Cooper's Coffeehouse

 
By Bixyl Shuftan

Among the places one can relax in Second Life, one recently had a major makover: Cooper's Coffeehouse. Located in Lionheart Nala, people can enjoy games such as 7Seas and checkers, live music events, books to read, and of course a chat with other residents. Last month not long after it's reopening, I interviewed with the owner, Cooper Udimom about the location.

Cooper, like a number of other residents, had gotten his start at The Shelter, which had only recently closed. "I heard! I was so sad (frown). That was literally my first hangout spot in SL. I was just recounting in a chat how when someone gave me an object to wear on my first day and I wore it. Well turns out it was a giant prim penis that stuck on my forehead and I had no idea how to get it off. Made for an interesting time. Gosh its crazy to think I've been in SL ... over 15 years! My first avi was in 2004."

Cooper explained when he first joined, it was under a different account, "Long since gone (chuckle). I don't even remember that accounts name. But I started using my Alex1 Richardson avatar I believe in 2006. That's the avatar I created The Lighthouse Restaurant with. I still have all of the old products, notecards and textures. All from nearly 10 years ago. Quite the trip down memory lane." And how was running a restaurant in a place where people didn't need to eat? He actually did very well, "Honestly it was so much fun and super challenging - because there wasn't anything like it in SL. We were one of the first, so it exploded kind of rapidly. We had 1,000 plus people in our group and booked out reservations two to three weeks in advance. I had an amazing general manager, who basically ran the place after a few months. I am so sad she is no longer playing SL. We even kept touch in real life for awhile, but she's since disappeared (frown)." Checking his notes, the place had been running from October 2008 to January 2010, "We had an average of 100 unique visitors a day, 18,000 in the first 8 months."

He would take an extended break from Second Life, "I actually joined the Navy in real life. So that was why I took such a long hiatus from SL. I lived and traveled all over the world for a good eight years." Needless to say, things were different upon his return, "I came back in around 2017. I think mesh had just started to take off. I was on very intermittently until about April of this year when COVID happened. That was the biggest change. Logging in in 2020 and finding literally 99% of avatars were totally different, and you had to buy a specific'"shape' just to find clothes that would fit you. It was a massive learning curve. I really felt like for probably a month just like I had back in 2004 when  I first got into SL." When I asked how intermittently he was on, he answered, "I was on SL maybe once or twice a month from 2017 until 2020. (I) had a lot of real-life things going on."

Also in 2017 was when he first started The Coffeehouse, "That started on a tiny plot here in Lionheart, a sim or two over. ... It quickly became too small, so we moved to a very large property over in Second Norway. That was our biggest location in terms of space." He would later move a third time in June this year back to where it is now, "Definitely lots of moving around (chuckle)." Of when he first opened it, "The first few days it was very relaxed. I think we had a few live music acts. But there wasn't really anything *big.* I didn't really have the time nor the funds to pour in, moreso just wanted just a place people could come to to relax and unwind. But we developed a fairly decent group after about six months. And that was with no advertising other than the 30$L places ad, and the occasional post in a live music group or something." As mentioned, he didn't have much time, "I really only came on to pay tier and to ocassionally do some live events. ... Now that I have more time and a little bit more RL funds, I'm hoping to put some more effort into getting the word out."

Things changed in 2020 with the Pandemic, "Which was, morbidly enough, beneficial for me in the sense that I now worked from home. So I could really put more effort into SL. Granted, I went back to college also in January of 2020 so I still didn't have *too* much time. But definitely more than before. And now my schedule is really starting to mellow out as I approach graduation."

The Coffeehouse has recently gotten an overhaul. In an notecard, it was described as taking "over 20,000$L in renovations spanning three weeks ... with 1,000 combined prims." There are several games people can play with each other, "Chess, Checkers, Hangman, Memory games, Connect-4" and others, as well as 7Seas fishing contests. There are occasional chess and checkers tournaments. It is billed as a "Certified 'safe space' and child/family friendly." I asked what sparked his decision to spend the time and money. He answered, "I had much more time to devote to SL. The build before this that was here was very rapidly done. I think I put everything together in half a day. So I really wanted to take my time, get a new logo, develop my own drinks and menu, and really design the place thoughtfully and methodically. This all took me probably three weeks of four to six hours a day either on SL, researching things online, or looking up products in Marketplace. And then the obvious building, which all took place off-site very slowly."

The place had it's grand reopening on Friday October 2, " It was a very very soft reopening ... And by very very soft I mean I sent out group notices and subscriber IMs, and that was it. I'm hoping the renovation and some renewed effort in terms of advertising helps build up a better base and we can have some well attended events here in the near future. So I reached out to a few writers groups and individual artists in SL, only a few got back to me. I think we have maybe four or five SL books or publications thus far. Not much. Again, hoping to change that with renewed vigor and resources. We have a panel on our sign 'Be a Featured Artist.' We offer free exhibition space for photographers and artists and of course space in the reading nook for anything people would like to contribute." For those interested in contributing short stories, "That's okay. My plan is to in the next week or so add some sort of 'filing system' where people can contribute notecards with short stories, poems, etc."

There were people around, so I asked if the reception to the changes to the place were very good. Cooper answered, "Yes! So far very good I think we've had about 10-15 people in the first day.  Zero advertising thus far, other than our group notices. I truly think the renovation is going to be very good in terms of word of mouth advertising."

