From Japan to SL

  

This is also from the “The world of Yana” that is well known as ‘There are many beautiful sceneries in SL’. Different from art SIMs that create something that are not in real life, the meticulously made world with a sense of realness is also comfortable. While strolling in a jungle, I reached a beautiful seashore.
Tropical Jungle @ Skye Glas: http://yana.slmame.com/e1434493.html

A seashore I came alone
Amusing to walk along
Smells like my homestays
Savors like those days

Nevertheless so saying, I feel lonesome
Not being so quiet, you say some




Twin peaks amid of the SIM are really peaks. This could depict that this is a virtual world by making these unrealistic intentionally.

  

Visited a field of rape blossoms that was introduced at Yana’s blog. It is a beautiful SIM named good fortune, with full of beauty of the natural scenery.
Bonne Chance: http://slurl.com/secondlife/bonne%20chance/153/129/22




Row of cherry trees covered by acqua alta? This can be seen only in SL, freewheeling thinking. I built my gallery ignoring gravity or structural integrity, but in the same breath I was worrying about cherry trees planted on the beach… Yana’s blog is always introducing beautiful SIMs. Feel lonely when visiting there alone though.
The World of Yana: http://yana.slmame.com/

  

On March 3rd, a tea ceremony was held at Venice SIM. A teahouse suddenly appeared in Piazza San Marco. It reminded me of Philadelphia museum. After passing through dark room with stone pillars, there was a light-filled space, a Japanese teahouse was set, meticulously made together with small garden. I swelled with a small pride. Japanese teahouse could be an independent art peace.




Under the early cherry blossom. The teahouse capacity is small and others are waiting in the small anteroom.




At the Philadelphia museum, the guide explained in detail about anteroom, wash basin, entrance and stop sign stone. “The served sweet cake and bitter tea symbolize that there are both in human life.” Is it true?




The tea party might have continued until midnight. The carnival got through yesterday with the fireworks but wagon sale will continue until the end of March.
Venice: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Yumix%20Prada/118/86/30




Fireworks last night. Normally we use midnight setting but twilight is also nice. There was Olympic symbol in the air with all five rings no single one missed (smile).




This time the size is rather small but it was good that some of them exploded just in front of viewers on Ponte di Rialto. When I saw fireworks at Edo SIM, I flew into the center of explosion wearing black cloth, but not necessary here to take shower of fire.

  

Little time ago, there was a Christmas concert at Venetia SIM, beautiful piano by Rulie. This time the stage was on the water.




A special stage under the Ponte di Rialto. Spectators’ seats are an array of gondolas. While snow flies, beautiful piano sound played by Rulie was filling the space, a wonderful Christmas Eve. Thank you Rulie, and members of Venice who were involved in this project!



Beautiful photo and movies are on Mizuki’s blog. If you have not seen it, please visit.
Masquerade Christmas 5: http://mizukichan.slmame.com/e1398009.html　
  

It is joyful to walk around passing through streets and bridges like a maze. There are few visitors maybe because of the time difference.




The buildings without aligning with the grid enhance the realistic feeling. Since it is difficult to afford an unobstructed view, it is hard to shoot the townscape.




There were butchery and bakery. There is no SL-shop for general customers and it also provides real feeling.




An imp in the bakery. He was not the master of the shop but was just hiding there. The right is a vampire who was training himself in order to get some parameters. Since I was a visitor, he was very kind and did not try to get blood.




A human painter I met at St Mark’s Square. He let me see his paintings, and also visited my gallery. What is a role and goal of human who will be subject for food of vampires? I would like to participate in a RPG once…

  

Visited Venexia, a RPG SIM with images of Venice, found in a blog, The World of Yana, that always introduces beautiful SIMs. It seems that a new scenario started in September. The stage is a remote island, where great plague came and killed most of humanity, and vampires and werewolves are hunting humans, and fighting continuously for supremacy.　 There are various races, hierarchy and rules for combat or feeding, but those seem to be very difficult to follow for me.
Venexia: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Venexia/32/246/609
The World of Yana: http://yana.slmame.com/




There was another Venice SIM that reproduce real city nicely, but this one has another character. This is a pier in front of St. Mark’s Square where I rode a gondola at real Venice. There is also the Ponte dei Sospiri next to Palazzo Ducale. There are several gondolas but they are teleporters.




St. Mark’s Square. This SIM might put more weight in providing a stage for RPG but not for realistic reproduction of the city. The townscape with unified textures is cool.




