve returned to the Palace and Maggie’s ears are still there.
This chat has two parts: The Palace part and the Voice Chat part
Connecting to efi.virtualscholar.com:9998
Received file selectborder.gif
Received file palthumb021400.gif
Connected via TCP
*** Welcome to The Virtual School House Vance!
Vance: @64,64 !It's Vance
Maggi: @64,64 !It's Maggi
Maggi: ahhhh...he looks so peaceful....:-)
Vance: thank you. I don't have any avatars on this machine.
Maggi: looks sweet...
Vance: I think my laptop may have crashed
Vance: Do you have YL's ICQ? She is trying to reach you.
Maggi: well...fire up another one
Maggi: yes
Maggi: I see her online
Maggi: just sent her a hi
Maggi: you're off though...she sniffs the air (Vance’s ICQ has crashed on his laptop)
Maggi: Ying is on her laptop and I wasn't on her list there
Vance: good. Yeah, I think the file she tried to send me crashed my machine.
Maggi: you still here or crashed off everywhere?
Maggi: oh
Vance: good, I mean, that you sent her a message
Vance: She's in the voice chat now
Maggi: well...go to her
Maggi: be a gentleman
(Vance’s Palace has just disconnected)
Winsock Error: 10054 - Connection reset by peer
No connection - Click Anywhere to enter a Palace
Connecting to efi.virtualscholar.com:9998
Connected via TCP
Connecting to efi.virtualscholar.com:9998
Connected via TCP
*** Welcome to The Virtual School House Vance!
Vance: @64,64 !It's Vance
Maggi: there's MaggiE
Vance: Sorry, getting poor connectivity from this machine
Ying: @64,64 !It's Ying
Maggi: I laughing myself silly...just found a contest held by the Washington Post where readers were asked to come up with excuses to miss a day of work
Maggi: Hi Ying
Vance: Hi there.
Maggi: they are so fuunny
Ying: hi,
Ying: Hi, maggi,
Ying: Maggi and maggiE.. How to pronounce the word with (Vance pronounces both for her in the voice chat)
Maggie: @64,64 !It's Maggie
Ying: e?
Maggie: hello
Maggi: same Ying
Maggi: Hi Maggie
Maggie: "Maggie"and "Maggi"pronounced the same I think
Maggie: hello.
Maggi: just call me mad Maggi
Maggie: This is my first time
Maggie: to chat here..
Ying: I've got the connection porblem... I hated it.
Maggie: feels strange.
Maggi: why Maggie?
Maggie: just because I am newer here..
Maggie: but I think it's the same as the other chat room
Maggi: we were all new once...just like babies
(Vance’s Palace has disconnected again)
No connection - Click Anywhere to enter a Palace
Searching for Plug-ins...
PalacePresents Viewer Installed!
Connecting to welcome.thepalace.com:9998
Connected via TCP
Connecting to efi.virtualscholar.com:9998
Extraneous Packet "Ava 0x74617273
Extraneous Packet "Ava 0x74617273
No connection - Click Anywhere to enter a Palace
No connection - Click Anywhere to enter a Palace
Connected via TCP
*** Welcome to The Virtual School House Vance!
Vance: @64,64 !It's Vance
Maggie: Hi,Vance
Maggie: u see.I did it
Maggie: I can join you.
Maggie: wonderful
Maggi: you'll give Ying a headache landing like that
Maggie: Ha ha ha..
Maggie: well.do u know I am wearing glasses...
Maggi: it's wonderful to see you here Maggie...how was dinner?
Maggi: me too!
Maggie: not bad
Vance: Hi. I've had to come here on a different machine.
Vance: I hope I can keep this connection now.
Maggie: but I don't think I can cook well...
Maggi: what did you make?
Maggie: rice of course and...
Maggie: vegetables.
Maggi: mmm
Maggie: nothing else.
Maggi: I am going to make Rouladen
Maggie: Because I didn't go to supermarket today.
Maggie: what's that?Roulate...??
Maggi: they are rolled slices of very thin beef with a filling
Maggie: I like beef very much
Maggi: nothing is open here today
Maggie: you meant no shop is open today?