Of his plans for the near future, Cooper had this to say, "The plan is to add some small things like the filing system in the reading nook, and whatever other suggestions we may get from visitors, and then devoting time to reaching out to media outlets such as yourself to start advertising. I think after maybe two to three weeks we will start working on live music events, maybe try our bingo night again. Some of that buffer time is for mental recovery as well as financial (chuckle). I'm actively trying to hire some people right now as well to hold events so it doesn't all fall to me."

For later on, "I think long term the plan is really to just build up a good following, where there will always be people here so if someone just wanted to come here to meet new people or make friends they could. Of course I have a bunch of 'dreams' you could say. I'd love to hold charity events here, maybe an art exhibition or writers conference. Definitely a regular open-mic kind of event." Two possible charities were the Relay for Life and Homes For Our Troops.

Cooper makes no money from the Coffeehouse, though does accept donations to help pay the tier. One can check out the location's online calendar of planned events at https://teamup.com/kswj3z3t8s918a866q , though there will likely be plenty of unplanned ones.

Cooper's Coffeehouse is located at: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lionheart%20Nala/53/179/30

Bixyl Shuftan

Bellisseria Becoming A Community

By Gemma Cleanslate

You all know I have a houseboat on the new continent of Bellisseria and really am  loving it.
(http://slnewserdesign.blogspot.com/2019/05/a-look-at-linden-houseboat.html) I have been exploring and visiting locations there.There are so many places to visit and enjoy that are open to all residents.

I had coffee with some residents last Saturday morning at the community Center. This is open to all residents of Bellisseria and guests. It was nice to meet a few of the community members. . I arrived first dressed in my greeter outfit for the sl16B as I was on my way there to greet.V i n n    L a n d a r (Vinn Landar) , who was hosting coffee, was there  ready with the coffee . DJ Usagi (GreatBigHippy Resident) and Skot Kinsella arrived and then Granny Parker (ParkerBroox Resident) came bearing homemade cookies. It was fun.

The Drivers of SL ( more about them in a later article) held an event and I joined in! It was an annual  remembrance of the amazing chair balloon ride of Lawn Chair Larry Walters. Check him out on the web. The balloons took off and traversed almost the entire continent and ended at the Fairgrounds. It was a startleing   sight in the air and I am sure from the ground. One resident shouted at me in IM, “ Ride ! Ride!”

The July 4 celebration at the Fairgrounds was spectacular! The decor was amazing. People  had to wait to enter there were so many attendees. The DJ, Doc Rast (rasterscan Resident) provided
sparkling music for the dancing. Several moles were in attendance , Squeaky, Ancient, and Patch Linden was there and Saffia Widdershins dropped in to dance .

Speaking of sparkling,  Later, after dark Patch set off magnificent fireworks around the statue of Liberty that stood on the Fairgrounds. It went on for ages and lit up the entire sky. I think he had help from some of the moles and residents. It was a huge undertaking. I would call the event a stupendous success.

T. J. Hooker (ThomasHooker Resident) was saying, "The team we had working on the event was myself, MarkusBrant, Evangeline Ling, and Restaurant Organiser."

There are many groups forming across Bellisseria.. Citizens, Community, Riding, Events, and all seem very active . It will be interesting to watch it all grow. The continent is off to a great start and I am glad to be a part of it all. More homes are being opened as fast as the Moles can get them done and I know that many premium residents are holding their breath to get one. It reminds me of the Bay City opening , only bigger. More to come on my adventures there .

Gemma Cleanslate

Virtlantis: Lifelong Learning In and Out of Second Life

By Wesley Regenbogen

Introduction of VIRTLANTIS and a bit of a history behind VIRTLANTIS

Started off as another project ( a 2D project on the web ) in 2006 on the web to provide a platform that was somewhat the same as the current VIRTLANTIS project in Second Life. Kip Yellowjacket joined Second Life on October 29 th, 2006. He saw the potential and operated a 2D project named SLEnglish in the beginning, but soon afterwards he started using the VIRTLANTIS name in Second Life. Unfortunately, the 2D project didn’t go well and thus Kip Yellowjacket decided to focus his project on Second Life.

What is VIRTLANTIS all about and how many people are behind the project ?

VIRTLANTIS main goal in the beginning was to provide language learning in Second Life. But other skills and other cultural oriented activities soon developed afterwards. And art is also part of the project and people can talk about any subject.

In the beginning when Kip Yellowjacket joined Second Life many language teachers also joined the virtual world, and they wondered what Kip Yellowjacket was up to. He explained them what he was creating and they joined up with him to offer language learning activities.

When VIRTLANTIS started in Second Life, he was the only one on the project. But over the years he met people in Second Life and they offered to help him with his project on a volunteer basis. The core project team consists of 10 people that help him with the VIRTLANTIS project. This includes activity organizers and people that help him with VIRTLANTIS in different ways. This number is not consistent, because people can help and then leave for a while and then come back again.

Kip Yellowjacket also helps other language learning communites in Second Life and outside Second Life as well. The main goal is that people can connect with each other.

VIRTLANTIS currently has only one island in Second Life, but they have had two in other virtual worlds. They have the capacity to expand in Second Life as well.

