Monday, January 5, 2009

More on Newbies








Newbies found at Mill Pond

Was I too hard on Newbies? Oh Mariko, remember where you came from and where you have been. After all, you were a newbie once too. I called them 'Horrid Creatures'. Well, they are in appearance. To get photographic evidence, I went out to Mill Pond in search of newbies. Outside of Orientation Island and places offering perverted sex, Mill Pond is the best place to find newbies. Mill Pond's Open Latte attracts those newbies in search of a coffee houses. So when you look at the posted pictures, remember that Mill Pond attracts a better class of newbies and their appearance are a cut above the average. To add some perspective, I'm standing next to a newbie in the top picture (for you jokers, I'm on the right). Are they horrid? I rest my case.

But behind every newbie is a beating heart. On my photography mission at Mill Pond, I encountered a newbie named Justin. He had hair slicked back and so stiff that it looked like it consumed a whole can of cheap hairspray. Justin also has an oversized head, pitiful hound dog eyes, and an absurd little goatee on his chin. I just had to get his picture (the picture on the bottom). But Justin was walking and exploring Mill Pond at a fast clip in that ridiculous hippity-hopping newbie walk. He wouldn't stop and pause long enough for me to take a picture. I was chasing him up and down all over Mill Pond trying to get a shot. Exasperated, I finally shouted, "Justin! Stop walking and stand still." Justin immediately obeyed. I'm very commanding. But then again, what guy wouldn't stop walking when a pretty girl shouts out his name.

Justin turned out to be a sweet guy. Of course, we chatted about where we were from and what we do in real life, and I also asked him about his impressions of Second Life and whether he intended to stay. He really had not seen much of Second Life and had discovered Open Latte while doing a search for coffee houses (naturally). But he wasn't sure about having a virtual life as real life was better, he said. I told him of course real life should be better and second life should never be a substitute for it, that would be unhealthy. But SL can be an extention of one's self and an opportunity to meet and socialize with a diverse array of people and to explore one's and other's creativity. I suggested we go to Opar, my sim and estate, where I would give him a personal tour. People who visit Opar always comment on its exceptional loveliness, and I wanted to show Justin what was possible in a virtual life. I guided him through my Italianate villa with its courtyards, patios, and formal rose garden. We walked the fields of wild flowers, traversed the hidden forest, and went up into the snowy mountains of Opar. We spent a long moment watching the ocean crash on the rocks of Opar's wild shore, which he found magnificent and awesome. I ended the tour at my picture gallery where I have hung portraits of my dearest friends in SL. He seemed enchanted with all he saw. I hope that I sparked a desire in Justin to experience more of Second Life. Perhaps, in time, I may find that this ugly duckling will have transformed into a swan.
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