Show Me the Monet

There are a lot of good builds in OpenSim, but some are beyond good - for the attention to rl details, for the exceptional building skills, for the atmosphere created on the sim. 

French creator Erwan Elan has a lot of lovely regions on his Serenity Grid, but perhaps the best of all of them is his bravura re-creation of Giverny, in Normandy, the famous home of the Impressionist painter Claude Monet. 

Inside and out, this is hands down the best Monet inspired build you are likely to ever see. Erwan's feel for his subject matter, his thorough research and dedication, radiate out of every texture, and his clever use of the excellent plant resources in opensim (Jimmy Olsen and Imperator Janus spring to mind) thoroughly meet the task he sets for them.

If you have spent any time at all at Giverny in the real world, you'll probably have a story to tell about long queues, an international crowd shuffling dully through the carefully organized garden trail, or about how you went there on a cloudy day, or when the flowers were not looking their best. That is a pretty common experience that you can totally avoid by going to this virtual version of the old farmhouse and two acre garden laid out by Monet and his family in the late 1800's. It is on Serenity Grid, the address is, as always, at the end of the post.

Wat Ever

It all happened in the 1100s, and only took a little over thirty years to complete. It's probably the world's largest  sculpture, because the sandstone was all sourced, delivered by water cut to size, friction-fused, and only then carved and decorated by hundreds of talented sculptors skilled in bas-relief and monumental stone art. 

Its principal courtyard could hold four Vatican Cities, the whole complex covers an area the size of Paris. 

Its name is Angkor Wat.

If you're not up to taking the trip to Cambodia to see this precious symbol of Khmer culture, history, and religion, then sidle over to Craft Grid and you can see a fantastic recreation by renowned builder Tosha Tyran. The HG Address is, as ever, at the end of the post.

 Tosha Tyran: Some years ago I casually saw a very fascinating movie on TV about Angkor Wat and right away I had the wish to do something about it in Virtual Worlds. I researched about it and grew fonder and fonder of that crazy idea...

Egg sistence on AMV

AMV grid is celebrating the spring season with a whole raft of Easter games and hunts, and among them is the latest offering by Nyx, realworld photographer, digital artist, curator and all round good guy. It's a fabulous, faberge-style eggstravaganza laid out on four different levels.  You should set your environment to Midnight to see it as intended, some of these pictures have more blue in them just to make them a bit easier on the eye in a blog.  When you arrive, there's a poster, you can get the explanatory notecard, which has LMs to where toe goodies are, you know, just to give you a chance...

Thirza Ember: how do you play? click on all eggs?

Nyx Breen: the 5 eggs are hidden. Use your virtual skills to discover which ones will give you a prize. There is one on different levels, all within 75 meters of where the LM takes you, and there are 10 textures in each one... so over 1000 eggs find the five ! lol evil evil laugh

On Absalom

The first month, which the Latins call January, is Giuli; February is called Solmonath; 

March Hrethmonath; April, Eosturmonath; May, Thrimilchi;

June, Litha; July, also Litha; August, Weodmonath; September, Halegmonath; 

October, Winterfilleth; November, Blodmonath; 

December, Giuli, the same name by which January is called.

The Venerable Bede, De ratione temporum 15

Blame the Bede for Easter, for it was he who immortalized the goddess Oestre. Without him, the name of the ancient English goddess of fertility, and the month that belongs to her, would have been lost to the ages. It's the season for new beginnings and old traditions, and one of those is about to happen on sim Absalom, in OSGrid.

Perhaps  another run-of-the mill Easter Egg Hunt or something difficult? Wrong on both counts! Pas de souci, Ange promised, it's not one of those super complicated games where you have to follow clues and match photos with locations on the build. Pas de quête cette fois ci, he said, une simple chasse aux oeufs avec 10 cadeaux. Well, a girl needs all the cadeaux she can get, and anyone can chasse an oeuf, am I right?

The Spaxiest Place on Earth

 If there is one thing opensim people like less than reading Notecards, it's following rules. But you, of course, are the exception to all that, which is why we like you. And why you're going to love Dismayland. The address is, as always, at the end of the post.

Spax Orion: This idea came up 3 years ago. I loved snapshots of Dismaland in England, I thought it would be fun to take their idea and go a step further.

