Category: Reviews

Baby’s Ear, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Baby’s Ear is the name of Neva Crystall’s latest region design in Second Life – and it is an absolute must see.

Comprising two islands, Baby’s Ear is a treasure to behold; a place which is at once unique to Second Life, yet at the same time the various elements within it can resonate with the visitor in such a way that a slight feeling of deja-vu is felt; a feeling that perhaps there is somewhere like this in the physical world that we might have visited.

Baby’s Ear, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

The larger of the two islands brings together a number of motifs, which stand both individually and as a collective whole. The farm sitting atop the central plateau could easily have been lifted for half a hundred arable landscapes; similarly, the low-lying beach carries echoes of seaside holidays and children running across the warm sands, while the fisherman’s quay with fish hanging from a rack as they dry ready to be salted and boxed, gives rise to images of working wharves and fishing folk.

Taken together, the various elements flow one to another, presenting the feeling that this is the island home of an extended family, who enjoy a fair degree of self-sufficiency – and who have time to relax and spend time with the children. The farm, fishing shack and beach are all linked via wooden walkways and steps, bringing them neatly together as a unified environment, a feeling enhanced by the spread of children’s climbing frames between farmyard and beach and the sheep that freely roam the land.

Baby’s Ear, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Only the little cottage nestled between the rocks of the plateau and the placid waters gives a sense of separation; it stands apart from the rest of the beach, reached by a wooden causeway,, while a separate step of stairs connect it with the farm above, suggesting that it is perhaps more for the use of guests than family.

Self-sufficiency is much in evidence. The sheep offer meat and wool; there are fish in the sea, a crop growing in the fields, apples and lemons ripening in the orchards, and a line of bee hives hint at the sweetness of honey. Even the electrical power appears to be provided naturally: a tall windmill harvests the wind passing over the island, as do three turbines, blades slowing revolving as they share the smaller island with a brick-built lighthouse.

Baby’s Ear, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

There are interesting contrasts here as well. A decrepit  station wagon sits on a cinder track along with an old motorbike and odds and ends which appear to have been removed from other vehicles and perhaps even a garage, going by the air pump. These and the telegraph poles running along one side of the island suggest that perhaps it might be part of a larger island or coastal community, and it has been left to our imaginations to fill-in the blanks (just as I prefer to think of the wild grass in the field as a crop, rather than just wild grass).

The imagination is perhaps encouraged to think in these terms by the cinder track, which winds its way down from the plateau, skirting the base of the main island before turning sharply and plunging into the sea. It’s almost as if there is a causeway there beneath the water, waiting only for the tide to recede so it might be revealed and beckon us to follow it wherever it might lead.

Baby’s Ear, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

This is truly another marvellous build from Neva, and one most definitely worth seeing – but if you’re planning to visit, keep in mind that it may only be here for a short time. I understand that  having opened on the 10th July, 2015, Baby’s Ear will only remain open for a two-week period.

Given that it may well be a transient setting in Second Life, I took the opportunity of my visit to film another music video, although my Space Navigator (again) got a tad bit upset.

SLurl Details

• Baby’s Ear (Rated: Adult)

 

Crystal Gardens Estates, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

I first visited Crystal Gardens Estates in February 2015, so it might seem a little odd writing about it again so soon. However, the region, operated by Sandi and Mikal Beaumont, has undergone a complete redesign, and  this being the case, I was naturally drawn back to take a look.

As with my original visit, the region is divided into a set of islands, with the landing point located on the largest. Here sits a stepped pair of terraces, the uppermost of which presents a live performance stage and dance floor, while the lower features a small market space dominated by a beautiful, materials-enabled pavilion by iBi (8f8), and a view over the water to the islands on the east side of the region.

Crystal Gardens Estates, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Head south from here, and you’ll find yourself following a track that will take you over a little bridge across a stream flowing down for a waterfall-fed pool, and into a garden space. A brick path leads the way around the garden, taking you to places to sit and relax indoors or out, and the opportunity to climb to a hilltop ruin.

On the north side of the music area sits a Tuscan style villa, with courtyard pool. A boat rezzer fronts this, next to the little wooden dock and offers speedboats for getting around the rest of the region, including getting to the beach themed island in the north-west corner. This is linked by a wooden pier to Ilyra Chardin’s art garden and gallery.

Crystal Gardens Estates, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

The garden space displays the works from a number of artists, including Ilyra herself, all under the shade of trees and ready to be admired from cobbled paths. Behind this, to the east is a wooded space leading to Ilyra’s private home. Follow the cobbles southwards, however, and you’ll cross the main drive and arrive at a wooden bridge leading to Ilyra’s indoor gallery space, showcasing more of her own work. A wooden platform built in the trees to the side of the gallery building offers a place to rest and enjoy the ambience of the place.

