Safari Town and Country

         This week's destinations reflect the best of opensim, the passion that underlie the creative urge. We visited Magnolia Mountain on OSGrid, and Keng City on Digiworldz, and the HG Addresses are at the end of the post.

          Magnolia Mountain is the project of CelticMaidenWarrior Lancaster. The talented singer still plays regular gigs in Second Life but she has discovered the joy of opensim, both as a builder and as a performer. She plays a 12 string Blue4u Nowicka, and offers a mix of tunes from the likes of the Eagles, Carol King, Carly Simon, and Van Morrison to mention just a few - her repertory is as wide as it is delightful. The region she's working on will soon host weekly events.

CelticMaidenWarrior Lancaster: I want to have a time early in the day for a European crowd to come and chill with me.  then I'll probably have a later set for the americas....

          The dude ranch, complete with rideable horses, was bound to be part of her setup.
CelticMaidenWarrior Lancaster: I had horses for 24 years, so I wanted to incorporate them in my region too.

CelticMaidenWarrior Lancaster: I am finally busting out of the SL confinements, and braving building for the first time... the rough thing about joining any new grid, is that at first, you go backwards with the technology....back to the old days of SL simple prims and clothing.  Being able to glean from all the different grids due to HG, is amazing. I'm not good at doing stuff from scratch, but I do like taking something, and deconstructing it, and rebuilding it for my purposes.

CelticMaiden Warrior

CelticMaidenWarrior Lancaster: the building process has been grueling. When I come here, and see what I have accomplished, I get a sense of transporting myself mentally into the environment.... like that grass...I imagine walking through it for real... something so simple and silly as that.

          The region i open any time for your trekking pleasure, and don't forget to turn on the audio to hear an excellent radio while you wander around the lake and up onto the peaks. Lots of nice copyable houses and other items are tucked away in the valleys too.

Ranger station

 CelticMaidenWarrior Lancaster: my region is the great outdoors. I found the mountain surround, and when I put it out, my imagination when went crazy... originally, it was phantom, I had to unlink each separate piece to make it not phantom then, relink it....so now it can be walked on I wanted to be able to actually hike or ride around on it. it was time consuming!
       It may be a work in progress, but the region is already a lot of fun for anyone who enjoys being outside, inside.

Our second destination was on Digiworldz, as guests of Antoinette and Nubian Keng. Simone Fields was there to welcome us too - se is the charming greeter who helps enliven the Keng City events. Alongside the 'locals' there was Digi rep Noxluna Nightfire. We were there to see the whole fabulous cityscape, but also to zero in on the Black History Commemorative Museum.

Nub Keng

Antoinnette Keng: everyone please make urselves at home...have a seat...walk around...cam around
Nubian Keng: Keng City was conceived in Second Life. I built the first Keng City, and with the concept of vertical building I was able to build a breathtaking cityscape. Keng City was home to a variety of entertainment: boxing, formal dining, clubs, theater, golf course, and even putt putt.
Due to rising costs, I left after 5 years and migrated to Opensim. With Opensim being economical in cost, I begin expanding on the Keng City concept. I built on multiple grids before coming to DigiWorldZ. Keng City in DigiWorldZ is comprised of three connected 4x4 regions which is the equivalent of 48 standard regions. It has multiple clubs and penthouses, skating rink, shops, Virtual News Network, an indoor pool, cigar lounge, game room, water sports and the museum.
Black History Commemorative Museum

Nubian Keng: After building Keng City in DigiWorldZ, we decided to build a Museum that would showcase the achievements of African Americans. The Black History Commemorative Museum in Keng City highlights the struggles as well as achievements of African Americans throughout history. This module based museum has a unique feel which gives the viewer a feel of stepping into a time capsule. There are many displays covering milestones dating back to when the first slave ship came to America in 1619 to the first African American President. Although this museum is not all inclusive and only scratches the surface of the African American experience, it gives the viewer a glimpse of the struggles while at the same time showing a balance between achievements and accomplishments. The is the first and only African American Museum in Opensim or on the Hyper Grid. The museum will be updated every February and is open all year long for you to bring a friend and experience this one of a kind land mark in Opensim/Hyper.