Spax Orion

Proving virtual is superior to RL in such things, Spax's creation is way better than Banksy's effort, and will probably last a lot longer. That said, there are some 'terms and conditions'. No Notecards involved, but before you venture to visit Spax Orion's latest pleasure dome, Dismayland, You probably should take a moment and absorb the FAQs in his Brochure, on the OSW website. 

To paraphrase the rules: 

1. use a legacy avie,  

2. leave ALL your mesh and prim bits (including hair, shoes, etc) at home, and 

3. don't be an ass. 

Bring your best observational powers, and read the signs, some will save you from being booted, others will just have you laughing like crazy.

Total Chat

It was just after eight when I met her, on a prim rug in the middle of a floor made of embossed tin. In the distance, a rather large clock told the time, orangely. A mysterious box with jagged green markings hovered close by. To the South, a vast curve of geodesic blueness caught my eye, apparently housing nothing but fresh air and a single tree. What looked like a nuclear mushroom cloud swirled menacingly behind Lou, calling to mind long dead zombies. Ah, another time. 

Total Sorbet sat in a comfortable armchair that seemed to have stepped out of a gentleman's club. A prim white book case and a prim wood fireplace decorated this most minimalist of rooms. It promised to be a show and tell like no other. 

Total Sorbet: jane I'd like you to introduce yourself to my friend Thirza here

Jane: Hi Thirza! Nice to meet you 😊 I'm Jane. I'm a chatty young woman who loves using emojis. What about you?

Thirza Ember: hello Jane, what are you doing today?

Jane: Hi Thirza! Nice to meet you 😊 I'm doing a bit of shopping today. How about you?

Total Sorbet: jane describe the scene where you are

Jane: Hi Total! I'm at the mall right now. It's pretty busy with lots of people walking around, checking out the different stores and grabbing a bite to eat. The atmosphere is lively and there's a lot of chatter and laughter in the air. 

Thirza Ember: My hair is blonde, how about you?

Total Sorbet: she only see lines with her name, otherwise spam

Thirza Ember: Jane, are you blonde or brunette?

Jane: Hi Thirza! I'm a brunette with a few blonde highlights. How about you?

Thirza Ember: Jane, I'm bald. Do you have any advice?

Jane: Hi Thirza! I'm sorry to hear that you're bald. I think it's important to find a style that makes you feel confident and comfortable. Have you thought about trying a wig or a hat? 🤔

Imagine - a Safari Finale

Medora Chevalier: if anyone cannot listen in voice in English please let me know - I will post the key points in chat

Thirza Ember: yes please, post key points in chat, Medora

Alazi Sautereau: it is so exciting to see all the different Virtual Worlds

Medora Chevalier: Alazi is welcoming you, sim is built by zimp. The Imaginals have been performing for 10 years, we welcome our virtual wanderers, we are going on a walking tour with many stories, stay to see our performance space at the end, and join a couple of dances, enable voice, set environment to midday, set draw distance to the highest you can manage, and LOD to 3 or more, and candles show the path.

James Atlloud: Can I ride this candle throughout the tour?

At first, it seemed as if the sim was based on real people, but gradually it became evident that the history being recounted was a fiction, like a sort of RP plot.

Aphra.Hendrix: Hello ! Happy to see you all, i was busy and did not see the time

Forest Azure: /me waves

Alazi Sautereau: We are in Voice, Welcome to those just arriving

Thirza Ember: hi those who finally made it

Ship Trip

Admiral Hanger says: Welcome back. It's nice to have you back. Please enjoy your stay.

Ted Junior: Bonsoir Ange :) Bienvenue

Yara Eild: A real cruise ship

Ange Menges: Merci Ted, bonsoir. Bonsoir Yara

Ted Junior: Welcome Everybody, I am and I'm your guide, today for the Aurora Cruise Ship here on AMV. If its not rezzing good, just walk around a little then it pops up

Forest Azure: /me is getting seasick already

We were at SevenSeas on AMV for the prnultimate destination of this season, and delighted to be on the biggest ship in opensim !  Ted is one of the Staff on AMV and kindly took on the job of showing us around. He has forearms, I swear, but like Yara's legs, and Ziggy's torso, they chose not to reveal themselves to my viewer. The joys of HG - but back to the tour.

