Enough Already!

I know - you're sick of seeing that second life picture each time you visit my blog....

sorry about that :)

This blog will return to its usually scheduled programming now. I hope.

Second Life

Sunshine Therapy Garden, Second Life
[RL = real life, SL = second life]

In the past few weeks I have been exploring something known as "Second Life". It is certainly an interesting new world... However, there has been much debate about Second Life - at all sorts of levels.

First, a brief description: (or look it up on Wikipedia). Second Life is an online world where you exist as an "avatar". This avatar can be dressed up and made to look however you wish. So if you want muscles, you can have them. If you want pretty clothes, no problems. If you wish to look like Barbie, you can (although I'm not sure why you'd bother).

Taking this a step further, then. Once you look how you want to look, you can also do whatever you want to do. Second Life is limited only by your imagination. Perhaps you can begin to see what the problems might be? In fact, some people begin to live their Second Life at a great cost to their real life (known as RL in Second Life jargon).

The next complication in Second Life is money - surprise, surprise. You buy and sell using Linden currency, which you can earn (there are various lucrative trades in Second Life) or buy (using real money). So now you can use your hard-earned RL dollars to buy imaginary SL clothes, shoes, jewellery and so on. If you have enough money and join up as a paying member (which is not compulsory), you can buy land. Once you own land, you can build.

I have been exploring Second Life for only a few weeks, and already I can see the allure of buying Linden currency. So far, I've gotten by without it, picking up free stuff and visiting places that truly interest me (there's a very nice elven island that I like). But that's because I'm trying to be true to who I am in RL.

Mind you, I quite enjoy trying out new outfits in SL. I also like chatting to people from all around the world (including a surprising number of Dutch people). I don't like feeling an obligation to these people that means I leave my RL family in the cold. On balance, I suspect that it's hard for people to find a good balance between RL and SL. The whole idea of recreating yourself is very alluring. But I prefer to develop the person I am in the real world, an even more challenging and rewarding adventure!

My Dream Bookshop

I would love to run a secondhand/new bookshop, if I could do it for pleasure rather than to make money. My ideal bookshop would be a beautiful, peaceful place with hidden nooks and inspiring art and music. I would offer a full computerised catalogue of the available books, as well as a notification service for customers' wish lists. I would love to set it up as a glassed-in studio in a rainforest-like area. Part of its charm and eccentricity would be the fact that it's off the beaten track, so that it becomes a destination of its own. Comfortable chairs are a must, of course!

Each section would have its own theme - perhaps even set up in the layout of a home, with a "kitchen" for cooking books, a "workshop" for home improvement books, a "rumpus room" for children's books, a "home office" for computer books, a "greenhouse" for gardening books, a "cellar" for historical books, and so on. Some books would be mingled together in unexpected ways (such as novels scattered in suitable non-ficiton areas, as well as in their 'proper' spots). I would offer gift vouchers and gift wrapping. There would be interesting displays and information for book-lovers (about book groups, local libraries, websites and so on). I would invite authors to give talks and autograph their books. Beautiful journals and pens might also be available for journal-keepers.

Perhaps some form of food would be available, and certainly drinks (not too expensive). There could be a selection of carefully-chosen book-themed gift items as well, such as bookends or particularly beautiful bookmarks or artworks.

Camping

During the heavy rains recently, Christopher and Catherine went camping - in our lounge room. We moved the dining table out, rolled back the rug, and put down a tarp. Then the kids brought in their sleeping bags, a camp stove, cooking supplies and a "fire pit" (with candles). Their campsite faced out of the windows towards the bush and trees.
They spent ages playing games together. At night, they cooked their own dinner on the gas stove. The fire pit was lit when it got dark, and it looked very cosy indeed. This was so much easier than putting up a tent, but still a lot of fun. I'm guessing they will ask to go camping again next time it rains for days on end.... even though the clean-up was a bit of work afterwards :)

Brilliant Bookshelves

Those of you who read Catherine's post about the bookshelves will already know that, alas, there was a tiny hiccough. I thought it was high time for an update, because Garry has done a totally beautiful job on the shelves. Here are the before and after pics...

Before...
After...
In this shot you can just see the kitchen to the left and the laundry to the right...