first off its best to post a new message rather than respond to a thread that is months old.
as far as your quesiton goes, no the wire should not be immersed in the water. put the wire inside the bowl just above the water line, and the one outside the bowl directly across from the one inside, so that if the bowl were not there the two wires should touch. it helps to do it in a slightly dark room so you can see the spark. don't hold the wires on the bowl for long periods, hold one wire to the bowl firmly, and just briefly touch the other wire to the bowl, long enough to get a visible spark. you WONT be harmed in any way, i have dont this many many times and never got a jolt.
hope that helps. if you have any other questions, please post a new message on the most current page.