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I first heard of second life thru www.psfk.com (sign up for their newsletter and stay in touch with global marketing "what's happenings") . Never having played a virtual game I read the articles with interest and an "it's not for me" attitude. I'd shared a house with a 'gamer' who spent hours in the dark in his bedroom which (I thought) was a waste of time.

Then thru www.urth.tv (U R the TV) I connected with someone on Talkshoe.com, a live podcasting site... he recommended the Indigo Room. I listened to one of the shows and LOLLED like I hadn't LOLLED in ages. Two old women took over the show and started talking about roasting popcorn... and listening to it pop in the oven.... DON'T OPEN THE DOOR is the warning that comes with the recipe.

It's on twice a week, Tuesdays and Saturdays Melbourne time... I listen regularly, I've downloaded talkshoes' free software so that I can chat to the people in the chatroom which Sydney Chase, the host, reads questions from. I've met great and funny people all interested in the show's theme of manifesting reality.

Sydney started to talk about Second Life and how much fun she was having, so I registered and connected with her thru SL... so cool to actually talk to her live thru the SL chat. She showed me (Reality) around, gave me some clothes and taught me how to get dressed in her apartment. Peaceful Planet on Talkshoe, who's Peaceful Harbour in SL arrived as a purple unicorn and gave Reality a ride thru (literally) the apartment while Indigo (Sydney) sat on the ledge to keep out of our way.

It's been a long time since I've laughed so much... some of the things Reality does is just so funny... she's bald, so people keep giving her hair... my inventory is looking like a salon. And she's collecting all these free outfits that look so funky when the color's changed.... sometimes she looks like a leprauchaun, others like a biker, and others like a princess with rasta hair.

Learning to walk and talk are one thing, then there's being considerate of the rules, which is something I find a struggle in RL (Real Life)... shocked to discover that SL has it's own which are treated seriously. It's easy to see the avatar's birth date, which excuses certain behaviours, however once over a certain space in time it's completely unkosher to steamroller thru a crowd.

There are a list of don'ts which when learned early I've discovered set certain parameters. Like for example going to Linden island to get on a jetski... which is really not my thing ANYway, just proved a little too irresistable. And, don't get changed in the haunted house.. that really was the beginning of the end for the graphics card on my computer. Because of that insane step Reality's been out of action for two weeks which seems like a lifetime, until a new graphics card is purchased with a 1G ram as per the recommendations of SL.

Sometimes rules are there to be considered, do read thru the specs before registering.

The photo's show Reality at a few different places... on a merry-go-round which she got for QueenIndigo... so proud to find it and put it up on an island, she started running around like crazy (testing what the 'run only' button was for), that she fell over the side of a huge mountain and spent 20 mins working out how to get back up... saved by Peaceful who inventoried down a super flying feather to provide a little boost. Being able to hear them chat away on the Merry-Go-Round was at first funny, then frustrating when she kept flying into the walls.

Sandboxes are the places to hang out and build, create, dismantle toys that have been bought or given... also the places to sit and have in-depth conversations about life, the planet and the universe with other like minded people. The chat system makes sense, once out of the range of the people chatting, the conversation disappears, so it's sort of like RL in that respect.

There are a lot of RL comparisons in the SL matrix, yoga classes, meditations, philosophy classes, discussions, talks on copywrite/copywrong/copyleft, intellectual property... heaps of art and the fashion is outrageous.... like some of the buttons that are on the float around waiting to be pressed. Reality got caught masturbating much to her horror at a nudists island... thinking she'd get a funky dance move she rushed over to push a pink button... and was all of a sudden lying on the ground with her legs in the air.

I had no idea what she was doing, Carnali the dancing avatar however could see everything and LOLLED around the floor... here's me saying... "what's she doing, is that a yoga pose?" He's like, ah, nnnoooo she's ah, she's doing something else...take a look from this angle. When I did my mouth dropped open... Reality get UP, I even said it out loud as I fumbled around for the right keys to get her standing up again.

Peaceful fell for it in a funnier fashion, she pushed the blu button which had her masturbating in an upright position, she couldn't see what her avatar was doing either.. while me and Carnali ROFLOAO'd 'til she worked it out. Like I say, I haven't laughed so much for a looonnngg time.... Second Life is worth a look for anyone, doesn't matter if you've played a virtual life game before or not... the world caters for everyone FOR FREE!!!!

I'm sensing the writing of the experience will also be given a spurt of life once Reality's alive again... RL takes on a different perspective as a 'gamer'... wondering who else plays, creates and lives in a virtual world.... and wondering what is possible with unlimited creativity.

Speaking of which, I spoke with Saani (creativity unlimited, founder of www.quesltlife.com.au) about going global... she's thinking of connecting with movers and shakers in the educational realm via forums and seminars in the real world, and I'm learning what I can in a virtual world to connect to a global community... in (I think) the easiest way possible. Let's see what happens.