Maggi: I had sushi on Thursday
Maggie: Sushi...Good...
Maggi: No...nothing...never on Sunday
Maggie: but it's very expensive here in China...
Maggi: and today is a hiliday too
Maggie: why no shop open on Sunday.
Maggi: holiday
Maggie: Well,I wish here too.
Maggie: Then I can play with my mum at home
Maggi: because they believe there should be one day just to be with the family and rest
Maggie: how often will this happen?
Maggie: once a week or a month.
Maggi: every Sunday
Maggie: I think Chinese should think like that
Maggie: but people always want to get more money
Maggi: you get used to it...everyone goes outside if the weather is good...
Maggie: woo...mmm...
Maggi: this is a hard law to stop
Maggie: In that case,I prefer to stay home
Maggie: hard law?
Vance: WHat happened to Ying Lan?
Maggi: others countries allow shops to open...
Maggi: she must have problems too
Maggie: I think something wrong with Ying's computer
Maggi: it is against the law for shops to open...they have to have special poermission
Vance: brb
Maggi: permission
Maggie: That means no shop is allowed to open on Sunday..right?
Maggie: sounds good to me
Maggi: right
Maggie: So what people do on Sunday?
Maggi: you can get some things at the gas stations...they usually are open and have a little shop
Maggi: they go for walks and ride their bikes
Maggie: If I were them ,I won't ride bike.I ride bike every day
Vance: back (lbr)
Maggi: visit family and friends
Maggie: cool...
Maggi: take it easy...yes...it is good I think
Maggie: Doctors said it's good to ride bikes
Maggi: some cities like Berlin and Dresden tried to open on Sunday and they made them pay big fines
Maggi: the Dutch really ride bikes...
Maggi: you have to watch out for them
(Disconnected again !!!)
No connection - Click Anywhere to enter a Palace
You have been terminated
Connecting to efi.virtualscholar.com:9998
Connected via TCP
*** Welcome to The Virtual School House Vance!
Vance: @64,64 !It's Vance
Maggi: now he's red
Maggie: welcome back
Vance: whew
Maggi: let me give you a twirl
Maggi: what a face Maggie
Maggi: ^.^
Vance: So, what were you talking about?
Maggi: you saving me from getting run over by a bike
Maggie: How did it happen?
Vance: Was that in Amsterdam?
Maggi: now where else have I seen you?
Vance: uh oh
Vance: Oh, Maggie went inside to explore
Maggi: good girl
Vance: I just sent her an icq
Vance: There she is
Maggie: @64,64 !It's Maggie
Vance: Watch out for those doors
Maggie: Ha...
Maggi: back again
Maggie: Made a mistake...stupid
Maggi: now you see her, now you don't
Maggi: we all do it
Vance: We've all done it
Maggie: :-)
Maggi: ther's an echo here
Maggi: but the tone is different
Vance: with an odd shift in tense / aspect
Maggi: there it is again:-)
Maggie: Look...How beautiful I am
Maggi: kewl
Maggi: nature calling brb
Vance: there's a room you can visit to find more avatars
Maggie: well,Vance you said where is your son studying
Vance: My son is studying in San Francisco, one of my sons
Maggie: Then ...they don't live with you...right?
Maggie: Will you worry about them?
Vance: One lives with me and the other in San Francisco. Wanna see some pics?
Maggie: yes...of course
Vance: I'm looking for some
Vance: ah, but they're mostly on geocities .. :-(
Maggie: geocities...
Vance: Yeah, I don't think you can reach
Geocities. It's one of the sites
blocked in China. http://www.geocities.com
Maggie: I don't think I can...I tried one time...and failed..but why
Maggie: why can't I go there
Vance: I don't know. Try.
Maggie: OK.Let me try one more time now...
Maggie: Ha...Now I can see http://www.geocities.yahoo.com/home
Maggie: But I typed www.geocities.com
Maggie: Maggi ...your foot smells good (Maggie has settled near Maggi’s duck footed avatar)
Maggi: thanks...lavender
Vance: Ok, well try http://www.geocities.com/vance_stevens/
Maggie: OK
Maggie: could you please type one more time...www.geocities.com/vsteven_...what next
Maggi: I wonder why they block geo?
