Category: Exploring Second Life

When I was a lot younger than I am now, my family took a holiday in Florida, ostensibly to see a space shuttle launch. While there, we did all the touristy things as well , including the inevitable Walt Disney “thing”. As a teenager, I found it all wonderfully kitsch, bar one small episode. That lay with getting stuck on a malfunctioning ride for something like 20 minutes, denied the ability to get off as staff strove to get it going, all the time being subjected to It’s A Small World (After All) over and over and over again. Even today, the opening bars of that song still get me twitching and reaching for sharp-pointed instruments with which I might conceivably harm someone.

I bring this up, because an idle paging through the Destination Guide brought me to an advert for Discovery Mark II, which is billed as “the world of tomorrow. Featuring rides, shows and more”, and my thoughts immediately turned to those far-off days, with the result that curiosity got the better of me, and I hopped over for a look.

Occupying a  little over 1/4 of a full region, Discovery Mark II (I’ve no idea what happened to the original, other than I obviously missed it), is what I can only describe as a lovingly put together homage to Walt Disney’s parks and rides. Five attractions are on offer: PeopleMover, an elevated monorail system that carries you on a tour of the park, together with reproductions of Disney’s Astro Orbiter, Space Mountain, The Timekeeper, and the Electric Umbrella Café.

It has to be said that there is a wonderful attention to detail here; the broad boulevards, manicured gardens and bright colours are mindful of their Disney counterparts, while the look and feel of the foyer / queuing areas of Timekeeper and Space Mountain are carefully reproduced. The whole place has been very well done, and even the use of poseballs for seating in the Space Mountain ride add a certain level of whimsical retro kitsch to the park.

However, I also have to admit to having a slight niggle with the build which rather spoiled my visit. The Timekeeper attraction includes video camera footage filmed inside the physical world ride, and I’m pretty sure that attractions like it have warnings prohibiting such recording (although I admit to never having seen this particular attraction). Thus, walking into it in-world immediately raised very direct questions on matters of IP infringement and copyright.

Which is a shame, because otherwise I did enjoy my visit; it brought back memories of a family holiday twenty plus years in the past, and did so without me having to listen to It’s A Small World (After All) or deal with the resultant twitching!

Related Links

• Discovery Mark II SLurl (Rated: Moderate)

Timeless Memories (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Elvira Kytori’s Timeless Memories is without doubt one of the most beautifully ethereal and captivating regions I’ve visited of late.

With parts wrapped in softly-falling snow, the composition of this Homestead regions has to be witnessed in order to be truly appreciated. From the arrival point, inside one of two quaint houses in the region, board walks wind forth across a watery, semi-frozen landscape, while a late afternoon sun tints trees and grass in muted tones of gold, lavender, green and blue, all softened by a slowly-rising grey-white mist.

Timeless Memories (Flickr) – click any image for full size

To call this region photogenic would be an understatement; there is not a single element that does not lend itself to being photographed. Indeed, Elvira encourages people to take pictures and asks that if they do, they share them through her Flickr group.

Throughout the landscape lie little scenes and vignettes, each of them offering a narrative of its own while collectively they add to the rich tapestry of the entire region. Penguins skate across a stretch of frozen water; a polar bear and her cubs roam a snowy embankment. cuddly toys play backgammon and wave to passing visitors. Scattered throughout the region, as well, are places to sit and enjoy, or watch, or converse with friends.

Timeless Memories (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Despite the winter’s feel, timeless is the most apt description here; there is a real sense of time having been suspended, and a small part of the world set aside where one can simply be.

A note in the About Land description suggests that, as hard as it might be to let go, Timeless Memories could itself vanish into memory. It would be a shame for this to happen, given the love and care that has been poured into creation such a beautiful place to be enjoyed by everyone. So when you pay a visit, please show your appreciation by offering a donation to help ensure people might continue to enjoy timeless memories of their own when they visit; just touch the bunny at the landing point.

Timeless Memories (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Related Links

• Timeless Memories SLurl (Rated:Moderate)
• Timeless Memories Flickr group

My apologies to Makeahla and Mz Marville. I was supposed to have posted this on Saturday, January 10th, but i managed to sidetrack myself into fiddling with other things.

Makealha Jungle is a new series of regions (three open to the public, the fourth – Another Hangout –  forms Makeahla’s own home, and may be closed in whole or in part to visitors as result) which officially opened its doors to visitors on Saturday, January 10th.

As I noted in my preview tour, kindly arranged by Mz Marville, who is responsible for the overall design of the regions, Makeahla Jungle is intended to be a place where people can visit and relax, take photos, etc., while also considering the natural world around us – including the l=plight of some of the species represented within the regions. In this, a particular reference is made to the northern white rhino, ceratotherium simum cottoni, of which only five now remain in the entire world, and the species will soon pass into extinction; the easternmost of the three public regions  – Makeahla East – is therefore dedicated to the memory of the northern white rhino.