Kip Yellowjacket is going to relaunch an activity, a story telling project, soon again .He created a character called “Wiki Composer,” who was born in Second Life and doesn’t know anything about real life or so-­called first life. He interacts with the participants of the story telling project.

VIRTLANTIS is not the only language learning project in Second Life, but it’s the oldest and the most active one.

Where can you find more information about VIRTLANTIS in and outside Second Life ?

VIRTLANTIS has a Facebook group which is called simply “VIRTLANTIS” of course and also there’s a group in Second Life called “UWA VIRTLANTIS.”  The UWA VIRTLANTIS was created with the help of the University Of Western Australia. The group UWA VIRTLANTIS has (at the moment of writing) 1743 members, although it’s hard to see who’s active and who isn’t.

They have other groups as well in Second Life, as SLenglish, the 2d project he was working on before starting VIRTLANTIS. Their main goal is connecting people together and they help each other with language learning or other subjects that VIRTLANTIS offers.

How does VIRTLANTIS deal with visitors from other time zones ?

VIRTLANTIS has many events taking place at different times.

The visitors come from the U.S. and other parts of the world and also people from Europe.

Even visitors from China and Japan come to visit VIRTLANTIS.

The Facebook group can be found here :

https://www.facebook.com/groups/VIRTLANTIS/

Their website is : http://www.virtlantis.com

Their main SL group is called : UWA VIRTLANTIS

What are the future visions for VIRTLANTIS ?

Kip Yellowjacket’s dream with VIRTLANTIS is too keep it active in any way possible. He also has a plan B and C that he could implement in the case they need to leave Second Life or go elsewhere. He also plans to explore Project Sansar in the near future as well, although their focus remains on Second Life. They also explore other grids, but Second Life is their main location.

Music Island is the music location of VIRTLANTIS and the music in VIRTLANTIS. It is a part of VIRTLANTIS, it’s owned by another partner of the VIRTLANTIS community. They provide music events and live music events on a regular basis.

Kate Miranda is the organizer of the Music Island. She offers music events in VIRTLANTIS.The music stream, relaxing music in VIRTLANTIS, is provided by a Shoutcast stream.

Virtual World Talks, a future project of VIRTLANTIS

Kip is also working on another project that will launch in the near future called “Virtual Worlds Talks”. It’s kind of a TED Talks in a virtual world, he is going to create in VIRTLANTIS soon. Keep posted about that in the near future. He also makes use of video content in Second Life and outside of Second Life.

Kip Yellowjacket provided me with a notecard with more information about VIRTLANTIS :

===============================

Below are just a few talking points on the subject of language learning in Second Life.

Please feel free to suggest other points which might be useful for promoting discussion.

*This list was compiled a few years ago. Feel free to add to it or suggest amendments.

===============================

Why is SL an interesting platform to consider for language learning/teaching?

­ multinational/multiethnic/multilingual platform

­ social networking in 3D

­ a sandbox for highly immersive experiential learning (most any conceivable educative scenario

can be simulated/carried out)

­ a multitude of manipulatives

­ English is lingua franca (metalanguage of SL)

­ greater potential for retention due to word (etc.) to image/action/experience association

­ instantaneous virtual travelling (RL locations in SL, etc.)

­ SL is a less intimidating place to seek out casual conversation

­ both native & non­native interaction possible

­ wide range of accents, pronunciation, and language usage

­ identify with avatar, objects and others

­ express and experience personality

­ relate emotionally to peers and mentors

­ easily join and/or form groups to meet likeminded persons

­ potential for community building and SL ­­> RL carryover

­ existence of support groups/mechanisms

­ both formal and informal learning can be experienced

­ educative congregating (e.g. coffee house socializing)

­ drive­thru assistance (MClearning)

­ quests, storytelling, games, roleplaying

­ holodecks (instant simulation, situation­based learning)

­ lectures, presentations, RL­like lessons (mostly stationary)

­ team­teaching & collaborative projects

­ platform difficulty (learning curve) necessitates communication

­ SL + ESL skills training

­ (de)evolution of teacher status (hierarchy has no place, all are learners)

­ (de)evolution of teacher role (more of a facilitator than ever)

­ volunteerism (eagerness to participate)

­ SL supplements (web 2.0...facebook, twitter, etc.)

­ in­world tools & resources (continuous creation and development)

­ in­world blogging/twittering (BlogHUD, SLTweets)

­ LMS integration

­ SL as blended learning component vs total solution

­ free membership (premium/paid account isn't absolutely necessary)

­ can "possess"/participate in things which are not easily affordable in RL

­ private/public text and voice communication

­ offers opportunities for introspection/self­examination and observation of others

­ can log out at any time (controlled experience)

­ a burgeoning community of educators

Concerns?

­ skeptical vs gung­ho adoption

­ platform performance & technical disrupters (lag, etc.)

­ human disrupters (griefing, etc.)

­ multidistraction environment

­ digital native vs digital immigrant

­ SL learning curve (lack of clear objectives, self­determined experiences)

­ sl time sponge vs rl schedules

­ game vs "serious environment"

­ noob phobia

­ know­how hoarders, traders & sharers

­ reliability and other collaboration difficulties

­ time zone confusion

­ free vs paid (non­commercial vs commercial)

­ determining teaching format/ideal group size (1­to­1, small...5­10, large...10 +)

­ low number of pre­defined activities

­ certified vs non­certified teachers (various linguistic backgrounds)

­ student/teacher as research subject

­ lack of good in­world assessment possibilities

­ multiple levels, needs, learning styles, etc.

