pat gresham: Wow. A real HG safari.
Sun and savanna, wild animals and wilder teleports, African thoughts, history, and ideals - that's the spirit of our most recent trip. Our first destination took us to the var region Virunga on Outworldz grid. 
George Equus: Think I'd better relog - only see 7 proper names
Unknown UserUMMAU42: what'a a proper name ??
Billy Bradshaw: Thought my new specs would resolve me seeing multiple Thirza, alas not to be :)
Truelie Telling: ok, gonna stand up... see if tp is tp-ing... oh dear, my feet are deformed
Sunbeam Magic: call the doctor
Drang.Po: we heading to the first area yet?
Thirza Ember: whenever we ae ready, nice and slow... let's go to Outworldz!
Aime Socrates: gogogo
Selby Evans: I may do video capture, including voice,
Thirza Ember: see you there!
The interest in this week's trip comes not only from a desire to know Africa better, but also because Outworldz is a mecca for anyone interested in NPCs and scripts. Ferd Frederix sent a tantalizing invitation to the group, including a video on Facebook , detailing the new aspects to this well-known region, including Load Balancing Code that rezzes NPCs when someone is close, and a hospital complete with medical staff if anyone should get bitten, or trampled. Both Ferd and his partner in crime Debbie were on hand to welcome us to the grid.
On Outworldz, because the regions are var and can be a bit indigestible to hypergrid travelers, especially when they arrive en masse, it's always smart to go to the Welcome area and then use the various photo tp boards to get to the various attractions. Virunga is so big there are a whole set of possible tp points, laid out on a useful map.
As a group starting point, we all headed for the Virunga airport, where there were multiple modes of transport for the arriving tourists, including plane, bus, and jeep. It's a clever way to get an introduction to the region, which contains all kinds of terrain and environments, for the mountaintop lodge, to the NPC riding area, to the hospital and the river boat, and more.
The fun activities are perfectly mixed with opportunities to learn about real world issues, and this would make an exciting destination for a children's field trip. It's also a great place to pick up some inspiration, and some excellent free items to bring back to your own grid or region. 
The generosity and skill that have gone into creating the Outworldz grid is just one part of the package, that includes all the resources on outworldz.com, a website that includes a page of internet radio stations, pets in the shape of anything from dragons to robots, tips and tricks, animations, textures, the Script Library.
Of course, one of the most remarkable innovations is the Outworldz One Click Hypergrid which allows many of us to have our own personal hg friendly sim on a home computer. What a fantastic step forward for all of those hoping for a great independent hg community!
Much fun to be had trying to drive, and equally fun if you're the passenger or the driver. Talia Sunsong rather foolishly jumped in the Jeep with me, there was a lot of screaming, all very complimentary of course, she is a great lady.
Among the other updates and extra features now available on Virunga, Ferd had promised that the roads and the vehicles were 'much improved' in recent times, and that he hs the whole grid on a much better and faster server.
This is all true, and all well and good, but it doesn't make us any more competent to get behind the wheel. As you can see from the pictures above, it is especially inadvisable to take a bus ride with Freaky Tech. The DeReOs guru starts out OK, but before you know it, it's scuba diving time. Thank goodness all the crocodiles were occupied elsewhere!
It was safer to walk for some of us, and certainly well worth visiting the clinic, or the riverside, or hill climbing.
Alya VonZ: hehe place is amazing
Thirza Ember: yes, so vast
Wizardoz Chrome: BEAUTIFULLLLL yes lol
Alya VonZ: rode an elefant got in hospital twice was bitten by a gator, flew a plane, a bus, etc, lol
George Equus: one hour passed already...well worth a walk about
Mal.Burns: decent view standing up here - this place is BIG
Most of us are well aware of Diane Fossey and her work in Africa, and also of the current battle to save Virunga, now at risk from oil drilling, but there's always a little more to learn here.
Ferd passed an interesting notecard about Rosamund Carr and her Rwanda Orphanage. How much kindness there is in this world, despite the cruel violence.
I met Spike Sol outside the Carr residence, which is worth seeking out, it's a lovely tribute to a heartwarming story.
Eventually, most of us found each other at the place where you can rez a ride, either an elephant, lion or tiger, possibly other animals too; ostriches, zebras gorillas and turtles were all running around when we got there.
Sunbeam Magic: love all this nature ! and rabbits and turtles and deer oh my !
Ferd Frederix: Hey Sunbeam..... I think you saved Virunga... and dung beetles. Place was fuill of shit til I added that
Lucy Afarensis: its virtual poo, only sticks to virtual shoes
Freaky Tech: galloping
Ferd Frederix: Freaky is immune to elephant attacks. hes a Scripter
Talia Sunsong: I probably ran over a few people, but I didn't end up in the sea lol. Ferd, I can't believe you can run all these NPCs.
Ferd Frederix: They are easy on the server when few people are around. Its laggy now because of tall the vehicles. I was told just the other day by someone who hates NPCS that this is the perfect place to show them off, and he likes it.
George Equus: Ferd, a really cool build!
Thirza Ember: this is quite a meeting of pachyderms!Joe Builder: mine saw a mouse
Aime Socrates: LOL Wild animals
Sunbeam Magic: It's like Aime is bucking bronco cowboy rider lol
pat gresham: I found a lion.