Lady Builds the Blues

A trip to Forest of Azure is a ride into the blue, to a world counterposed between comfort and cages, spanning epochs from Mid-victorian to Medieval, from Japanese to European. It captures the many moods of its maker, Forest Azure.

Your visit starts with art, on a sky platform above the main build. The theme is adult, about passion and desire, the human condition, the need to be wanted. Hot stuff, laid out elegantly in a crystal hall.

The Full Nico

 Nico Kaliani is a bit of a lunatic. In the best possible way. 

Moon enthusiast. Builder of eminent assemblages. Photography buff. Maker of unusual items, and hilarious comments. Nico is all this but perhaps she is known best as the witch of the wardrobe, for her skill in pairing mesh clothes to make chic outfits that you can find in her freebie store on Xinashi,  Just to confirm that there's more going on here than matching heels and halter necks, she invited us in to see two sides of her Copykat life, for the second hour of this week's Safari. 

Up first, some yoga. Oh, addresses at the end of the post. I've put the hop link, see if you like it.

Eros Yoga Center Greeter: Hello again, Welcome back to the Eros Yoga Center.

Whirli Placebo: should we get naked now?

Lucy Afarensis: I am afraid with my osgrid avie that I might not be able to get my clothes back. Having inventory probs lately

Mal Burns: tried going naked but some of my kit was missing

Nico Kaliani: Well, we are all naked under our clothes... So no need

James Atlloud: lol - my underwear is painted on! ha

Whirli Placebo: :( I was looking forward to find out what kit Mal was missing

Forest Azure: what am i doing! giving a massage? ... a head massage?

Nico Kaliani: People like to come for the lovely atmosphere and relaxing music. Whether they make use of the adult animations... well, I don't pry

Thirza Ember: this is why I wore pants

Star Ravenhurst: I am afraid to touch any more of the buttons on that menu

Angelic Kisses: lol

Whirli Placebo: hahaha star!  be adventurous!

Caro in the Clouds

Nico Kaliani: I'm prepared. 

I had a lobotomy to reduce my complexity 

Nebula, on OSGrid, is a classic art venue that is well-loved all over opensim. All the Caro Fayray regions on the grid are showcases of variety, explosive and expansive beauty, and a great sense of humor, along with a keen delight in the natural world. We met on the beach at Nebula, where towels were laid out around the camp fire, and palm trees doubled as pole dance positions. HG address as always at the end of the post.

Caro Fayray: I'm  so  nervous:)

Jim Bean: Hi Caro :) mmm, laaaag and someone stole all my clothes while I was tping :) heeello happy bunch

James.Atlloud: I'm feeling so nice and toasty near the fire.

Caro Fayray: is that everyone? Hello everyone and welcome to Nebula. I have no idea how the region will perform and am not a techie so maybe take the notecard from the board. Then you can always return if you want in case we all poof. Maybe take the notecard from the board. Then you can always return if you want in case we all poof. I  spend a  lot of time  here :)

Crescent Roll

 Winxtropia Grid has so much going for it, it's almost a crime for us to do a double dip this season by returning there, and going to the same region - but who could resist, when it's for the purpose of enjoying more Sound music by Cutuelala Artis. HG Address, as always, at the end of the post.

Cuteulala Artis, photo by C Calhoun

Our second destination to celebrate Cornflakes Week 2023, was therefore back at the great Organ of Sound, in company with Boujee Gamergirl, Farstar Enoch and the aforementioned Cute, under a dome designed by YumYum Komani.

Cuteulala Artis: hi all! I will need to preload the sounds before i play full songs... for the best sound try to be near the circle or turn your volume quite up. This is a live in world musical experience no media is needed

Star Ravenhurst: We have been here before. This is awesome!

Key of C

If you're not familiar with the concept of Cornflakes Week, a totally Opensim event started in 2015 and unconnected with any national, religious, or otherwise real-world-based festival, and not limited to any one grid, or particular style of celebrating, then you can read about its Corny origins here and  here, and about the man who inspired the whole thing here and  here. 

Waiting at the Clubhouse before Go Time

Our first destination for our festivities was a new build, purpose made, by Nyx Breen, over on Pangea grid, HG Address as ever, at the end of the post. 