Vance: http://www.geocities.com/vance_stevens
Vance: I don't know. But Moral could never see the geocities page, so we moved it to Tripod. And then Maggie told us she couldn't see tripod, so we copied it to homestead.
Maggi: there is always a way around
Maggie: well,,,we have many problems
Maggie: I wonder why
Maggie: failed again
Maggie: I couldn't see it
Maggi: you never know what goes on in the minds of politicians
Maggi: they should see some of the nuts floating around on icq...LOL
Maggie: I wonder why..because I can reach some audlt channel
Maggi: not for us to reason why...
Maggie: I think they should stop that channel ...not the one I want to reach
Maggi: but it makes money
Maggi: and remember most men are politicians...LOL
(Happened again; frustrating – most unusual)
Winsock Error: 10054 - Connection reset by peer
No connection - Click Anywhere to enter a Palace
Connecting to efi.virtualscholar.com:9998
Connected via TCP
*** Welcome to The Virtual School House Vance!
Vance: @64,64 !It's Vance
Maggie: but men just listen
Maggi: women are more open to talk about everything
Maggie: back again.
Maggi: can't keep a good man down long
Vance: Just as I suspected. I leave for just one minute and you're back to putting down men!
Maggie: :-)
Maggi: no we weren't...
Maggie: We won't...
Maggi: LOL
Maggi: there's Ying again
Maggie: what did you think we were talking about
Vance: My connection is really bad tonight. Ying is back in the voice chat
Maggie: oh.good
Maggie: I can't hear clearly in voice room
MichaelC: @64,64 !It's MichaelC
MichaelC: Hi all.
Maggi: he thought we were talking bad about men
Maggie: hello 2 to 2 now..
Maggie: it's very fair
Maggi: oh...there's another one...now he has back up...hi mc!
Ying: @64,64 !It's Ying
Ying: hi
Maggi: now they are outnumbered again...hi Ying!
Maggie: good...3 to 2...we win
Maggie: woman
MichaelC: Sounds like the posse arrived just in time.
Maggie: woman's world
Maggi: SOME POSSE
Maggi: look at that grin
Ying: Vance said he has some connection troulble here.
Maggie: Ha Ha Ha...
Vance: The voice chat is clear if you use the mic correctly.
Ying: So he stay in our voice chat room.. you are coming.
Vance: That was to answer Maggie from before
Vance: Anyway, I'm in the Palace and in the voice chat.
Maggie: But I just can't HEAR clearly.
Vance: I like the voice chat because I don't have to look at it. I can hear when someone is there.
Maggi: easy on the eyebalss
Maggi: balls
Maggie: I think it's good too..if I can hear clearly
Maggi: eyeballs
At this point, the Palace crashed for everyone, and a lot of use went to the voice chat …
And people are also going back and forth between the Palace and the voice chat!
Vance has
joined
Ying has
joined (but her voice is being broken by delays between servers on the
Internet)
Ying: I can hear
you clearly.. Any trouble with you!!
Ying: I have
stomchache after I ate dinner.
Ying: would
you give me the port number of our virtual school room.
Ying: I
ATE apple before I ate dinner..
Vance: 9998
Ying: It is
bad with this mic?
Ying: HOw
about this?
Vance: gdtting
better
Vance: yeah
Ying: name
Ying: I need
the name too
Vance: efi.virtualscholar.com
Ying has
left
Ying has
joined
Vance: you
have had some trouble
Ying has
joined
Ying has
left
Ying has
left
Ying has
joined
Vance: I couldn't
hear you. Can you hear me?
Vance: OK,
I heard that
Vance: But
the breakup is bad
Vance: Are
you still at the Palace?
Vance: I'm
getting voice bit by bit
Vance: I'm
going to try to go on from another machine
Michael has
joined
Ying: I
heard you clearly
Ying: It is
not a machine problem it is a connetcion problem..
Ying: maggi
said all of you were kidd off the Palace..
Ying: h
Ying: Hi
michael
Ying: Can
you hear me?
