Health Island Exhibits For April

 

 By Gemma Cleanslate

A visit to Health Island during April will present an eclectic set of information and resources for you. When you land there is a sign announcing Exhibit and Display Info. Click it and you will get a notecard giving you slurls to each of the monthly exhibits. This helps one find the particular ones you might be interested in.

Due to the outbreak of measles this year I was definitely interested in the Measles in Adults exhibits.

I bet others will be. Did I have a vaccine shot? I am not positive. I found resources that might help me find out. I also loved the Garlic exhibit since I love garlic! It really is good for us. There is a load of information about the history of all sorts of garlic and how and why it it is healthy.

The information on Testicular cancer will be most interesting to men and their families I am sure.

One that, I am guessing, will be one that most of us will really take time to read all the posters and resources is the Fat Facts! There are more selections on the notecard. Nearby there it the Support

walk where there are posters for all various support groups one might be interested in joining,

This island is a great place to just wander around and find all the relaxing places. The herb garden always entices me and if you keep walking way to the east after you visit the Fat Facts you might be enticed to do a workout in the free gym over at Health and Wellness. I did.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/210/123/22

Gemma Cleanslate

 

HealthInfo Island

 

By Gemma Cleanslate

 

Occasionally I like to remind everyone that there is an excellent source of Health information in SL.Healthinfo Island is a wonderful region to visit whatever your needs. This is the Mission statement:

“The mission of Healthinfo Island is to provide timely, accurate, and accessible information on topics of physical, emotional, and mental health. This is done through interactive displays, links to outside resources, group events, and personalized assistance.

The Consumer Health Library at HealthInfo Island is here to help SL residents with health information needs. “

If you look at the ground you will see a blue arrow . It is a TP hud. Click to see where you want to go.

It is fun to just walk around to discover everything but if you want a certain place use it.

The island is sponsored and maintained by The Virtual Ability group and there are various sites on the island that remain open all the time to visitors. There are sites that change monthly with new information on various illnesses and what is going on in the research and cure information.

This month in the Healthy Living Display area there is an excellent display on Pneumonia. Follow the arrows to learn all about pneumonia , its types, diagnosis, and many resources for more information. Click each poster to read about it.

Check out the exhibit on swine flu and its effects and relationship with humans. That exhibit is down the hill from the Pneumonia exhibit.

The nearby exhibit is so interesting to me. It is a topic I don’t really know that much about so I spent time reading all about tropical diseases. January 29 is World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day so it is very relevant. Since many don’t live in a tropic area we often ignore such diseases but we really should check some of them out for travel purposes, not to mention climate change. I know I have had vaccines before I visited certain countries. Actually I met people who have had a few of these diseases myself.

Not comfortable !!

The Research Pavilion is amazing! It is filled with information about clinical trials from defining them to information about ongoing trials one might be interested in joining. There are some dealing with cancer and heart. It tells one how to contact persons who can talk about enrollment in a study also.

There is a Consumer Health Library nearby with more information about ongoing diseases like Covid.

At the Health Exhibit there are posters with a myriad of questions about certain possible assists for dealing with winter illnesses. Are they real or myths? Click the poster and find out what research says.

Next to that site at the left is one of my favorite places. I have taken many avatars there. It is called the Path of Support. It has posters for the plethora of amazing support groups that exist in sl to help those who need help with so many chronic diseases, addiction, mental health, disabilities and more. Each poster gives a description of the group’s mission and by clicking one can join the group they choose.

This wonderful island gives so much aid to people who need assistance. If you have a question you can contact Eme Capalini or Gentle Heron . I suggest you visit and roam around to see all it has to offer .

This is the center Pavilion. Remember there will be a change of information for February.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/128/126/24

 

Gemma Cleanslate

Visiting Down Under: SL Australia

By Grey Lupindo

      Recently I took a trip to SL Australia, located at Australia (165, 82, 28).  This sim is owned by a group of Australians who wanted to have an Aussie meeting place, as well as a place where people from other countries could come and enjoy life down under.   They have created a fun as well as informative site.   

       One of their notecards states that Australia is the sixth largest country in the world.   Like its RL counterpart, SL Australia is also very big, with lots of unusual things to do and see.     There’s a lot of free transportation to help you get around, including a monorail, bicycles, jet skis and more. 

         I started out at the Sydney Opera House, where I also found information about the Sydney Harbour Bridge and some other landmarks.   From there I biked across the plaza to the stores.    

       The shopping area is small, but it had some unusual stores.  “Stellar”, located on the corner sells, among other things, both drapes and vampire ears.    Another unusual store is “Dingo Mojo” where you can buy Aussie plants, including an Aussie Beer Tree that gives out bottles of beer.   They also sell lorikeets, cockatoos and other Australian birds.

         Located in the middle of the shopping area is Ritchey Sealy Art Studio, which is owned by a RL Australian artist.   In SL he is Ritchey Jacobus, and he has been a resident for over 6 years.  His studio is very large and filled with paintings of Australian beaches, the sea, and some towns.    They are all for sale at a very reasonable price, $50L.   My favorites were of life in Moruya, a town that I had never heard of but looks like an interesting place.  When I visited, Jacobus also had paintings on display behind one of the monorail stops at Australia (175, 6, 47).  Here there were paintings of other aspects of Australian life, including kangaroos.  It’s always interesting to see a RL artist come into SL, especially when the subject matter is different and as well done as these paintings are.

          In RL the Great Barrier Reef is located on the northeast coast of Australia and is home to exotic sea life.  In SL Australia you can rent scuba equipment from a dive shop located near Australia (37, 96, 22).   I rented their equipment for $20L for 10 minutes, which was plenty of time for me.   Although the coral and plants were pretty, I saw a Great White Shark that sent me topside.   But for braver residents, the equipment can be rented for longer periods of time.   When the HUD is worn, gauges and other instruments appear.   I have never used scuba equipment in RL so I don’t know how authentic this HUD is.   But it was fun, at least until I saw the shark.  Inside the dive shop is a stylish wet suit that is a freebie, whether or not you rent the scuba equipment.     

            Jet skis are available for free so I hopped on one to tour the harbor.     While I was touring I spotted a diving cage exhibit that looked interesting and a 7 Seas fishing area located at The Shed, Australia (75, 180, 21).   I stopped to fish long enough to catch a Common Green Clownfish and an Uncommon Ultra Violet Mutant.   But I decided to save the diving cage for a future visit.   I had had enough of sharks for one day.

           I stopped by the Dingo Bay Hotel, which appears to be brand new.   There were plenty of tables and chairs, a dance ball and lots of room to use it.    No one else was there when I visited, probably due to the time difference between my RL location and RL Australia.   There’s a sign where anyone who is interested can get notices of upcoming events.  

         My vacation time was nearly up, but I wanted to ride the monorail before I left.  I climbed the steps to the platform and waited for a train.  It came quickly, but I had trouble getting into it.  I slipped between it and the railings on my first try and landed in the harbor below.   I climbed back up and waited for the next train.  This time I boarded by going directly into a seat instead of trying to walk into the train car.  This approach worked perfectly.  The monorail is great.  It shook and made noise just like a real train.  It goes pretty fast, and you can get a quick overview of the site.  

       I rode the monorail around a couple of times without any problem.    As I rode, I could see that there were many other places that I will have to return to visit.    I plan to do that soon.

Australia (165, 82, 28)

 Grey Lupindo