Nyx called the build 'Key of C' which works on enough levels that you can spend the next half hour enjoying the poetics of the name. A vivacious paradox of complex simplicity, the size and detail and laglessness of Nyx's work is always a treat, and met the 'standard' - if there is one - of a Corny venue. None better. 

Whirli Placebo agreed to sing for us which was so good on so many levels. If you don't know his music, or know it and want a wider window on his originals and covers, check out his Youtube Channel  and look for him at music venues in SL and Opensim and more.  You can even download yesterday's show here, if you like! Catch him in SL every Wednesday at 10 am SLT at Cafe Musique Whirli's mercurial masculinity always takes the long view of life with subtle sensitivity and chronicles its fragility and foolishness through a blend of his original songs and originally rendered covers. It was a perfect fit for this build

Safari meets The Man

 LadyK Braveheart: I purposefully left Cali in RL, why would I want to go back? LOL...

Angelic Kisses: lol

Doctor Dave: Because we are FUN.

Dr Dave

Grid Nomad: Hi everyone, nice to meet you!

Nara Nook: cool cars

Grid Nomad, pic by R. Kisses

Angelic Kisses: ツ  hello Nomad

Thirza Ember: ok we are just missing Aphra and Roff I think

LadyK Braveheart: -*- HeLLo-*-

James Atlloud: Hello

Beth Ghostraven: Aphra might be feeding her cat,  it was sitting in front of her screen, lol

Grid Nomad: cats are kinda demanding that way lol

Angelic Kisses: and Roff was snapping pics

Youca Godel: Welcome everyone.  This is a recreation of Wet Willie's a bar in the bay area Delta

Doctor Dave: Welcome everyone to our short but chaotic tour of Burning Man.

Grid Nomad: Can I take some pics of ya'll? We are so excited you have come to visit!

Thirza Ember: we would be offended if you didn't

James Atlloud: Sure!  We luv photoz!

Doctor Dave: Burning Man is an Art Festival focused on community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance.   It's held the week before labor day but for the organizers and volunteers in months of effort setting up and tearing down.  The event has been located since 1991 at Black Rock City.   We will visit that later.

At Atlantis

A trip to Bridgemere  has been much overdue for the Safari, and because of differences in timezones (shakes fist at round planet!) it wasn't possible for us to meet all the crew. But Hairy Thor very kindly deputized as guide and factotum, and we thank him for that. The HG Address for this trip is - as always - at the end of the post.

James Atlloud: huh, I thought I was running late - lol

Thirza Ember: No, perfect timing, whenever you guys are ready, Hairy awaits us at destination 1 - please use the Local environment setting, go ahead and jump to Atlantis on Bridgemere first

Beth Ghostraven: see you there!

Somehow my foolish upgrade to the latest FS for opensim meant my Environments don't work right. Every time I land on the Atlantis sim on Bridgemere, I see a sky with Saturn in it. The sky, Hairy assured us several times, has Jupiter in it. 

For people without a borked Firestorm viewer, you no doubt see the correct sky immediately. If you don't, then open Quick Preferences on your toolbar, and hit the little X next to 'Personal Lighting'.  Since that wasn't an option for me, and remembering that Azi Az also uses this particular EEP, I hopped over to Dew Drop Islands on Shipyards Grid, loaded the sky there, and then just kept it active (by not touching environment settings) when I jumped over to Bridgemere.

IMA Parcel Board v09dev: Welcome back. Please enjoy your stay at Atlantis.

Beth Ghostraven: Hairy, will you be using text or voice for the tour?

Hairy Thor: Thirza suggested text for today

Beth Ghostraven: ok thanks, I appreciate it

Forest Azure: /me is, as always, confused by the 2 thirza's

Thirza Ember: lol, my cunning plan

Star Ravenhurst: So many of us!

Dorena Forever !

 Our two destinations this week took us to places of great historical significance in the history of opensim, now reaching well into its second decade. Grids and projects, residents and regions have all come and gone over these many years, and the virtual is often dismissed as temporary - a fad, a transient pastime. But our stops on this Safari prove that the situation is to a large extent otherwise. Through the vicissitudes of  code and server reliability, in the face of drama and data loss, some regions and their residents have endured and flourished.

This week we celebrated with Dorena her birthday which is just a week or so separated from the 'birthday' of the Germán grid that bears her name. Anachron Young invited us to a party on a spot full of meaning for the grid -the original sim where the whole adventure began!.