Vance: We
can hear you, but we get your voice in pieces
Michael: Seems like
there are Internet problems tonight!
Vance: That
mean the packets containing the data are getting delivered too slowly
Ying: I see
you are speaking but your sound is breaking ... like me hm hm
Ying: It is
caused by the connection problem?
Vance: But I
can hear MC ok, and he can hear me
Ying: You
has hold the F9 for a long time.. but your sound is discountinous.
Ying: I can
hear you by session...
Ying: Do you
open the text chat?
Vance: Yeah,
Text chat is open
Vance: I
think she has the same problem with reception that we have with her
Ying: Vance
tell michael ,, he can read my word by text chatting.
Ying: I can
hear you guys clearly.
Michael: You're
breaking up again. What a shame!
Ying: yeah!
Michael: So are
you OK or not Ying?
Ying: I am ok
or not,, I don't know.
Ying: I am
still worry something but I can not be sad in my house.
Ying: I can
not let my present down.
Michael: Why
can't you be sad in your house?
Michael: Your
present down?
Ying: The
mananger is my ex-manager.
Vance: Your
parents?
Ying: He was
my manager...
Ying: NO...
I do not lose job.
Ying: He
worked with me in the same branch.
Ying: but he
work in another branch now.
Ying: He was
talking about some case what I have done.
Ying: One of
the customer decided to change the bank.. it means they give up me.
Ying: You
know that I am in charge some loan poject...
Ying: I am
not in charge the loan dept... only some case.
Maggie has
joined
Ying: But my
manager support me to reject the customer.
Ying: My
manager did not blam me.
Maggie: I can
hear
Maggie: yes
yes yes
Ying: YOU
can not hear me???
Michael: Maggie
- say something.
Ying: Can
you hear me? it is a sentence I heard it serveral times tonight.
Vance: Yeah,
that's funny
Maggie: yes.I
can hear both of you
Ying: I just
thought why they want to leave me... they told the problem to my ex-manager.
Ying: The
ex-manager is always take care of me...
Ying: What a
big problem??? it is a price war.
Ying: Another
bank offer the low interest rate to the client.
Ying: But in
our opinion, the client is not so good to get the benefit.
Ying: They
still gets the red word in their financial report.
Ying: it is
lost.
Vance: You
mean a loss?
Ying: I ask
maggi how to explain the red word.
Vance: deficit?
Vance: loss?
Maggie: wait
Maggie: deficit
Maggie: DEFICT
Ying: It is
difiecit...
Michael: deficit
Ying: No, he
does not lost his job.
Vance: he
did not lose his job
Ying: My
ex-manager is an excellent manager in my company.
Ying: It is
a traditional rule in my country.
Maggie: I am
talking to Mad by ICQ now
Ying: They
have to move to another branch after they have working a long time.
Ying: Her
son is in her computer..
Ying: I am
eager to listen maggi
Ying: maggi's
voice.
Ying: I am
eager to listen to maggi's voice.
Maggie: me too
Maggie: she
said she promised to jion us next week
Ying: One is
about what we were talking
Ying: One
day, I waked up and stared at the ceiling, then I found I have nothing to do
only waiting for death..
Vance has
joined
Maggie: oh.No
Ying: I have
passed the test.
Michael: Now we
have 2 Vances!
Ying: And I
give up the chance to work in Vancouver.
Vance has
left (This happens when I change my name)
Vance_again has
joined (I’m logged on from two computers now, hoping to get improved reception
on one since they’re on different systems; doesn’t work)
Maggie: why?
Ying: My
company post the request but I missed the dead line to hang on my application
form.
Ying: In
other hand.. they posted the request before I got the pass note.
Ying: I was
not qualifed at that time.
Ying: But I
could ask my ex-manager to help me to get the position
Michael: Don't
worry about things you cannot change.
Ying: But I
do not dare to ask his help.,
Ying: I am
worry about my father's health.. I am afraid of ..
Ying: That's
I have to concern ..
Ying: Got
your words.. but my father did not very well one month ago.
Maggie: mmm...
Maggie: that's
a hard question...
Ying: He is
getting better now. but doctor said he can not promise how long he will be a
normal person.