­ in­world content (copyright vs creative commons, etc.)

­ confidentiality (recording chat, etc.)

­ higher ed concerns

­ text manipulation not SL's forte (absence of dynamic text)

­ dealing with typos and missing punctuation

­ no dominant standard (American, British..., etc...Globlish)

­ active vs passive correction

­ net & sl lingo (abbreviated vs non­abbreviated language)

­ concurrent communication with natives and non­natives (sometimes problematic)

­ pro­text, anti­voice vs pro­voice, anti­text & adopters of both

­ RL escapers vs RL/SL combiners


VIRTLANTIS location in Second Life :

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VIRTLANTIS%20Community/177/155/22

Interview with Kip Yellowjacket :
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nlgswT68EV4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
(click here if the video fails to play)

Pictures from Virtlantis Facebook page

Wesley Regenbogen

Friendly Bear Romantic Forest

By Bixyl Shuftan

Recently a friend showed me a place she and her boyfriend sometimes went to, and thought others might want to experience it as well. The place was the GB Island North sim, the public section of it known as "Friendly Bear Romantic Forest."

Dropping in, I was surrounded by a detailed forest, with lots of flowers and trees. The place was not one continuous island, but broken up a bit with rivers crossing and smaller islands next to the main one with bridges allowing one to cross without the need to swim or fly. Surrounding the island is a panorama of mountains and trees.

There were a number of features around, such as a pier with a rowboat nearby, a campfire with sitting logs around it and a picnic blanket nearby, both of which offered cuddle spots for couples. A small waterfall flowed into a rocky creek. There was a small farm with horses, goats, cows, and sheep wandering about, young animals included. Nearby were a couple bears, one getting a closer look at a beehive. Romance wasn't the only activity available, there was an "En Guarde" game for those wanting to spar.

On arrival, I got a notecard about the location:

Hallo stranger! Thank you very much for your visit. This place was created with no commercial intentions. Please feel free to hang out, explore, relax, dance, love, be part of our music events and have fun!







Help us to celebrate peace and nature with these rulez:
 - no guns
- no drama
- no kids avatars
- respect privacy of other visitors

On this Island you´ll find:
- cozy corners for romance and cuddling
- romantic castle
- decoration following seasons and special days (winter, autumn, spring, xmass, halloween....)
- ...more coming soon

You are allowed also to rezz and use your own horses or bikes or blankets and pose balls..., but
do not forget to clean your stuff. Autoreturn is sending objects back in 15 minutes. To travel on this island you can use couple walkers or boats that are ready for you all over this place.
Big balloon and more coming soon.

Enjoy your stay. If you have a question, suggestion or request or a problem, do not hesitate and send a message to : Andie Rau, Friendly Bear Team

The "castle" was actually a dwelling built on the ruins of a castle, or rather what was left of the corner of one. It was named "The Bear's Hole Corner" at (225, 75, 32), near the eastern edge of the sim. On the stone floor was a fox and a deer, in addition to logs, barrels, a sword rack, and a couple stone crosses. Climbing up the stairs, the inside led to a fireplace and dinner table in addition to a throne and bookshelf. A door led to a zipline, which would take someone to near the barn and fencing game.

The top floor was clearly for couples. Visitors there will find a four-poster bed with a canopy, a bathtub with pillows and blankets next to it, alongside oils and soaps, and a bear rug on the floor. All have poses for singles and couples, the latter being much more numerous and some clearly meant for private moments.

Not all of the sim is open to the public. The northern third is barred to just anyone coming in, including members of the sim group. It holds a few private cabins. The founder of the place is GummyMedvidek Resident, or "Friendly Bear" as his display name is now. 

Unfortunately, the location's days are numbered. Scattered around the island were signs with the following message:

Sad News. Unfortunetly Friendly Bear Forest ends on April 20th 2015. Thank you all so much for visiting and your support. We are preparing a video for good memories. So you have any romantic picture that you made on the island? SHare it! Send it to Andie Rau inworld, or outside SL to my email: andie.rau@gmail.com.

The message ended with a hopeful note, asking people to subscribe in case the location ever came back.

There was a GB Island South, visible on the map, but with nothing connecting the two sims. Heading over, it was just a dance floor on an empty sim. There was a sign saying the sim was in the process of moving. Someone there greeted me, and didn't seem to be aware of goings on with their northern neighbor, sad to hear they were also going away.

Once again, the Friendly Bear Forest is at http://slurl.com/secondlife/GB Island North/ , and barring a reprieve will be gone April 20th.

Bixyl Shuftan

Antiochia: A Sim and a Scholarship Trust

By Bixyl Shuftan

Earlier this month, the Antiochia sim officially opened. The sim is named after the ancient city of the same name, founded as a Greek colony, and thrived during Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine times despite being hit with earthquakes. There are a number of builds representing structures of the historic city around, which one can walk about and explore.