The opening for the regions was marked by a special ceremony and party afterwards, and people are now free to explore the regions and meet the animals within their borders. Rezzing is open for those who wish to place props while taking photos – but do please clean-up afterwards. There is no special group to join for rezzing rights, or fees to be paid.

Also, to mark the opening of the regions, there is now a photography competition running through until January 31st, 2015, with a L$5,000 prize pool on offer. The rules are straightforward, as quoted below:

3 entries are allowed, we are looking for artistic expression, and the feeling of fun in nature when judging. The contest is open to landscape or avatar photography. Contestants must keep in mind that any photography taken / entered, if chosen grants Makeahla Jungle authorization to use the work as they see fit.

Entries should be made via the Conserve Landscaping Flickr group. Judging will take place on or around February, 1st, 2015.

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a delightful rendition of The Lion Sleeps Tonight by Ladysmith Black Mambazo and The Mint Julips.

Related Links

• Makeahla Jungle SLurl (Rated: Moderate)

Montauk New York (Flickr) – click any image for full size

A long time ago – in SL terms – I wrote about the NY Healthscape exhibit at SL8B, and in doing so, made mention of their base of operations in SL: the 20-ish regions of New York.

Established in 2008, NY HealthScape is sponsored by the Southern Tier HealthLink, New York, a non-profit organisation that is bringing electronic information from hospitals, doctors, etc., together into a comprehensive patient record, available to both health practitioners and the patient.  As such, and over the years, the regions in SL have been used to develop both a community and to provide a means of reached out to those who might otherwise be unwilling or unable to access healthcare information.

At the time of 2008, NYHS had introduced a series of Quest Homes, interactive tour or hunt inspired installations on the NY HealthScape sims which allows for themed health information to be delivered in a game format. These allowed visitors to participate in a quest  / tour of the New York regions, collecting points which could be redeemed for prizes along the way, with health information also being provided as well.

SouthernTier New York (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Developed over the years by a team of individuals led by Panacea Luminos, and which has included well-known SL residents such as Skylar Smythe and Followmeimthe PiedPiper, the NYHS regions offer visitors the opportunity to explore part of New York city and the wider New York state in something of an historic context. Don’t expect to find towering models of the Empire State Building or the Chrysler Building, but do be prepare to wander from SoHo through Battery Park, along the banks of the Hudson as they once looked, and reach points such as Montauk and the Hamptons, or up state towards Ithaca and the finger Lakes. Along the way, there are famous landkmarks to be seen, trains and trams to be spotted and the occasional 1930s-style taxi rumbling by.

As they date from 2008 onwards, the NYHS builds are not “modern” in the sense that they rely on prims rather than mesh – but this should not put anyone off visiting. undeed, I’d say the fact that the builds haven’t all being overhauled and replaced by mesh is entirely in keeping with the historic nature of the community, and itself offers a slice of genuine SL history.

WaterWayWest New York (Flickr) – click any image for full size

My favourite parts of these regions are those representing the coastal / waterfront areas of New York and New York state. At Battery Park, for example, you can wander along the waterfront and admire the art on display, visit Castle Clinton and wander westwards to the famous Pier A, offering a view of the Statue of liberty out in the sound. Or you can go east, across a miniature reproduction of Brooklyn Bridge into the SoHo / Greenwich village like TriBorough region, and onwards to Coney Island’s famous Cyclone Roller Coaster (Panecea has a things for roller coasters – one was the theme for the SL8B event where I first met her 🙂 ).

Further west from TriBorough lie LISound, Montauk and Harbour, all of which represent various parts of New York state and it its coastline. Here again are some famous sights to be found and appreciated, such as the Montauk Point lighthouse and the the Long Beach Bar “Bug” lighthouse – both seen in the sketch at the top of this post. Or, if winter sports are more your thing, you can head northwards and enjoy a little skiing in North Country; just be aware of the footpath crossing the end of the ski slope!

SoHo New York (Flickr) – click any image for full size

All told, there’s a lot to be seen, and plenty of opportunities for photography. Rezzing rights can be obtained by joining the land group; as always, if you do join and rez, please clean-up afterwards.

Related Links

• NY HeathScape website
• Battery Park SLurl – WaterWay New York (Rated: General)

One of my favourite places for meeting people in-world is the Cheeky Tiramisu café, owned and operated by Yasyn Azemus. I originally blogged about it way back in December 2012, and while I’ve met with many friends and interviewees since then, I’ve never actually written any more about it, except in passing. This being the case, I set out recently to rectify matters.