Maggie: oh....sadly
Ying: He is
always tired after he take a bath.
Ying: He is
not suffering heart attack.
Ying: He is
high blood press.
Ying: How
could say the name of sick in English?
Michael: He HAS
high blood pressure.
Vance: He
has high blood pressure
Michael: Snap!
(Me and Vance both said the same thing.)
Ying: He
could not move because the high blood presure...
Michael: How
old are your parents Ying?
Ying: I am
36.. my mother is older than me 24.
Vance: so
she's 60
Ying: My father
is older than my mother 6.
Ying: How
old is my father?
Ying: it is
a math problem.
Vance: so
he's 66
Michael: "My
mother is 24 years older than me."
Ying: Thanks.
Ying: What
is your question?
Vance: did
I get the math right? That's the
question
Ying: That's
right.
Ying: Wa!!!
Ying: But my
father hates doing exercise.
Ying: Vance
you just like me.. I have to count to find my parents's age.
Maggie: my mum
is 42 my dad is 48
Ying: maggi,,,
they are so young...
Ying: maggis
is young.
Maggie: yes...
Maggie: I
think so...
Ying: They
must suffer the revoluation of culture?
Michael: The
cultural revolution.
Maggie: yes.They
did
Vance: you
did it again Michael
Ying: cultural
revolution.
Maggie: I told
MAGGI a little about that
Ying: But
they were child at that time.... they ruined everything?
Vance_again: children (SNAP)
Michael: LOL
Ying: Have
you heard about June 4 ?
Maggie: what
do you mean by"They ruined everything"?
Ying: Sorry,,,
Ying: Were
they "Red Guard"?
Maggie: no...they
weren't
Ying: Were
they "little Red Solider"?
Ying: Did
they destroyed everthing?
Vance_again: did
they destroy ...
Ying: I
think they were teenage during the culture revolation.
Ying: I
think I am wrong.
Maggie: they
weren't red solider
Maggie: they
were in primary school at that time
Maggie: They
said they didn't need to pay for the education at one time
Ying: It was
a terrible time in China.
Maggie: they
think so.
Michael: brb
Maggie: they
said they had to sing some strange songs before the classes
Ying: To
many young students were forced to leave school.
Ying: That
was hell what I could not image.
Maggie: me too
Vance_again: imagine
Michael: Back
again.
Vance_again: me
neither
Ying: That
was a hell what I could not imagine.
Ying: I ask
you another sad story.
Vance_again: I've
read some books on the topic. It sounds
terrible.
Maggie: yes..but
it's past ..fortunately
Ying: Not
being horrible as well as the culture revolution.
Ying: Maggie,
you are lucky to be born at the right time.
Maggie: Yes..I
am very lucky to be born at the right time and have good parents
Ying: You...
i mean the generation you belong might change China after 10 years.
Maggie: and
education.
Maggie: I hope
I can
Ying: I hope
to see the change in my life.
Maggie: people
are changing everyday
Ying: Like
Tainwan's govermant changed peacefully.
Maggie: which
did you vote to Ying
Maggie: Good
story ..Vance ..
Ying: You
will get the democracy
Ying: maggie,
it is not important now.
Ying: It is
important that we supprt the new President.
Ying: Because
he was elected by all of the people in Taiwan.
Ying: He is
our choice now.
Ying: That's
democracy.
Ying: Thanks
you. michaelc. \
Michael: Gotta
go. See you next time!
Maggie: bye
Michael
Ying: see
you.
Ying: He
still can not get my voice..
Vance_again: I
heard it fine
Ying: Don't
worry be happy..
Michael: That's
right!
Ying: It is
a Jazz song.
Maggie: Fortunately
I don't have the same problem with my parents
Michael has
left
Ying: Yeah!!
Ying: maggie,,
you just need to study hard.. I heard that is is hard to go to college in
China.
Ying: You
ask me?
Ying: She
means she does not need to worry about the problem like me.
Maggie: no I
meant my parents won't use my computer
Maggie: just
now
Maggie: yes ..I
will go to college this year
Maggie: ok
Ying has
left
Vance_again has
left
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