Living Avatars Network: Fusing Traditional and Innovative Ethnographic Methods through a Real-time Mobile Video Service

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They then discussed options on the menu (Figure 9 (left) and extract below), comparing items on the menu with desserts in Vietnam (Figure 9 (right) and extract below) and discussing what to order (extract below).

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FIGURE 9: “Kinds of beancurd” (left) and glass jelly (right) on the dessert stall menu

G: “What are this?”
A: “It’s like fresh beancurd.”
G: “Oh, okay.”
A: “Some kinds of beancurd”
G: “Do you have beancurd in Vietnam?”
A: “Yes we do [unclear].”

G: “What about the black glass jelly? Do you have it?”
A: “Yeah, we have in Vietnam.”
G: “Oh, so is there anything you don’t see in Vietnam?”

G: “So have you tried ice kacang in Singapore before?”
A: “I [unclear] haven’t tried it.”
G: “So maybe you like to order ice kacang?”
A: “Yeah I think so.”

Then the guide decided what to order.

G: “Okay then maybe you would like to order the peanuts and tell me how you find it?”
A: Okay.

Figure 10 captures the process of ordering. There was some laughter and amusement among the team after ordering – the LAN system also captured these emotions.

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FIGURE 10: Ordering ice kacang – approaching the stall owner (top left), selecting from the menu (top right), paying (bottom left) and receiving change (bottom right)

After ordering, the ice kacang was delivered (Figure 11) and the guide and avatar discuss the heat in the hawker centre (extract below).

G: “Wow what’s that? It’s so huge!”
A: [laughing] It’s a lot! Wah lau!
G: “Is the weather out there very hot?
A: “Yes it’s really hot”
G: “It must be very refreshing” [laughs] A: “A good choice!”

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