Annatomically correct albino werewolf Drang Po studies the rise of the cotton industry

Thirza Ember: LOL it's days like this when I'm glad teleports exist
Lucy.Afarensis: It would be nice to figure out how to do it in rl
Antoinnette Keng: if only lolol
Larysa Firehawk: you might need to do a maths degree!
Noxluna Nightfire: i "tp" rlr all the time...get in the car, close my eyes (fall asleep) open my eyes and presto! at the destination... i'm told it scares the crap out of the other drivers on the road tho....
Franziska Bossi: eep
Lucy Afarensis: yes eeep     
           In elegant black and white and with many powerful photographs to illustrate the various moments in time, this museum sweeps you through the history of African American history...

Larysa studies the first African American woman in space, Mae Jemison

... highlighting dates of special significance and culminating with the presidency of Barack Obama. This is an attractive, uplifting, entertaining and all around pleasing ...work of art, is the only way to define it. So, if Nubian could go back in time to witness any epoch in African American history, which would he choose?
Nubian Keng: I  am an artist kind of a guy, I would love to have been in the 1920's and be part of the Harlem Renaissance
Noxluna Nightfire: its my great pleasure, as the Assistant Grid Manager to welcome you to Keng City, Digiworldz!   We're very pleased with our stability, and while we've come under fire for our beliefs, we're very proud of our integrity.  Our residents are our number one priority as our support testimonials will attest to, and we feel that this shows as we've increased by almost double in one year. However ,it takes more than great support, it takes affordability, it takes an active community (our event calendar is packed with events) and our community is the most welcoming, and supportive I've seen anywhere.  Its awesome residents, like Nubian and Antionnette that help make Digiworldz the great grid it is.

         The region is made up of skyscrapers with witty and apposite names set around a river and ocean front setting, with lots of little details, like the ducks and the ships on the waterfront
Thirza Ember: What was the hardest part of this build, Nub?
Nubian Keng: The research was the hardest.
Larysa Firehawk: it usually is
Brian.. @hg.viewtwo.net:8654: Down trodden folk have a way of bonding. You should investigate 'The Cotton Famine'.. There is a letter written by Abraham Lincoln to the British, well worth a look. There is a statue of Abraham Lincoln i England (apparently not well known), I walk past every day.
Nubian Keng: Interesting,  Brian, I'll have to check that out
Lux Tergeste: This exhibition is really excellent, is it permanent and open to the public?
Nubian Keng: Yes
Thirza Ember: Are you are teacher in RL, Nub?
Nubian Keng: No, I am not a teacher but I do a lot of presentations for high school students
Larysa Firehawk: presentations to schools, like some kind of magic

Antoinnette Keng

          Next, we went over to the Keng City Yacht Club to enjoy some dancing and tunes with the always wonderful DJane Rosa Alekseev who brings a Brazilian verve and elegance to every party.
Antoinnette Keng: We have the best DJ!!!!
         The best part of an hour was spent listening to the great tunes, dancing with the group, and also, of course, the added bonus that we could cam over to the Museum and continue to read. What could be better. There are many shops on the region also, so something for everyone.

Rosa Alekseev

CelticMaidenWarrior.Lancaster: Nubian, I have to poof, but you have done a fantastic job here!!!!
Ayesha.Rasmuson: Yes... great place ya got here
Simone Fields: Please don't make yourself a stranger
Lucy.Afarensis: FUN !!!

HG Addresses

Magnolia Mountain resort by CelticMaiden Warrior    hg.osgrid.org:80:celtic sanctuary

Black History Commemorative Museum         login.digiworldz.com:8002:Keng City