Who Is Lizzy Mornington?

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They say that in every success of a man is a shadow of a woman...

... Lizzy Mornington an epitome of everything that is great and good in my life, is never a shadow. She is the lighthouse that helps guide me through all of life's stormy endeavours. A reliable beacon that constantly lights up a safe passage when darkness seem to cloud up logical reasoning and good judgment. She is a ton of morning stars that shines brightly in the horizon, as if Aphrodite herself had sprinkled the heavens with golden stardust.

... yes she is that beautiful... and yes she is absolutely awesome.

Hanging out at my condo in Hale Hakuna right after the wedding. We spent hours laughing and taking the mickey out of each other. Good times that still continues to this day, never a dull moment with Liz.

It's exactly a year today when I first met her at a common-friend's nuptial ceremony. An event which brought together some of the brightest and the most sophisticated people in Second Life. Who would have thought that on that very same day I would get acquainted with someone so amazing and true, that her simple "hello" had made my world stand still? (now I know what Renée Zellweger meant by that!)

Was it fate that brought us together, or serendipity perhaps? For whatever reason, I'm just grateful that I had crossed paths with such a remarkable person.


366 days in a roller coaster.
Yep 2008 was a leap year.

You are always unsure what awaits you on a roller coaster until you go through a lift hill. Despite all the anxiety and the uncertainty that comes along with the ride... with all the twists and the dizzy turns... those hair raising loop-the-loops... you end up realising that the journey ain't too bad at all. You would simply just want to go through the same experience all over again... and again... and again, reliving every single moment once more.

House warming at Royal Tropical with Liz and best mates Lisa and Drei, the special peeps who has been part of our roller coaster ride.

That's how Liz and I are the whole time we're together, a roller coaster ride. Not in the sense of having a lot of those ups and downs that couples usually have in a relationship, but more of the adventure and fun side of things. With her around, there is no way you would ever feel down and low...


There is no love where there is no trust.

I can't remember a time when we totally disagreed with each other. I believe that trust and respect always played a huge role in keeping things pleasant for the both of us. With so much pretensions going around in Second Life, not to mention how easy it is to create alternative avatars (alts); the absolute surrender of trust to your other half is the golden ticket to a long and lasting relationship... be it virtual, in real life or both.

By the power of Greyskull! Lizzy and I do a She-Ra and He-Man skit on our second day together in SL. We had ventured across the grid both enjoying the things we love doing most and everything just got exciting from there.

Yeah, it was a truly amazing year for us. Even if I had a chance to go back in time and switch everything back to default, I would go through the same experiences all over again, relive every single moment and not change a thing... BUT ONLY with the assurance that Liz would be there by my side. I would not want things to be in any other way, everything is awesome just the way it is.

For countless times, she has done great things aplenty to which I will surely remember for the rest of my life. How much she believes in me and the way she inspires me can move mountains, and trust me when I tell you this. If it does ever sound that she has done something so good that it goes well beyond Second Life, then... you are absolutely right!

Hanging out in Barcola at one of our Pay-It-Forward moments. The peak of our SL careers as self-proclaimed in-world NGO. The good times baby, yeah the great old times!

Some may think it sounds too ludicrous to say all these things for something you only get to experience in a virtual universe. Phantasmal as it may sound, but the impact of how much effort Liz has poured into every special occasion, on every given opportunity goes right through my heart. Uncanny yet unparalleled... Surreal, but fine.

Organising my first rezday which turned out to be even more grandeur than any of my past RL birthdays is just the tip of the iceberg. How she pulled that one off is what truly makes her an amazing woman.

The little surprises she leaves for me; the love notes which I get without fail when I log-in; messages she leaves on our Nokia answering machine; the personally crafted v-cards (which inspired me to create my own version of v-cards for her); the offline messages and e-mails which bridges SL over to our RL... and so much more!

I can go on and on counting all the lovely ways she can come up with just to nourish this special relationship we have for each other. The bottom line is, she has done more than enough to tell the whole world how important this is for her... for me... and for us.

