Tango in Second Life

Is it possible to be abandoned and controlled at the same time? I don’t know, but the other night I went to a tango club with my friend Boye Jervil, and if anything can create that kind of feeling, it must be the tango.

The Tango in Second Life sim, owned by  Adolfh Gustafson, replicates a tango dance hall, or milonga.

Depending on your mood, you can kick up your heels (literally) inside the intimate club, up on the roof, or outside in the garden.

 The music is fantastic, non-stop classic tango, and more than anything this creates the atmosphere of passion, sensuality and mystery (I’m sure it is no coincidence that the Masterpiece Mystery theme music is a tango).

The tango itself emerged in the 19^th century and was originally danced by partners of the same gender, as a kind of competition. In 2009 the tango was declared to be a part of the world’s cultural heritage by UNESCO. So if you are a culture vulture or just want to have fun with some friends, Tango in Second Life is a great place to try.

Hibiscus Hastings

Old Europe Market Fair

Old Europe is holding a Market Fair from the 18th to the 31st March. There will be a great assortment of designer stalls to browse with some lovely bargains to be had. There will also be special events including a pajama party on March 23 at 6pm SLT, sponsored by Plowwies, with live music from the wonderful jazz singer Shasta Soulstar. I've been honoured by having my own stall there and I popped over to set it up today, the site looks fantastic already. Don't miss out on all the events, for further information contact Up4Dawes, Monica Zemnis or Rux Anatra.

Janey Bracken

Second Anniversary of Sarah's SKB Astrodroids Store

SKB Astrodroids is a very successful SL business owned by SarahKB7 Koskinen and this February Sarah celebrates the second anniversary of the opening of her great store. Sarah, who specialises in making robots, is very talented indeed, the detail in her work is just astounding. To celebrate the anniversary Sarah has opened up four mini sims displaying themed scenes based on the Star Wars films. You can find the teleport pad just inside Sarah’s store, and she kindly showed me around the exhibition. The scenes were really well done and fans of sci fi and the Star Wars films would love it for a bit of role-play, or just to have a look around. Sarah admits she doesn’t really role-play herself, but loves looking around other sci-fi sims. She also enjoys making some fun things as well, she once took on the task of building London’s Tower Bridge, and I can tell you she did a brilliant job. I asked Sarah why she liked science fiction so much, she told me “Because sci-fi is about expanding the imagination. Its geeky, but I don’t mind that.” Sarah as some lovely outfits too and she definitely has her own style, her avatar is eye-catching and a bit different to the usual fashionable, but a little more boring designs found in SL. SKB Astrodroids proves that you can run a successful SL business and I can only say that Sarah provides quality and good customer service. Go and see her exhibition, which will be running till the end of February. Congratulations Sarah on your 2nd Anniversary.

Janey Bracken

Beautiful Ponderosa Ranch

If you fancy a bit of horse trekking, you couldn’t do better than visiting the Ponderosa Ranch by Serenah Raynier Creations. If you haven’t got your own horse you can get a free one by clicking on the saddle which you will find at the side of the path (turning left from the teleport welcome area). The sim itself is stunning, beautifully laid out and not too tricky to guide the horse along the open paths. I went over to have a look with friend Drax Ember and we had a lovely time exploring. Serenah has put a lot into the sim, the wild flowers, grasses and pretty trees along the way are very real looking. You can trek up over the hills and across a viaduct where you will be caught in a misty shower of rain, be careful of the crumbling road though as you cross over it.

You can buy horses at the Ponderosa, follow the sign to the store and the stables are on the right with the store directly in front of you. There are lots of nice things in the store as well and it’s worth taking a look. We loved the ranch and had a great time there, I can recommend it as a ‘must see’ on your list of places to visit.

Janey Bracken

An Octopus's Garden In The Shade!

Ever wanted to dance under the ocean and swim with the fishes whilst you listen to some great music? well now you can! I dived under the waves yesterday to visit Oceanus, a fantastic water-world venue for live music. The setting is truly amazing, you are surrounded by sea life and coral as the singers take centre stage in a sparkling pavilion. The club is owned by Tia Foxtrot and Remy Farman. Both Remy and Tia sang live for us with a lovely range of songs from Remy's version of 'Always on My Mind' to Tia's 'Crazy' and 'Stupid Cupid'. It was great fun and the club has a lovely relaxed atmosphere.

I think Oceanus will be a big success and I'm looking forward to going back soon!

Janey Bracken

A Touch of the Blarney Stone is Very Welcome!

There seems to be a lot of new people arriving in SL right now, all those new computers for Christmas I would imagine, and a great place to meet people in the virtual world is in SL Dublin. Dublin has stood the test of time and has been one of SL's success stories for quite a while. The ever popular Blarney Stone Pub is usually packed out with people dropping in for a chat, a dance or attending the many live events they have on there. I stopped in for a glass of wine and met Boris the bar cat. Boris is very friendly and came and stood by me purring away. Casey, who was drinking in the pub, told me that Boris even has his own bedding on the bricks behind the bar! As I stood there chatting people began dancing to the great Irish music being streamed in, it was a warm and inviting place to be.

Janey Bracken