Freaky Tech: elephant is a croc protector ;)
Ferd Frederix: We are all gonna end up in the hospital
Sunbeam Magic: complete and udder chaos
Ferd Frederix: I could rez a rideably mooFerd cow. These crocs are hungry
Thirza Ember: huge fun... thank you Ferd and Debbie, they are waiting for us over on craft now If anyone cann't find the next LM and needs a taxi, just IM me, and will send you one
Aime Socrates: time to leave? aff there is sooo much more i missed. Will come back soon
Ferd Frederix: I think so... Looking for my landmarks. And thankssssxxxx for all you coming.
Our visit to SunVibes on Craft Grid began with some dancing.
We were here last week, to see Xirana Oximoxi's art and her books, you may remember, but there's so much happening on this region, a return trip was a must. This time, we wanted to learn more about the Hungarian-born South African musician, DJane, non-profit community volunteer, and builder Szavanna Sunshine, whose birthday it happened to be.
SunVibes region is just a regular size sim, but she has packed a lot into the space, including a new Indian palace she is working on, and we asked about it.
We were here last week, to see Xirana Oximoxi's art and her books, you may remember, but there's so much happening on this region, a return trip was a must. This time, we wanted to learn more about the Hungarian-born South African musician, DJane, non-profit community volunteer, and builder Szavanna Sunshine, whose birthday it happened to be.
SunVibes region is just a regular size sim, but she has packed a lot into the space, including a new Indian palace she is working on, and we asked about it.
Sunshine Szavanna: ok so at the moment it is not ready - in SL I have a little place called Shantiniketan, and it is dedicated to Indian culture and indian music. Sunvibes is a world music project, so not only African, and we focus most on Africa and India, so that is why I felt I need to create an Indian space too, we have a separate stream only for Indian music
Sunbeam Magic: Indian as in the country India ?
Sunshine Szavanna: yes, not cowboys and indians - giggles - dunno much about those cultures yet
Sunbeam Magic: I love India movies and music
Sunshine Szavanna: if you hear the music now, its a praise singer, we have praise singers at bigger events, apart from the India corner. we are working on a workshop area. in our workshop area there will be lots of useful materials that we can use to build
Truelie Telling: Sunshine, do you play here in public?
Sunshine.Szavanna: play how Truelie? I do play the violin but I am too shy :P I do play for friends sometimes. I love to play jazzy afro violin
Billy.Bradshaw: You are with friends Sunshine
Xirana Oximoxi: we are friends Sunji..we want to hear you playing violin :))
Sunshine Szavanna: these giraffes are free also, created by Xirana, our resident artist . First we visit the Visionz hut, I am still new to HG, so I need to learn more about all the things that happen, so I thought it was crucial to have a Visionz hut. I am pretty amazed by the opensim projects, I so love how free and creative everyone is here.
We walked among the trees, and came to a meeting place.
Sunshine Szavanna: I tell you a little but about ubuntu. If you have stream on, you will hear a special song called Mannenberg, a composition of Abdullah Ibrahim - one of South Africa's jazz greats. "Mannenberg" is a Cape Town township - one of the areas where the Cape Jazz sound was born...sounds that mirrored and spoke of the defiance in the streets and townships of South Africa. This jazzy melody came to be considered "the unofficial national anthem" of South Africa, and the theme tune of the anti-apartheid movement." For the first time ever, Abdullah Ibrahim, formally known as Dollar Brand, went to Robin Island, where Mandela was imprisoned. All forms of music were banned. A lawyer smuggled one of Abdullah's songs into the control room, blocked the doors and played it over the loud speakers. Mandela's first sound of music in decades."
Sunshine Szavanna: This is the sound that I have come to feel so close to - and listen to - almost everyday. The sound that plays so many places all over South Africa - especially at jazz days. Let me take you to a jazz day in South Africa.
Sunshine Szavanna: Imagine a big cricket field with a huge stage in front. Then ..imagine people coming in big numbers carrying chairs and blankets and picnic baskets. They settle all over the field in front of the stage. Further away little gazebos selling snacks and drinks. Kids playing soccer next to where the the crowd sitting. Whole families.... you can see everyone there. Everyone meets on the field, and the first band starts playing sounds similar to this song, Mannenberg.
Sunshine Szavanna: never ending sound of the drum, the singing of the trumpets, keyboards... endless improvisations of well known melodies. More and more people stand up to jive and sing along while others are just swaying in their chairs. And the day carries on, one band after the next, time stops, and there is this spirit of togetherness and musical feeling in everyone.
Sunshine Szavanna: While the song is playing - I'd like to tell you about Ubuntu. Apart from being one of the most well known versions of Linux, it is also a kind of philosophy, originating from Southern Africa. Ubuntu is a word translating to "human kindness"; in Southern Africa (South Africa and Zimbabwe). Ubuntu: "I am what I am because of who we all are." (From a definition offered by Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee.)
Sunshine Szavanna: Tutu explained Ubuntu in 2008: "One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu – the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can't be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality – Ubuntu – you are known for your generosity. We think of ourselves far too frequently individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole World. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity."
Sunshine Szavanna: The question therefore is: Are you going to do so in order to enable the community around you to be able to improve? We ( Tom and me ) would like to dedicate this show to Nelson Mandela - his life's work that has inspired so many people all around South Africa, Africa and around the world to live their lives with more Ubuntu - with more wisdom and acceptance.
You always capture the true essence of each place Safari visits! TY
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