The sim is backed by the Antiochia Scholarships Trust, of which the staff of it's group there arranges events for students coming to Second Life through them.The landmark I was given led to the Porta Aurea, or "Golden Gate," of which a couple prim guards stood by. There were people nearby, so I headed over to the info center to the east. It was there I ran into the one who had invited me over, Alex Olteanu (alexolteanu.unplugged). His display name is the same as his real-life name. He welcomed me to the sim and offered to show me around. Alex explained that Antiochia was founded by Seleucus, one of Alexander's generals. It would become the capital of his empire, which was the easternmost and largest of the post-Alexander Hellenic kingdoms.

We headed back to the Porta Aurea. Looking around, I found a level that when pressed opened a door to a secret stairway leading down. In the room underneath, there were three maps on the wall, representing the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East during the Alexander the Great's campaigns, the Hellenic kingdoms that followed, and the Roman Empire around the fourth century, split into Western and Eastern halves, of which Antiochia would be part of the Eastern, which would later become the Byzantine Empire (the name would be given to them by scholars as they continued to call themselves Romans). On another wall was a painting of the city, "That's how it looked at it's height." On a third wall was a door to a tomb.

Opening it led to a build of Alexander's Tomb, "reproduced exactly in accordance with the old historians accounts." The place was a mixture of Greek and Ancient Egyptian influences, with both hieroglyphics and Greek murals. Alexander's body was still in his Greek armor, "He declared himself to be the son of Ra, and was buried in Alexandria Egypt, but he remained Greek (laughter)."

Olteanu explained, "What we tried to do here, contrary to most other historical sims, is not to have a monoculture like Roma. I love Roma, but its not reality. Each place has layers of history, multiple waves, one after theo ther. So here, we have Phoenician ruins, a Greek port, a Roman center, and a Byzantine fortress wiith Arab influences. The time of this build is 600 AD, Justinian's time, just before the Arab conquests. So we have some Arabic mosaics, but no Islamic theme. Because there was no Islam yet (laughter)."

We then headed to the Byzantine fortress, the main part of the sim, "the bridge is an exact replica of the Alcantara bridge in Spain." Around the place are occasional white circles with the letter "i" surrounded by blue. Clicking them will get you a notecard with some information about an object it's on or near. Getting inside the citadel walls, Olteanu told me, "this is the heart of the sim, the Acropolis." He pointed to the cathedral. Unlike those made later in Western Europe, this was a structure topped with golden domes, "the Cathedral is a take on Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. ... The coupola is really special." Inside, the "Redemption Cathedral," as it was called in the notecard, was decorated with a number of early Christian murals. The notecard explained the cathedral "attempts to re-create the feel and atmosphere of the Haga Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople," only one of them having been done there. The rest were from various buildings in Ravenna, Rome, Sinai, Grad, and another church in Constantinople. It is listed as "the most surviving work of Byzantine architecture" there. It was finished in 537 AD.

Olteanu told me, "below we have a cistern than still exists today." He pressed a door-shaped mural, and a secret passage was revealed. It led to stairs that went down to where the fresh water was stored, "the water from the aqueduct comes here." Going back up, he made a turn in a different direction, "and here is a secret passage back to the entrance." Going through a false wall led to a secret door that led back outside. "The other major building is the Magnaura," Olteanu pointed to a domed brick-colored building next to a park area, "the political center. It is also from Constaniople. It no longer exists today, but this is what it would have looked like. This is where we meet and govern the sim. *chuckle* "

Nearby was the Antiochia School and Trust Square, which had a mosaic pattern floor, a display screen on the higher wall, and seats on the side opposite it. In the middle of the floor was a water fountain.  There, Olteanu asked, "Lets go sit and chat a bit so i can tell you why this (the sim) is here." So we sat down, and he explained, "So I am a lawyer and a Business Management teacher by profession. Two years ago, I spent a year in Erbil Iraq teaching, and met a huge diversity of students, ethnically and religious, especially a lot of Christians. They all were eager to learn English and study abroad, especially in Canada where I am from. When I returned to Vancouver, I set up the Antiochia Scholarships trust. I named it after Antochia because it was such a multicultural diverse and cultured city. AST helps students from the Greater Middle East to realize their dream to study at universities in Canada. We pair students with universities and donors so they can come to study.

"I had experienced Second Life before. I created Al Andalus in 2008 with Rose Springvale, and I knew the potential of the platform. So we are using Second Life and this sim to create a virtual community of students before they arrive, help them improve their English and leadership skills and get ready for Canada. So this is fully integrated into our real life project and provides a unique platform that other media cannot do in a historical environment, which makes it both fun and educational. We have other partner institutions with their own projects, like Kelmen College across the river. So we are not in the business of renting land, but finding the right partners to develop synergies to promote Education - Creativity Citizenship and Diversity. That's the short version of it." He then chuckled a bit.

I asked, "How much experience with computers do your students usually have?" Alex answered,

"Quite a bit," Olteanu answered, "We have IT majors for example. But it is a steep learning curve to join Second Life. So we are training a few students to be a welcoming committee,  to provide support for those who will join later, and make is as easy as possible."

"The place looks very interesting and detailed," I told him and asked, "How long did it take to design and build it?

"Two months," he answered, "The Main architect is Alexia Carnell. She owns the Time Machine Studio in Second Life and is specialist in antiquity. The landscaper is Butterfly Summers, and the Terraformer is Bagheera Kristan. We starred on Oct 22 and finished on Jan 4. (There are) still some details and content to do, but its essentially done."