The region in which the café sits has divided into a number of islands, around the between which lay open water, all of which is enclosed by surrounding off-sim mountains. As was the case when I first blogged about the region, it is currently in the grips of a snowy winter; however it does change through the year to match the seasons.

The café itself occupies the largest of the islands, occupying the south-east quarter of the sim. here you’ll find a welcoming places to sit and chat with friends and acquaintances, either inside the beautiful brick-and-wood café building (designed by Yasyn), or out on the front terrace or the rear deck, both of which are warmed by blazing braziers. For those seeking a little more privacy, there are a number of seating spots and cosy areas to be found with the café‘s grounds, including a reading nook beside a warm spring.

Follow one of the paths through the grounds, and it will take you down a set of steps to the water’s edge and a floating deck complete with a pedalo you can use to explore the island from the water (you can also rez a rowing boat at a little wooden pier on one of the waterways dividing the islands). Or, if you follow the path onwards from the steps and across a rope bridge, you’ll find a sheltered garden with shine and, beyond it, a Japanese bath house

Walk inland from the café, and a series of bridges in varying styles will lead you to the other occupied islands. While these may at first appear to be residential in nature, all are in fact open to the public. The water mill, for example, houses a small tavern specialising in wine (and with dancing on the porch), while Kio’s little house built out over a pond offers another warm welcome to visitors.

Rezzing is allowed with the region (15 minute auto return), and those wanting to use a few props for photography are welcome to do so – but do please clean-up behind you, auto return notwithstanding.

As noted at the top of this piece, Cheeky Tiramisu is a quiet favourite of mine; so if you are looking for a little P&Q while in-world, why not pay it a visit?

Related Links

• Cheeky Tiramisu SLurl (Rated: Moderate)

Opening at 14:00 SLT on Saturday, January 10th is a new series of three regions aimed at encouraging Second Life users to consider the natural world around us and the wildlife that inhabits it.

Makeahla Jungle covers three homestead regions, provided by Makeahla alongside of her private home, all of which offer a semi-tropical environment with sandy ground, high rocky plateaus, deep gorges and a mix of tropical and more temperate trees, in which can be found a wide range of wildlife: elephants, hippos, monkeys, crocodiles, orang-utans, lions, giraffe, black rhinos… and more, all to be discovered and explored.

The regions have been landscaped by Mz Marville, who IM’d me about them and offered to give me a preview tour, which I was delighted to accept. There is no overall “theme” or intent within the jungle in terms of visitor activity, other than – as noted, to get people thinking about the natural world. so where you wander after your arrival is entirely up to you – there are some spots available for sitting and cuddling; but mostly this is a place for exploring and photography.

While there is no over-arching aim to the regions, there is something of a mini-theme evident in the arrival region – Makeahla East, which is dedicated to the northern white rhino, ceratotherium simum cottoni, a species of rhinoceros which is to all intents and purposes now extinct, there being only 5 left in the world. While all are kept in captivity or under protection from hunters, it is unlikely they will successfully breed, even with artificial assistance, due to a combination of age and health issues.

“When Makeahla Commisioned me to do this series of sims, the first thing I thought was to dedicate one of them to preserving the memory of these white rhinos,”  Mz Marville, told me as she guided me around the regions. That should a thought would come to her will be no surprise to anyone who knows her – conservation is very much at the centre of her thoughts, hence her involvement in projects such as the Matoluta Sanctuary, which I first visited in July 2014.

The crisis for the northern white rhino was brought to a head in 2014, when in September 34-year-old male Suni died at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, which provides a protected haven for rhinos against ivory poachers. Then, in December, Angalifu, a 44-year-old male died at San Diego Zoo. Nor is the northern white rhino entirely alone; It is estimated that the Javan rhino may number fewer than 60, and the number of black rhino has fallen to around 4,000 world-wide.

To help commemorate the species, the plan is to have a number of people present at the opening dressed in rhino avatars created by Rosie Dimanovic, who will be the special guest for the event, and also in the rhino avatar. “I have a flyer being made about the rhinos,” Mz Marville explained, “it will go into a note card for visitors.”

Those attending the opening are not required to wear animal avatars – although if they wish to, there will be no objections, and Rosie’s store might be a good place to start when looking for something appropriate. Unlikely Matoluta Sanctuary, there will be no formalised role-play within these regions, although I understand from Mz Marville that any spontaneous free-form RP that occurs while not be frowned upon.

For the photographer, there is much to offer within the regions, which avail themselves to a wide range of windlight settings. Rezzing was open during my preview tour – although whether this remains the case for the opening or beyond is unclear; if it does remain open, please make sure you pick up any props after you. I also understand that there are no plans to offer any form of group membership for rezzing rights, as Makeahla would like to simply encourage anyone interested to visit and explore.

Related Links

• Makeahla Jungle SLurl (Rated: Moderate)