Looking for Mr. Right

I have been crossed in love a number of times in SL. Recently I met an intruder to my apartment, and thought that he was THE ONE, but I was sadly mistaken. You can read about that on Janey’s blog (http://janeysplace.wordpress.com/2009/07/22/another-normal-night-at-cnn-and-a-visitor-calls/). Then the other day a friend im’d me starting off “Hi sweetheart”. That set my poor heart aflutter, but again, to no avail (and no veil), he had accidentally im’d me instead of his sweetheart. However, maybe third time’s a charm!

As with any good love story, it started off with a chance meeting. I was wandering SL with my friend Boye , when we arrived at a sim called Reno’s Whiskey Island, a nice tropical-themed kind of place, when who do I run into but Bob, my (potential) new man. Bob lives on Reno’s Whiskey Island. He patiently stands between the bar and the dance floor, responding to anyone who comes in for a chat. The key to getting him to talk is to call him “Bob”. Once you do that, there is no stopping him.

Hibiscus Hastings: Hi bob
BOB: Hello there.
Hibiscus Hastings: How are you Bob?
BOB: I am fine, thank you.
Hibiscus Hastings: What do you do here Bob?
BOB: My favorite activities are computer programming and surfing the web.
Hibiscus Hastings: That sounds like fun Bob
BOB: It sounds like it to me too.
Hibiscus Hastings: Do you like to dance Bob?
BOB: It's kind of hard without a body.
Hibiscus Hastings: oh dear, that is sad Bob
BOB: Ah.
Hibiscus Hastings: are you lonely then Bob?
BOB: No. I get to talk to people all the time.
Hibiscus Hastings: that's good Bob
BOB: That input matched my default category.
Hibiscus Hastings: really, what is your default category bob?
BOB: For real. The default category contains all my responses to inputs that do match any other category.
Hibiscus Hastings: right, sounds like you are prepared Bob
BOB: Understood. What does you are prepared like you are prepared are prepared like you are prepared sound like?
Hibiscus Hastings: pretty much what it sounds like bob
BOB: Now that is saying a mouthful.
Boye Jervil: that caught you out Bob
BOB: "" caught you out ?
Hibiscus Hastings: surprised you bob
BOB: Enough about me, let's talk about my dress.
Hibiscus Hastings: yes, a very nice dress Bob
BOB: OK. What size?
Hibiscus Hastings: do you have a girlfriend Bob
BOB: Valentina
Hibiscus Hastings: where is she Bob
Boye Jervil: you stand very still and don't Bob up and down
BOB: Thanks for telling me:
Hibiscus Hastings: where is Valentina bob?
BOB: Where the heart is.
Hibiscus Hastings: this is a romantic place for you and her Bob
BOB: What makes you say that?
Hibiscus Hastings: nice weather, cuddle poseballs, Bob
BOB: I'm happy as long as the power stays on.
Hibiscus Hastings: yes, me too bob
BOB: Groovy. I'm glad we agree, Hibiscus Hastings.
Hibiscus Hastings: thank you bob
BOB: you are quite welcome.
Boye Jervil: bob is quite the lad
BOB: I think so, but I'm not sure.
Hibiscus Hastings: that's what they all say Bob
BOB: When do you think artificial intelligence will replace lawyers?
Hibiscus Hastings: I thought it had Bob
BOB: Hibiscus Hastings had?
Hibiscus Hastings: no I didn't Bob
BOB: Are you serious? Thanks for the information
Hibiscus Hastings: very welcome Bob
BOB: Perhaps.
Hibiscus Hastings: yes, for sure Bob
BOB: Yippee! Awesome.
Hibiscus Hastings: I have to leave bob
BOB: Thanks for chatting, Hibiscus Hastings.
Hibiscus Hastings: thank you Bob, it was a pleasure
BOB: You are quite welcome!

To be honest, I am not sure Bob is cut out to be a romantic partner, or not mine anyway. He is a bot for one thing and he already has a girlfriend, Valentina. I would never want to come between two avatars. And since he doesn’t have a body that makes things like dancing a bit difficult and I love to dance! However if I ever need someone to talk to, Bob’s the one for me.

Hibiscus Hastings

Seeing Things

Those of us who have been in Second Life for any amount of time have experienced SL glitches. For instance, recently I have gotten little bits of old conversations sent to me in im's after I have logged off. Or there is the classic "typing" that we see, also in im, even though no one is typing. Sometimes avatars hang around after their owner has logged off. Most of us have had these experiences. However, the other day I discovered a new one.

Boye and I were out dancing when he commented on a woman who was upside down on a sofa, apparently dancing. But when I looked, she appeared to be dancing with her partner as one would expect. Maybe Boye is using a special Australian viewer. Fortunately we were able to take pictures to document this very odd happening. It makes you wonder sometimes how the rest of SL is seeing you! (no hair maybe?!)

If you look carefully in the third picture you can see the woman's partner off to the left, dancing alone.

Thank you to Boye Jervil for allowing me to use his photographs.

Hibiscus Hastings

Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places

The other day while going about my Second Life, I witnessed a couple of incidents showing how difficult communication can be, especially between men and women. The first occurred when I was out dancing with my friend Boye Jervil at a very nice jazz club. Nearby was another couple who had just met up and were getting to know each other. Mr. X was quite a newcomer to SL and not terribly familiar with the dances at the club. He was also not familiar with some of the other pitfalls of SL.