"The two main ideas I'd like you to remember if possible.  1. We use Second Life as an integral part of a real-life project to help real-life students pursue their education from the Middle East in Canada.  2. We have here a multi-layered cultural landscape trying to represent the reality of cultural diversity and hybridization that exists in the Middle East from Phoenician ruins to Greek ports to Roman aqueducts to Byzantine cathedrals and Arabic baths and squares. And water is the theme that brings it all together from the sources in the mountains and rivers and cistern to the aqueduct and ports and sea. It gives it a unity and coherence across time and space."

I then asked, "Are recent events complicating getting the students over?"

"Yes and no," Olteanu responded, "Yes because there are careful checks. But Canada is welcoming students from abroad, including the Middle East. So its much easier than in other countries, and they are already admitted by universities. So they are clearly students qualified to study here. A lot are Christian, not just Muslim."

My next question was, "So they already have the attention of universities and colleges?"

"Yes, "he answered, "We are partnering up with a number of Canadian universities. You can find out more information on the website of the real-life Antiochia School and Trust." He then displayed it as http://home.antiochiatrust.org . The website includes a page about it's location in Second Life. The main webpage has a youtube of Alex Olteanu speaking about his vision for his organization. In the recent past, Alex has also been a news announcer for Rompost, a Romanian language television show in Vancouver.

Antiochia officially opened on Sunday January 12. For over twelve hours from 10AM to after 10PM, there were various events, from singers such as Maximillion Kleene, speakers such as the noted Gwyneth Llewelyn, who talked about developing governmental participation in Second Life, and Alex Olteanu himself talked about his vision of helping Middle Eastern students. The SL Enquirer wrote about the event in an article (here).

There was more on the sim to explore. Later on I found a rideable horse that one could mount and go about on. I still have yet to visit the lighthouse, Posiden's Temple, the port and harbor, and a number of other places here.

Website: http://home.antiochiatrust.org .

Location: Antiochia (136, 249, 31)

Bixyl Shuftan

Storytelling at Rawhide Native

By Grease Coakes

Due to real life work having the same schedule every week for a long time I wasn't able to see DJ Aurora for a while. But another event I missed out on was Heartspeaker's storytelling at Spirit Nations every Thursday (article). I gave it a shot but Mary said no I need you on Thursday for the truck. Mary is a nice lady, but I know better than to push my luck. Luckily on my day off on Wednesday Heartspeaker told a story today so I was able to say hi to my friend and hear another of his stories.

Spirit Nations the sim itself shut down however Heartspeaker said on voice that the Spirit of Spirit Nations lives on at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Tender%20Heart/67/65/22

Before Heartspeaker told the story of lightning bolt he made small talk with Two Medicines and myself. He commented the book he bought which had the Lightning Bolt story he was telling today. Raimi a friend of mine accepted an invitation to join me in listening to Heart's story. The day I wrote this article and heard Heart's story was July 9^th and Heart said his birthday was the previous day July the 8^th I wished him a happy birthday. Heartspeaker said the hat I wear made by Hawkin Starsider was the cat's meow for me or the fox's yip. Hawkin Starsider created the hat and I bought it years ago at the original spirit nations sim. As I was talking with Two Medicines and Heartspeaker the effects of the sim were pretty to look at as I saw dandelion seeds floats towards me on my screen.

Lighting bolt went to see his teacher Goose Flying as Goose Flying was telling of an event in the future. He sent Lightning Bolt to see Iron Blanket down the mountain on the Wyoming side of the river.

Lightning Bolt had a vision of the goddess and traveled on a horse named Big Nose. He saw the universe and mother nature appertaining the beauty of snowflakes and rainbows. Also the beauty of magpies. He asked is life and death interchangeable. And the magpie said yes. Looking for knowledge and answers, he joined the army looking for money and riches.

Heartspeaker told the story at a perfect pace in an elderly voice with vigor. It was fun listening to him add emotion to the voice. When he finished the story, he laughed remembering when one of Heart's elders named Chima a 6^th generation Native American told him he would tell stories for a living. When heart was younger He blew off Chima's prediction thinking it was nonsense. Today it's very clear that Heart is an excellent storyteller.

There's more to the Rawhide club than Heartspeaker's story telling there were many sights to see. two medicines the child avatar hung out with me and Raimi chattering away acting like a five and half year old (but in real life she is very much an adult).

Wandering around the sim I saw a pretty waterfall and a picture of a Native American prayer. Also many various animals and sounds effects you would hear in nature of just being outside. I also saw a tall totem pole colored turquoise. There's also a shop to purchase Native American clothes. There's also dance balls of water dances around a pit.

Two Medicines confirmed that Heartspeaker still has his story time at 1pm every Thursday.

As Heartspeaker said the spirit of Spirit Nations is still in Second Life in the Rawhide Club. Native Americans have a presence in Second Life just like in the real world practicing their beliefs and traditions.

If you're curious about Native Americans and their beliefs and the way they speak with spirits feel free to stop by http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Tender%20Heart/67/65/22 and look around. Or if you want a place to relax and hang out to try something new the rawhide club may be right for you.

