Safari goes Dutch

        It's a small country with a lots of names, and loads of personality. Whether you like to call their home Holland, the Netherlands, or the Low Countries, the Dutch contingent in opensim is large, active, and innovative! The Safari group got to see three different aspects of Dutch culture this week, all the destinations are open to the public, and listed at the end of this post, if you want to experience them for yourself.

            Utrecht Citycenter is a region on OSGrid built by Avia Bonne. The region is on land owned by Mark aka Repudiator Quann, one of the smart and generous people who have regions attached to OSGrid and allow others to get a parcel or even a whole sim in exchange for small donations used to help cover expenses.


          The Skyspace Estates are reliable and even with a big group like ours, lag was minimal and we were able to see all the goodies in the sops, and walk around quite freely. If the name 'Repudiator Quann' rings a bell, we went on a Safari with him back in October 2015 when he showed us his castle and spectacular Terminator avatar.
Thirza Ember: big group coming!
Avia Bonne: omg I hope we don't crash lol!   Hello everyone, I cant follow all the names coming in Thirza Ember: Holland is popular!
Tosha Tyran: Hi everyone... wow, yes, Holland is lovely and popular with me :))

              Here, you must imagine a lot of hello's - or rather 'Hallo' and 'hoi' - the proper Dutch words - and lots of funny comments about people with naked / gray butts, mermaid tails, and so on. The usual hg banter. When all of had arrived, about 23 avies in total, Avia began to explain about the region.
Avia Bonne: I will tell you a little rl history and a little vw history about this sim.  Utrecht city is situated in the centre of the Netherlands and exists since 50 v Chr. [BC] but not in this condition ;-)
It is very famous and unique for their canals, and their old and monumental architecture. The Oudegracht, or "old canal", and runs through the center of Utrecht, the Netherlands. It starts in the southeast of the city. Here the Kromme Rijn (the original main bed of the Rhine river) and the Vaartse Rijn (a medieval canal reconnecting Utrecht)arrive to meet the original moat of the fortified town, and the Oudegracht goes from there into the center of town. In the old days warehouses used to line the canal. Today many of these warehouses have been converted into stores, restaurants and cafés.   I build this sim when I started here in OSgrid 8 years ago, so it is my first build and still very precious since it is my hometown as well. It might need some update since it is made with prims that time and is almost ready for a museum, but back then it was one of the first shoppingcentres OSgrid had. For historical reasons it will still remain ... feel free to snoop on the shops here, all is freebie, lots of mesh.

Tosha Tyran: :) it looks awesomely real, Avia :)
 jorink devin: nice town to visit in RL
Neovo Geesink: This is surely a great work of texturing and build quality. As I am Dutch, I have visited Utrecht myself in my Childhood.
Xirana Oximoxi: it looks beautiful Avia! Congratulations
Avia Bonne: oh it is such a noob city Neovo lol,  but because I live in this town, it has my heart ;-) you will find old and new stuff here which I made over the years.  Below at the canal there is also a store and an art gallery with sime of my art
Cata Raven: it's very romantic
Taarna Welles: Utrecht is one of the best cities in the Netherlands.
Thirza Ember: so Utrecht is an ancient town, does it inspire your rl art, Avia?
Avia Bonne: well yes thirza, I like to sit at the terrace in the city and watch people and then paint them I mostly paint women, not sure why, but people inspire me. I tried to painting the domtower, but I failed - I am better with people.

victoria logan (es>en): always making beautiful places
Taarna Welles: In Utrecht there is, compared to other Dutch cities, not much criminality. The people are very kind, and you feel very welcome when visit
Tosha Tyran: why is that so, Taarna?
Taarna Welles: to be honest, no idea - but somehow it is. The people are nice in the Netherlands, but very down to earth.

          This region was one of the first freebie malls in OSGrid.
Cata Raven: in those days there wasn't a lot to find I suppose, you had to make everything from start
Avia Bonne: thats why I started this centre, for everyone to get freebies to use. but nowadays you can get it everywhere and so many more and better quality,  I stopped making stuff these days, only some for the Events.


Taarna Welles: Well, I still like to see history which is made in Opensim, so really nice to see a lot of your work
George Equus: A very nice build Avia!  should definitely keep it online.