Mr X: would you like to choose the dance
Ms. Y: oh ill let you do the honors
Ms. Y: take a slow dance
(They begin to dance –HH)
Ms. Y: but this is nice :)
Mr. X: this is my second time at this club
Ms. Y: i haven been here a couple of times
Ms. Y: i think 5 or so
Mr. X: its loverly
Ms. Y: very
Ms. Y: this song is best for a slow nice one lol
Mr. X: is this dance working for you or do you want to change it
Ms. Y: change please to something slow
(Ms. Y seems anxious for a slow dance-HH)
Ms. Y: do u like this one? (meaning the dance-HH)
(She then comments on the dance-HH)
Ms. Y: u kissing my hand lol
(They continue dancing-HH)
Ms. Y: oh your kissing me
Ms. Y: lol
Mr. X: am i
(Mr. X, being relatively new, is not entirely sure what is taking place-HH)
Ms. Y: just look
Ms. Y: see?
Mr. X: well the avatar are getting along
Mr. X: *s
Ms. Y: and we?
Mr. x: look good so far
(Ms. Y begins to change her outfit, first putting on some wings-HH)
Ms. Y: woops
Mr. X: wings
(She continues to change, but appears to be having some trouble-HH)
Mr. X: something happened
Ms. Y: i dunno
Mr. X: i think these (there's-HH)been an error
Ms. Y: hold on
Ms. Y: can u see it>?
Mr. X: the wings yes and a black dress
Ms. Y: cool
Mr. X: thats better
(Ms. Y continues changing, as if searching for the perfect outfit in her inventory-HH)
Ms. Y: what tha!
Ms. Y: i got some greenish thing on.
(Mr. X takes a look at his partner and discovers something unexpected-HH)
Mr. X: whats goin on here
Ms. Y: lol
Ms. Y: im adjusting my clothes
Ms. Y: cause i like black
Mr. X: your looking like a man
(And a naked man at that, fortunately without attachments-HH)
Ms. Y: excuseme?
Mr. X: good bye wierdo
Ms. Y: OMG
Ms. Y: this was not on purpose!!!
Ms. Y: what the f***!
Ms. Y: what tha f***!!!
Ms Y: I was a girl!!! (not a lady -HH)
Ms. Y then disappeared, all the while protesting s/he was a girl.

Later on in the same day, I was in Hyde Park and witnessed the following conversation.

Mr. J: how much money to bet..to show boobs?
Ms. A: oh my
Ms. D: sod off
Ms. E: hahahaha
Mr. J: i bet 50$ what do u think?
Ms. A: I think you need to find somewhere else to be
Mr. J: okey
Mr. J: last offer 100$
Ms. A: and yet, he's still here
Mr. J: he who? (Mr. J appears unclear on the concept-HH)
Mr. J: okey
Mr. J: 500$....that my finnaloffer
Ms. D: *sighs*
Ms. A: pfft
Ms. E: omg and yoiure seriously 27? (they had previously discovered Mr. J was 27 –HH)
Ms. A: lol
Mr. J: yeahh
Ms. E: you act like a 12 year old
Ms. A: lol
Hibiscus Hastings: that's his IQ
Ms. A: lol
Mr. J: because im in virtual world
Ms. A: easy now E, maybe he's a virgin
Mr. J: hmmm
Ms. E: ohhhh ofcourse ( doh)
Mr. J: yeah
Ms. A: he doesn't know any better
Ms. A: lol
Ms. E: lol
Mr. J: im a virgin
Ms. A: kk
Mr. J: u not a virgin?
Ms. A: omg....
Mr. J: omg..
Ms. A: I can't take it, I'm going
Mr. J: sorry
(Ms. A begins to say her good-byes to her friends –HH)
Mr. J: i got to go also
(Ms. A’s friends try to convince her to stay, but RL was calling and Ms. A had to leave –HH)
Mr. J: go with sadnest (sadness –HH)
Ms. D: aww ok laters then bye:) (this was said by Ms. D to Ms. A)
Mr. J: in my heart
Ms. A: bye ladies
Mr. J: sadnest (sadness –HH) in my heart
Ms. D: you will have a pain in the backside if you don't stop

It isn't easy finding love in the virtual world.

Hibiscus Hastings

Gotta Dance

I love to dance, I find it is one of the truly great pleasures of Second Life. Any kind is good, ballroom, club, line dancing, it’s all lots of fun. One of the places I often go, as does Janey, is the Underground Club in the Knightsbridge sim. It’s close to my SL home and I have gotten to know a lot of the people who go there so it’s very friendly. Brie Janick, who is the manager of the club, has some wonderful dances so Janey asked her where she got them. Brie gave Janey some landmarks, which Janey very kindly shared with me.



The other night Janey and I decided to visit one of the places selling the animations, 3FX Entertainment. We tried out lots of the dances, and have never laughed so much. We were so incredibly energetic and flexible, it was amazing.

I did spins, handstands, back flips, splits (thank goodness for glitch pants), you name it, I did it, and all while wearing stilettos, too! Janey even gave pole dancing a shot and proved to be quite talented. Surprising what you can do when you give it a try, especially when talented people script your movements.



Hibiscus Hastings

Scenes from SL

A guest pianist at a very elegant establishment.

Dancing can be so tiring!

A meeting of the Virtually London (lite) team.

Hibiscus Hastings