Bodhi Island is, as one would hope, serene. What one might not expect, however, is that it's also full of little hidden mysteries. I spent longer there than I'd originally intended, on the tip Claude Couture sent me. I've got a gallery of images here, and it's the largest gallery I've yet devised, but there's still so much more to see! Don't forget to leave a donation, and visit the related website here. I bless the Buddha nature of you all!
Unfortunately for most of you, Imogen is invitation-only, so you won't be able to check this out for yourselves, but that's why this blog exists! This wonderful build is based on the Golden Gate Bridge in RL San Francisco, and was constructed by On the Inside collaborator Saeya Nyanda.
Seeing this bridge in SL made me feel the same way I did when I saw it for the first time in RL; I couldn't believe I was seeing it. It's majestic, detailed, and wonderful, and I appreciate the skill involved in building it. To come: more Imogenian builds!
Noelyci Ingmann has no home, no plot of land in which to plant this wonderful build, and that's a shame. He invited me recently to take a walk through his observatory and I took photos. Noelyci is offering this build on SLExchange for 4800L. From the listing: "Each compass rose has different things that can happen. The top floor reveals a codex if you click the diamond and the codex itself has particles that respond to touch. The middle floor has a ring of torches that are revealed by clicking the diamond. The bottom floor will turn into a tub if you click the ring and then the blue button on the stone next to it."
I've got photos, check 'em out! Noelyci would also like it known that he's looking for someone to host this build on their land in exchange for the build itself. Anyone?
I have always loved castles. The feeling of being enclosed in the stone walls of a vast medieval keep is without compare. The amplified, echoing sounds of footsteps, the howling of the wind through the open spaces, the comforting weight of the entire edifice conspire to produce in me something rare: a feeling of true peace.
I found all this and more in Kasteel Verloren, created by Versu Richlieu. I won't give away too much in the photos, as it's much more fun to explore on your own. Great Build, Versu!
One of the more welcome signs that Spring is approaching is the budding of Cherry Blossoms. This year is no different, as you can see here. Some areas distinguish themselves with their intricate buildings, some with their activities, some merely for their simple elegance. This is one of the latter.
Showtime's The L Word is now an island in SL, with a detailed recreation of the Planet, the nightclub familiar to fans of the cable series. I spent some time there and get a few shots of the interior.
Future events will include show discussions, special dance events, screenings of past episodes, and weekly chats with cast members. Even if you've never seen the show, go visit the build; it's a great place to hang out!
It's currently Winter in Seasons Alter, and there's a preternatural stillness to everything. The crystals at the center of the stone circle reflect the sky palely, and the runes half-buried in the snow are frosted over with a light glaze of ice. The trees standing sentinel give off a spiritual warmth, despite their skeletal appearance.
This is a land accustomed to change. One feels the great Axis Mundi slowly turning beneath and above, shifting the weather toward the next inevitable stage. The lesson here is clear: love it or loathe it, appreciate what's before you, for soon it will be gone.
As I stood before the entrance of the hedge maze, I was reminded of a trick once told to me by a fellow adventurer: Keep one hand to a wall, and you will eventually find your way out. This maze looked simple enough, however, belying the need for such cheats. In fact, it looked too simple.
Suppose there were hidden traps? Perhaps there was a minotaur hiding somewhere? What if the maze walls shifted while I was walking it? This, for some reason, reminded me of another clever bit: How far can one walk into a forest? Halfway; after that, one is walking out.
Very early on in my time in Second Life, I stumbled across the Japanese gardens in Albion, made by Kei Mars. I'd had a confusing and hectic time, and I was exploring and looking for a quiet place to think and generally take stock. This was the place.
When the world gets to be too much, I find my way here. This was one of my special 'alone time' places. A place where a wolfie could rest his weary ol' bones, and take a nap. The air is redolent with the sweet scents of drying sap and exotic flowering buds. It's always slightly cool, and the steady droplets of water provide a soothing counterpoint to the chaos that sometimes engulfs my head.
Incidentally, it was here that I was interviewed for the blogging position, which was my way of ensuring that I'd get the job. This is a Sacred Spot. Find it if you can.
There's something creepy about an abandoned area, where things that have obviously seen use continue to wait for habitation. Gnosis park is such a place. My understanding is that it's an area wherein a resident can watch old horror films, but when I arrived, I saw no projection screen, only the rusting hulks of abandoned cars.
In fact, the entropy is so complete, I wonder: what happened here? Could this have been the scene of a horrific accident, or murder? Why are some items still evident, yet others completely missing? Who lived in the houses on the hill? Was this once a thriving community, with movies running every night?
Whatever it was, it's all gone now, leaving behind a quiet, restive area where one can enjoy a day of contemplation, having a lunch on the edge of the precipice. Or sitting in one of the decaying shells of the cars that face outward, pointing lights toward some unknown past, illuminating nothing.
Just like real life, I don't know how I ended up in the Hobo Railroad; life just conspired with fate to send me there. Regardless, I was glad I'd arrived; it's a beautiful build. Perhaps not beautiful in the classical sense, but evocative, and moody.
I don't know much about SL's Hobo Railroad, but I definitely felt a vibe walking around the area. The few residents (a word which had then taken on a different meaning) I saw ignored me, as I imagine is the case regardless of who may suddenly appear. People mind their own business there; it was an indifference not of exclusion, but of practicality.
The colors and shapes combined in ways to effect a definite emotional state, though I'd be hard-pressed to define what that state was: despair? lassitude? complacency? Whatever it was, it was almost attractive. I might visit the Railroad again. In the short time I spent there among the castoffs and ruins, I very nearly experienced Grace.