Total view of the island. Regretfully there is not Ponte di Rialto with many shops on it. There are many canals through the town providing a maze like real Venice.




From a pier situated at right above of the picture above. There is some solid and realistic feel that is not for leisure trip. I was adjusting lighting and made it midday but the real SIM is darker and with mysterious mood. If you saw Yana’s blog or visited this SIM and felt that it was different, please excuse me.




Flying is prohibited in the SIM so only way is to walk around, but it is possible to jump and stand on a spot like this, or to go across the canal. I will go inside the town next time.

  

By searching with a word cave, many bars and halls are hit other than actual caves. There was a huge rock floating in the sky containing a big dance hall. This is a cave made by natural trees.




This was also hit, a tunnel under the sea. Terrains or plantation were not made naturally but by creators one by one, so they are impressive in that sense.




A coral reef around some underwater dance hall. There may not be so many visitors here but it has substantial space.




Above the water was a peaceful sea. After all I love yacht. The Trenza Yacht Club has been re-opened and we are practicing every Wednesday. Anyone who would begin yacht with no experience will be welcome. Please visit here about 9:00 to 10:00 pm Japan time.
Trenza Yacht Club: http://slurl.com/secondlife/SIEN/124/93/29

  

I ran into the PRG while looking for caverns during my summer vacation, after watching TV program regarding Wind Cave at Mt. Fuji. I searched with word ‘cave’ and ‘caverns’, and was visiting all of them one by one, bit did not find few realistic caverns. The following SSs were taken at many place where I cannot remember, and not relating to each other. But entrances are always exciting and expecting.




It seems that it is easy to create caverns in SL, but there is few big one. But it is interesting to walk through branched cave where I cannot see what I will encounter.




This could be the cave in the RPG where a dragon nests. I would like to visit again but they said it had better keep away from a dangerous place. I mentioned I would like to see a dragon but they also advised not to mention it. It will be out of manner of the RPG.




In my childhood in the USA, I was taken to a huge calcareous cave, Luray Caverns. I only remember that it was very large, but it seemed much beautiful than this. Could anyone advise me with Stalactite cave in SL if any?




This is the Staracpipe Organ at Luray Caverns. Many hammers were set on numerous stalactites and generate beautiful sound through the console. I do not recall any sound or music though. This picture is from Wikipedia.

  

Around the half way mark, there are giant squids who could have escaped from the fisherman’s market. In addition, there were mines on the course making the race a survival game.




There are two squids in the water. They kept quiet normally but jumped up occasionally making obstacles. But there were few boats suffered from them.




The gondola was created by Kaedepan, the creator of the SIM. Also there are gorgeous ones not for the race.




This is when I visited before and took a paid gondola tour. With a guide by hansom gondolier, I took many pictures remembering RL tour, but I forgot to change the picture quality to high and most of them were useless. This really looked alike the RL tour, passing through narrow canals, with the gondolier bending down when coming under a bridge.




At the last of the tour, it became snow and the gondola flew above the canal, passing through the shops at the top of the Ponte de Rialto. It was a cool experience only possible in SL.




Kaedepan demonstrating showcase sailing at the last race. Thank you Kaedepan for the wonderful event, and also I feel grateful for creating and managing this wonderful SIM!




The central canal where the race was held. Ponte de Rialto is at the middle. The St. Marko’s Square is at the top. In RL, I walked from the square to the bridge through a kind of maze referring to a map.




A distant view of the St. Mark’s Square. It is wonderful to depict all of this within a limit of single SIM, which is in no way inferior to the full-SIM art at LEA. Many beautiful photographs of this SIM are presented in the blog by Mizuki and her exhibition.
Mizuki’s Blog: http://mizukichan.slmame.com/

　
  

A gondola race was held at Venice as the last festival for the closing SIM, on a canal in front of the St, Marks Square. This is the place where I joined a gondola tour in RL Venice.




It was a time race with five boats at one time. Since the gondola was new someone was not able to set the direction.




This was a festival and there were many guests on a boat, but some boat was overloaded and sunk.




The gondola became a water barge and someone jumped up in a hurry. The gondolier stayed on board to the last feeling responsibility.




The course is to and from the fishers market on the canal through the Ponte di Rialto, on which there are many shops as RL. It was joy to walk from the St. Mark’s Square.




It should be easy if it were possible to set my camera on the boat, but I did not do so since it may affect the race. Fortunately it was not heavy on the day so I was flying camera freely. More pictures are coming in the next article.