She is very brilliant in transforming her feelings into action, while I am more expressive with words. I guess that's where we compliment each other, she is after all my superwoman... my better half!

Yes, she does complete me.
A day without her is definitely a day without sunshine!

On occasions when time difference and unholy working hours robs me of the only SL spare time I have got, being alone in-world feels like a lost cause. Utterly and bitterly lost I may say, it's simply just losing the whole plot. I guess everything is comparable to a daily dose of honey and lemon tea. Once you have tried them together, having one without the other is never the same.

They say that LDRs never work, but that was before the introduction of Second Life. The oceans between us did not seem to pose a problem at all. Thank heavens for modern technology and of course constant communication.

There is absolutely no one in the universe who can make me feel as special the way Lizzy does. In spite of having 10,496.09 miles and an incredible time difference between us (+9 hrs GMT), it always seems that she's just right there sitting in front of you as we talk the night away. It only is a shame though that both our RL work have taken some much needed attention, since both of our professions are directly (or indirectly) affected by the current financial turmoil.

Nevertheless, we always find a way to work around things, isn't that right babes?


She loves me... she loves me not... she loves me!
But of course she does!

With a very special occasion just looming in the horizon, you're just left amazed on how fast time really flies. Sometimes it does feel like we have spent a whole lifetime together. Getting ever more familiar with each other, and most of the time even words aren't needed to express how we feel.

Sitting in one corner sharing sweet nothings can be enough to uplift the spirits. Just mere presence alone can spark some magic. With the assurance that in spite of being clueless on what tomorrow may bring, everything is going to be alright.

Look into my eyes and tell me what you see? One of those special moments where music simply does all the talking.

... there is no substitute...
there can be only one Lizzy Mornington.

In the whole 12 months that had passed since, I carry with me memories that will always see me smiling. The whole Second Life experience has been a truly amazing journey, thanks to you. With everything in RL so chaotic at the moment (work and family related), it is comforting to know that you are still here with me.

Your patience... your thoughtfulness... your understanding is incomparable. With our 1st year anniversary just around the corner, the thought of going beyond what others deem to be improbable is good enough reason to celebrate 366 days of pure heavenly bliss.

Lizzy, you are such a keeper, and only a fool would want to let you go. Any man, be it in RL or SL would be very lucky to have you. As much as I tell myself that Lady Luck has eluded me for such a long time, you had finally broken that jinx.

I am both hopeful and optimistic the future would indeed be brighter for us both. It's a fact of life that everything surely gets tougher when you are about to cross that line: like in a marathon; deadlines at work; final exams at uni; roasting the perfect Christmas turkey; child labour; the last glass of Long Island iced tea; the final stage of your job interview; resignation letters; moving out of home on your own; mortgage payments; contest finals; engagement proposals; well just about almost everything. But with perseverance, confidence and the motivation to carry on; all that and a heaps of T.L.C. , nothing is be impossible.


A year down... and many more years to go.

Now tell me, how hard can it be if you have a good co-pilot for a companion in every journey? Better yet if your co-pilot is your bestest-best friend!

Thanks babes! It was the greatest adventure ever! Now the next question is, are you ready for the next one? Why not start another expedition by climbing that higher mountain over there. hahaha

Back to the question, Who is Lizzy Mornington? Well she's the love of my life... and I love her to bits!

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Change Is Sometimes Good...

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... and it can save you some prims too! (laughter)

Revamping Unit 10 was not an easy task as the need to shed at least 300+ prims would mean a major change in the layout (yep, I went over... again, sighs hehehe). Something had to give way and sadly my Ferrari shrine would be the first to go! Liz knew how much that would break my heart, although trying to see things in a different perspective may have helped things go down smoothly.

The need for a conservatory was put into question...

Though letting go of the garden would seem like the recession had taken over our Second Life (hee hee hee). I for one (even in RL) refuse to buckle-down to the bloody crunch, so the conservatory definitely stays. I would just have to find a way on how to trim down on prim-consumption without having to compromise style and design. Though I must admit, looking for that silver lining in the horizon was not as easy as it was before.