The remaining island, to the south-east, presents a very different look and feel: that of a run-down urban area, designed by photographer and musician Dimi (DimiVan Ludwig), and the home to his Dimi’s Digital Designs. With a “gentleman’s club”, boxing ring, the environment here might be to everyone’s liking looks-wise, but the attention to detail is complete, and when set with the region’s default windlight, offers plenty of photographic opportunities, as well as providing another live music venue in the form of Dimi’s The Alley.

Crystal Gardens Estates, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

I did have a couple of minor niggles during my visit; the landscaping around the Tuscan villa seems a tad rough, and the speedboat rezzer needs a little tweaking to ensure the boats rez on the water. But I emphasise these are minor grumbles, and could easily be down to the redesign perhaps still being a work-in-progress. As it is, Crystal Gardens Estates continues to offer an interesting set of places to visit and explore, with lots of opportunities for photography, as well as the attraction of live music. For my part, I continue to be drawn by Ilyra’s gallery space, and the opportunity to wander the estate as a whole, snapshot floater at the ready.

 Related Links

• Crystal Garden Estates SLurl (Rated: Adult)

Pandora box of Dreams, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Note: this vision of Pandora Box of Dreams has closed. 

I first visited  Lokhe Angel Verlack’s (Jackson Verlack) Pandora Box of Dreams when it was, I believe, in its second iteration, back in April 2015. Located on Lokhe’s homestead region of Diamond Bay, Paradora Box of Dreams tends to undergo a change every two or three months, each time presenting an environment where dreams and contemplation are encouraged.

I did actually manage to visit the region during its third dream iteration – the River Dream – but didn’t actually get to blog about it;  so I’ll refer you to Ziki’s post on that. Dream 004 has now arrived in the region, and the Del Mar Dream is precisely what I need right now, despite not generally being a “beachy ” person: a tropical paradise.

Pandora box of Dreams, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Del Mar Dream presents an idyllic Pacific island, laying far from the ocean trade routes, nestled in the arms of a larger (off sim) island which provides shelter from the rest of the world. Here can be found a place of rugged beauty and soft, coral sand beaches shaded by palm trees. Little beach shacks are scattered across the island, offering places to sit and relax, either on your own with a friend or two, and simply chat or let your thoughts escape. Hammocks also sit out in the sun or under the shade of the palms, offering the opportunity to catch a tan or drift in sleep,

For the more energetic among us, a careful climb up the rocks forming the spine of the island will  bring you to a graceful stone bridge by Alex Bader, and access to a tiki-style platform on the highest point on the island, where it sits suspended from palm trees; an ideal place of rest / look-out. Alongside the bridge, and for the cost of joining the Pandora box of Dreams group (L$50), you can grab a hang glider and drift around the island on the wind.

Pandora box of Dreams, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Down on the beaches on either side of the hilltop can be found diving boards (to the east) and a jetski rezzer (to the west). I’m not entirely sure the of watery engines would be appreciated by all of the island’s visitors, which might explain why, although I could get a jetski to rez, it resolutely refused my efforts to let me drive it off the rezzer and out into the bay!

The bay also offers opportunities for wading and swimming – although I do urge a degree of caution: there are puffer fish and jellyfish to be found among the rocks and shallows. Leopard sharks hug the sandy bottom further out, but present no threat to swimmers, preferring their usual diet of  clams, spoon worms, crabs, shrimp, fish, and fish eggs. Instead, they’re content to swim among the rays there.

Pandora box of Dreams, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Local sounds can add further ambience to a visit as well, with the beach towards the west end of the island in particular presenting sounds of vacations and holidays which might stir a daydream or two. The audio stream is also suitably appropriate for the environment, and I spent a contented couple of hours relaxing on a lido out on the water, sipping a cocktail while listening to the music and steering my camera around the island remotely (flycams is such a time saver!).

As I mentioned towards the top of this piece, I’m not much of one for beach holidays – I love to explore places and wander across sandy beaches to see what might be beyond the next rise or around the headland, rather than sit and soaking up the sun. Nevertheless, the Del Mar Dream iteration of Paradora Box of dreams did – again as noted – have me simply lazing and enjoying. While it bears little resemblance to them, it did bring thoughts of some of my favourite tropical coastal areas to mind; particularly the north-east side of Sri Lanka around Batticaloa, with its white sands and wildlife.

Pandora box of Dreams, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

All told, a lovely iteration in Lokhe’s Dream sequences for the region, and one I really enjoyed visiting. As things do tend to change periodically, if you would like to visit this tropical paradise, I’d suggest you not leave it too long before doing so. And you might find that once you’ve done so, the beach and waters might well call you back again before Lokhe crafts something new to be enjoyed.

SLurl Details

• Pandora Box of Dreams (Rated: Moderate)