Grease Coakes

Rust and the Goonies

By Bixyl Shuftan

One of the LEA sims was given a new look and a new name, Rust. A surreal-looking land of abandoned machinery, it was described in the destination guides,  "Rust is a world with a strange mix of machines, chained trees, rusty mushrooms, birds, balloons, butterflies, spiders, elephants, and gear flowers. Watch as the corrode, flake, and sway in the gentle breeze." Credit for the build goes to Cica Ghost.


Dropping by for myself, the place was quite an experience. The sim had a look of abandonment and decay, as if the people who made the place were no more or having to move due to some unknown disaster. There were various buildings and structures around. While rusted, there was no shortage of movement as gears still turned around, conveyor belts still moved parts, and other examples of mechanical motion. There were also metal animals there, or rather statues of. There were rusted metallic elephants one could stand and pose on, in addition to metallic birds. There were also rust color trees with metal bands and chains on them, and grass swaying in the wind, also the color of rust.

I was still close to the entrance area when I heard some youthful-sounding chatter nearby. Looking around, I noticed a number of child avatars rezzing. "This place is full of tots," one lady commented. I wasn't sure what was going on until I noticed a couple names: Everest Piek and Loki Eliot. The Goonies had dropped in.

For those who don't know, "The Goonies" was a movie in the 1980s about a group of kids who go on an adventure in search of a pirate treasure to save their parents' homes. While the SL Goonies home in the Escapades sim is just fine, they still have a great love for exploration and adventures on the Grid. Gemma Cleanslate wrote about them a couple years ago (article here), and they're still going at it, led by Loki.

Everest saw me and greeted me, "Hey Bixyl, what's new? … We're just on a Goonies adventure. …. gotta run, c'ya around." He smiled and left. The kids then began looking over the place, "Helephants!" "I think we found Loli's old trumpet." "Really?" "It's inside." "Great to have you on the adventure, bro, even if you are still asleep, hee-hee." 

It wasn't long before they were on their way again, their leader Eliot saying, "Goonies second location, meet you all there, Tamarillo Island." And they all began heading there, "GOONIES NEVER SAY DIE!" And just as quickly as they appeared, the kids were gone. And Rust reverted to it's usual quiet.

If you have the time, even if its just five or ten minutes, Rust is a must-see location, located at LEA 13 (212, 49, 22). Draxtor Despress recently visited and made a film of the location (below).



As for the Goonies, their sim Escapades is welcome to visitors. They do take occasional new members, any child avatar interested should talk to one of the group about initiation. Loki has been recording their adventures on blogs. While his more recent site seems to have crashed, his older one at (http://lokiboy.blogspot.com/ ) is still up. He's also know as a builder in Second Life.

Bixyl Shuftan

Bible Study at the "House of Prayer" Church

by Grease Coakes

 

Bixyl mentioned that he wanted an article about a church in Second Life, so I thought I’d check one out. Using a random search I found “God’s House of Prayer Church,” which showed a high level of traffic, about 10k. When I warped into the sim, I was inside what seemed like a real-life church that may be in your neighborhood. I looked around and saw a schedule which showed that when I warped to the sim a Bible study was about to start in 5 minutes! 

 

 Walking inside the church I felt positive energy as I followed a lady up into a large room with artwork you might see in a church. I found a seat as I was surprised that it wasn’t 4 or 5 avatars came in attendance but about 20 or so not including the Bible reader Jehoshabeath.  Before the Bible study started Chanasitsayo sang a song with a live acoustic guitar over voice chat. She sang the song “My Life Is in You Lord.” He stopped reading and asked the group do they as individuals feel they are more or less Christian then others? Agape Scorpio said that it depends on family and your upbringing whether you are in a Christian family or not. She certainly makes a strong point as family does help make you a good person along with being a good Christian.

 

Moka, another lady at the Bible study expressed, that she felt as if she wasn’t always perfect at being a Christian. It sounded to me as she was talking over voice chat that she was being hard on herself. I told her to take your time and, “So Moka you should learn about Jesus at your own pace ^.^ .” Moka also said that she wasn’t good with hard things as challenges that God presents to her “Not good with hard things  :s” I answered back to her,“Moka the hard things will still be hard but you will still be able to accomplish them”.

 

The Bible study leader asked a second question about why does Paul say to see God with your heart and not with your eyes? Lots of people answered in various ways. I answered, “God is pure love you can't see love with your eyes or your brain." Another question was how large is God? I answered that he is infinite while Moka said infinite at the same time I answered. I chuckled at that.

 

A lot of the Bible study was discussion based and it was neat to hear what everyone said. I commented that Moka was hard on herself for not knowing so much about God. But also she was participating a lot which made me think that she knew a lot more about God then she may admit or realize. A question that was asked was “Why is praise important?” I answered that God wants to receive love just like we do.

 

The Bible reader Jehoshabeath said he has no kidneys and that will continue to keep serving God until he is called home. Moka’s voice comment about she thanked Jesus of how she is alive and well every morning. That made me think that not everyone in life has the ability to walk that most people take for granted. Not everyone has the ability to walk and that’s something to keep in mind as I worked for MDA aka Jerry’s Kids as a telemarketer in real life.

 

Chana offered an ending prayer and sang a song called “Even If” by Kutless to end the Bible study. As Jehoshabeath quietly said that the bible study was meant to be short but ran over time anyway.