           It was soon time for our next stop, on Metropolis grid, at the Multibox region belonging to Neovo Geesink. He has a really interesting display about Loeki the Lion.
            Loeki is so cute, I wondered if that is a children's TV character.
Neovo.Geesink: It is not per-se a Childrens TV Icon, but a Intermezzo for the Commercials in a Commercial Block. That was mandatory in the 70's. I hope that everyone likes it.
        Neovo's region is a gigantic sandbox ideal for testing vehicles and stuff like that. It can be slightly disorienting arriving on the region, you have to look for the silver tunnel, inside which you'll find this stadium arrangement.

           The display on Neovo's region is more than just a video screen. he also has a series of very interesting information boards that explain Joop Geesink's original idea for Loeki was developed into a comic strip by his daughter Louise. Loeki's catchphrase is "Asjemenou?" meaning "What the heck!?" a phrase anyone hypergridding can relate to and should probably use often.
          We had a few technical difficulties on the region despite Neovo's extensive testing. This happens sometimes on Safari, and can be very frustrating because when you crash, you can no longer see your friends online if they're off on some far flung region. Hypergrid Groups, by which I mean groups that could send notices and have group chat over multiple grids, could exist - Diva Canto confirmed it at the OSCC. But said she thought it would be too heavy for the viewer. Shame, because it would make life a lot easier for people like me.

            So we moved on to our final stop on Bubblesz grid, home of the mesh-queen Taarna Welles who brought us to her region Savvy.

         We've all been to Savvy it's the shopping center for all Taarna's mesh clothing and accessories. Her feet and footwear are legendary, but this visit was about traditional Dutch games, and she has used her skills with Mesh to illustrate them perfectly.

From stilts... 

 to Ludo...

 from sack races...
Taarna.Welles: Sack race is a game (almost a sport, when one sees the seriousness with which it is sometimes practiced), which is mainly played at Queen's Day (currently King's Day) and neighborhood parties.Participants must pass a specific course (50 meters) where their legs are inserted into a bag (usually a burlap potato sack).
Thai Low: i could die after 5 meter
Taarna Welles: Who comes first has, of course, won. There is a difference of opinion as to what is the best tactic. According to one you will move fastest by leaping.
snowbody Cortes: ahah Thai
Taarna Welles: Another states you should put your legs at different corners of the bag and then just walk. Nowadays a sack race is still very popular with children.
Isis Ophelia: yes, birthday games, with kids
Taarna Welles: How old sack racing is and where it came from, I have been unable to determine, but I found an article that described that it was part of the 1904 Olympic Games.
Thirza Ember: do you do it with 2 people in the sack also?
Taarna Welles: Well, it depends how much fun you would like to have

to shuffleboard...

we compared notes about these, and talked about how they're part of the heritage of many countries... that is, until we came to the 'nail pooping' game.  

Taarna Welles: you maybe never have seen before... SPIJKERPOEPEN :D
Peter Barlow: lol
Isis Ophelia: poop never lol
snowbody.Cortes: I would like to play it !
Lucy Afarensis @hg.osgrid.org: hmmm...
Thai Low: LOOLL OMG
Taarna Welles: Nail Poop of as in Dutch: Spijkerpoepen (please do not try to pronounce this in chat) :D
Sunshine Szavanna: looks complex
Taarna Welles: Nail Poop is an old Dutch game that provides entertainment and requires coordination and concentration. The required materials of the game are: a piece of rope, a nail and a bottle.
Isis Ophelia: people really play it still?
Taarna Welles: yes they do Isis
Thirza Ember: every day, if they eat right

Taarna Welles : they like it even more when they are drunk. Traditionally, the choice of the type of bottles on the beer bottle. The nail is tied to the rope, and the rope is attached to the pants of the player.The object of the game is to get the nail into the bottle, without having to make use of something other than the hip, middle and upper leg movements.
alex54 Salamander: and the bottle  has first to be drunk empty
Isis Ophelia: pictures the drunk guys trying to stand on their feet haha
Taarna Welles @bubblesz.nl:8002: When nail defecate originated, could not be found.
snowbody Cortes @hg.osgrid.org: ahahah alex
Sunbeam. Magic: Bottoms Up alex!
Taarna Welles: Have a look at their faces :)


            The mesh models were free to copy, in the usual Taarna style, so you can have your own personal sack race if you want.

           Taarna showed us a fabulous dress made in the style of Coco Chanel, and also announced that she is going to be focusing less on making shoes and accessories and more on on the overall look of Savvy. So expect great things in the future!
HG Addresses
Avia Bonne's Utrecht region                                     hg.osgrid.org:80:utrecht citycenter
Neovo Geesink Loeki the Lion display (at 7000m)  hypergrid.org:8002:multibox neovo
Taarna Welles stores and games display                    bubblesz.nl:8002:savvy