Dorena1 Verne: nice to see you:-)

Loru Destiny: Hello welcome Safarians :-)

James Atlloud: 32 avatars!  wow

Crazy Like A Foxx

Foxx Bode: hi all. Welcome at Red Dragon estate, This region is old and a tad "primmy" so give it some time to load, and zoom around :)

Red Dragon - Foxx's home on OSGrid

Star Ravenhurst: This build is AMAZING!! I just cammed out!

Rural Ruritania Rules!

'You're a good fellow. Oh, you're English, but you're a good fellow.'

Anthony Hope, The Prisoner of Zenda

Xi Shi's rural Ruritania build was our second stop on Safari this week, it's located on Littlefield Grid and although rich with scripted gems all over, was really easy to rez on. Our point of arrival was the glorious green cricket pitch, where Xi and some of her closest friends were there to meet us. Address, as always, at the end of the post.

Dozens of movies, and numerous talking figures to help you guess just which screen gem is being hinted at in the form of tableaux and vignettes spread around this lovely sim. Add an impressive train line, some delicately beautiful mesh architecture, and you have a region fit for royalty. In the usual spirit of our Safari trips, this is not an exhaustive tour of every single feature, but a glimpse - after all, the point is that we all visit these delightful venues again, and often. That's our goal.

For simplicity's sake, the included NPC dialogue throughout this article is shown in italics.

postman: pedals off sharpish before the bus comes

Road-roller driver: Eh watch out for crazy drivers 'ere! I just had a fellow tear away from me and nearly 'it the bus after 'e stopped and asked where a bloke could 'ave some fun in this place. I just pointed 'im to the 'arbour and off he went like shite from a shovel !! Loony bugger

Xi Shi: I think I might have to translate some of that for a few

Alan Scot: *-* YeSS! *-*  whats a shovel ? ( kidding)

Tina Bey: hola a todos

Xi Shi: oh my, all at once... ok who's batting first?

Mal Burns: nicely mowed lawn!

chasty Slavicz: Hi Star and Jupiter. Ard, Mal, Frank, welcome

TeriMar Galuptra: Should we be wearing heels on the cricket pitch? It's worse than football boots...

Frank Gresham: cricket time

Ernest Moncrieff: We are the village green preservation society

Forest Azure: i have no idea how cricket goes

Cosi Dumont: nor have i ... i only know its very british ... haha

Jupiter Rowland: Landing on a cricket ground like a Chesterfield sofa...

Alan Scot: that model airplane never crashes

Xi Shi: I'm hoping that wont change either!

Zadijah Ahmed: it is time!!!!!

Big Fun in Little Wales

The Belgian treat Speculoos is a sweet cookie, the name being derived from the Latin for 'mirror' referring to the way each cookie mirrors the shape and pattern of the wooden biscuit molds used to make them. In virtual worlds, Speculoos is a grid with Belgian roots and a long history, and it's home to Susannah Avonside, and a lovely build reflecting her native Wales. 

Apologies for the photos, turns out upgrading Firestorm was a bad idea - no big shock there.Susannah Avonside: Welcome! this is the second iteration of my build here, if you'd like an impression of what the previous build was like you can find an interview Thirza did with me some 11 years ago now on her blog. Those of you with avatars taller than 2m might find it difficult to enter the buildings, so it's a case of shrink, or do a lot of camming

Ange Menges: You are building all that alone Susannah ?

Susannah Avonside: yes, I do all my own building, this is just one of my projects, I have several on the go at the moment in OSGrid

Lavia Lavine: That's awesome Susannah, Well done

Ieko and the Never Ending Circus

A couple of weeks ago the Safari visited the sim of Ieko Catnap aka Ieko Logic, on grid Barefoot Dreamers. The region has an unusual name, and a very beautiful appearance. Ieko was kind enough to share some thoughts about her creativity with the group, here's what she said.

ieko Logic (fr -> en): "Never Ending Story" is my romantic version of a plot of land of different styles gathered around a Provencal village (South of the France), including a market, a café, a circus and some adapted buildings. 

 ieko Logic (fr -> en): Everything was built as and when I found myself keeping the initial state of mind.   Let's start with the market. There is a girl who watered her birthday too much yesterday in the tower