 

God is praised in many ways in Second Life and real-life. I can’t speak for whoever reads this article whatever way towards God is best for you. My experience at “God’s House of Prayer” church was certainly a positive experience. If you are feeling down and out this church seems like a good place to express yourself to God. There seemed to be lots of people there to share their experiences with God. When I wrote this article their Bible study was on 6pm SL time on Tuesday. That seemed like the right time to stop by.

 

When I mentioned I was writing for the SL Newser, Agape Scorpio was thrilled! She also said that tonight’s Bible study happened to have a lot more people than usual. I’ll be glad to share this bible study and the group’s love for Jesus in this article as I had fun.

 

House of Prayer (72, 113, 38)

 

Grease Coakes

Creations for Parkinson's

When I went to the Sunday Night Demo Derby in Random, I ran into a lady named Barbie Alchemi. She explained to me she ran a place called Creations for Parkinson's. "Our sim is set up to raise donations and awareness for Parkinson's," she told me, "and we have a wonderful support group. But the most important thing we do here is have fun!"

Dropping in on the place one Saturday with my partner Jasmine, Barbie was entertaining a mix of residents at a party on a deck on the shoreline. They were quite a lively bunch, including a small dragon who expressed his affections in an interesting manner, "I have a dragon licking my bum!" One guy named "Powerchairdude" was going around in a kind of hoverchair. Besides the regular danceable rezzer, there was a special one for wheelchair bound residents.  There was also a few games for those handing our between parties.

Barbie greeted us, saying there was dancing at the dock three days a week, plus three in the ballroom. We both hung around for a little while until it ended and the guests began going their separate ways. Barbie offered us the choice of looking around on our own, or getting a tour. We decided on the tour. The tour went down both dirt paths and sidewalks, our course shaded with lots of trees, golden from the autumn season.

One of the first places we came across was a club building, "This is another dance club we use sometimes, Michael J's." The place was named for actor Michael J. Fox, whom came down with Parkinson's later in his career, "We are a Team Fox member and 100% of all donations go to the Michale J Fox Foundation." She explained her family paid for the sim's expenses, so all of the income could go to the charity, "We have over 30 top designers who all give 50% of the sales from their shops on this sim."

We soon went to a pier building and docks, "here you can rez motor boats, sailboats, jet-skis, windsurfers, tubies, swim animations." She then invited us to jump in, "if you do not mind getting wet, we can jump in the water here and i can show you the underwater." Jasmine made a "smelling of wet fur" joke, but her words quickly changed when we came upon the scenery, "Oh wow! This is amazing!" While most places think little of what's under the water, Barbie had made what lies beneath a visual treat of plants, marble statues and structures, and lots of bubbles. "I am still working on this," Barbie told us, "and when I am finished it is my goal for it to be the most beautiful underwater in SL!"

We soon passed by what Barbie pointed out was her mother's cottage, "She is the one who has Parkinson's who has inspired this whole project. My Dad died with Parkinson's, and a year later she was diagnosed with it. So this entire thing is built with love for the two of them. … She never complains, and Second Life has been so wonderful for her, because here she is free of her limitations. So that's why we decided to do this in Second Life."

Barbie pointed out a palace that was a gift from Felixx Shepard of Da Vinci Gardens, "Every texture you see, he has taken with his own camera from his travels. … he is a big supporter of our project." She mentioned he had contributed a second castle on the sim. We soon came to a garden area, and she pointed out some pillows, "Here we have tai chi cushions. My mom comes here everyday with her avi to practice tai chi, which she can not do in real life. But by experiencing her avi do it, she has regained strength and mobility. The power of visualization is fantastic. The brain is capable to doing so much more than we realize."

Barbie pointed out an amphitheater, "for poetry readings and small productions." Jasmine looked around at the scenery, "I love this." "Thank you. We have many lovely places to experience here, and it is a great place for photos." "It feels just right to me." Barbie mentioned she had worked on the effects of the water and shadows, "I have done all the terraforming and decorating myself. But I am not a builder. So things like this are donations from the talented creators of Second Life. This and all the flowers you see are a donation from Bunnie Badger from Two Moon Gardens. She has also been a big support of our project."

We came across some small shops and boutiques, "We have some of the top names in Second Life. We are only four months old, so we are just beginning to get known." She pointed out the ballroom mentioned earlier, "Everyone loves to put on their beautiful gowns and dance here." The larger events were held at the roof top, which needed a teleporter to get to.

Barbie wanted to show us where support meetings were held, and we ported to a small yard and cottage that turned out to be a floating island high above the sim, "This is where we hold our support group meetings. And I know that lives have been changed as a result of these meetings. It is for these people that I work every day." The group held meetings every Thursday morning at 10AM SL time.

One member, she told us, was an architect in real life, as well as Second Life, "His name is DB Bailey, and he has created a fantastic new club for us. We will hold the grand opening in a few weeks. He is a true artist, and he changes this every day. Frolic Mills used this for the opening show of Fashion Week" She took us over, and the place was extremely colorful, like a kaleidoscope.

Eventually, the tour was done, "Please come as often as you would like to explore and have fun and dance with us."

Creations for Parkinson's is at the Solace Lake sim.

Bixyl Shuftan