Moving the pond to the east wing (in place of the Ferrari shrine) may have done the trick, as things started to look good from there. In fact it even made me wonder why I have not thought about doing this in the first place. The indoor fish pond looks absolutely fantastic the second time around!



The pond expanded to about 60% more to which if ever it were in real life, would be good for the fish /me smirks. It's a rule of thumb to give a gallon of water (3.8 litres) as allowance for every inch of fish, now that's a bit of fish trivia for you (hahaha, is it obvious that I am trying so hard just to convince myself here?). But yeah the new pond does look good, doesn't it?

Caroline Apollo did tell me once that the Ferrari shrine looked somewhat "odd" being situated next to a garden 30 metres above ground level (chuckles). My argument then was that it's a Ferrari, and that alone overrules logical reasoning and even religion (hahaha)! Besides, Liz loved the shrine! /me hears Caroline say "yeah right turkey butt"... hahaha




The "re-org" left us with more breathing space with the mobility to move around freely. I am claustrophobic IRL, so having done the first layout in such a crampy and small space was indeed very ironic. Defense mechanism perhaps?

Now Liz and I know how God may have felt on a Friday, for we too were both pleased by the new look.

Trimming the flowering plants and giving them some room to breathe (in other words removing redundant or similar plants hehehe) had helped in taking back the much needed prims.


Less is sometimes the best.

Gladly things didn't turn out to be as stressful as I thought it would. Stress from RL work was just too much for me already, and why the heck would I want to take that with me to Second Life? /me screams "aaaarrrghh!"



Even the bedroom was given a little make-over. Adding two 1-prim corner posts in exchange for the old photo album, throw-pillows, fur rugs and two potted plants may have given back at least 19-prims. A good move I may say, considering the textured-columns looks a lot better in taking over those bare bedroom corners (see above and the old layout here).




The dining area, which is the most restless part of the property was also not spared. But just like many re-organisations before, changing the layout always proved to make things look better. I am sure with the shower cubicle now out of the kitchen (yeah don't tell me I know, so please no laughing!) and the breakfast nook looking good in its place, everything seems to be a bit more settled down.


Hrrmmmm? Now that I think about it, maybe Liz actually meant "I told you so" when she said "I really love what you've done with the condo babes?" o.O eeeeeep!

So there you have it folks, sometimes it really is good to move away from our comfort zones. Though one thing that surely wouldn't change is Liz and I. But for everything else (no I wasn't going to say "there's Mastercard" silly!) change is sometimes good.

After all, wasn't it Sheryl Crow who sang "A change would do you good..."?

Which now reminds me, putting on a fresh new pair of Spiderman underpants would perhaps do me some good? One week straight of doing "side A" and "side B" seems to be taking its toll on the wedgie, whaddayatink? hahahaha

Yeah I know how much you love that song too, so go on... and sing with me... hahaha
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The Magic of Blank Space...

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Not everyday do you get hit by a creative cloud. In my case though it seemed more like a ton of bricks than the symbolic bright light bulb (with the slight sound of a chime hahaha). Like most people who can create wonderful things from a blank page, seeing a vacated condominium unit below the penthouse was no less the same for me. It was a perfect opportunity for me to creatively express and do one of the many things I love doing most: interior designing.

Back in the old days of yore when AutoCAD (Automated Computer Aided Designing) was still in its infancy stage. We were used to designing with our ever so reliable Staedtler Mars®Matic technical pens on Grade A Rotring drafting paper. God I love those things!

OMG Which reminds me, an old mate of mine borrowed the whole set and haven't returned them to me yet. Worse part is, I forgot her name.. (laughter). Those were given to me by my dad (pouts) and meant a lot to me, considering my dad hasn't given me that much hahahaha.

Typical empty tropical condo-unit with a 400 prim allowance. The main attraction of this property are its bay view windows and idyllic surroundings. A prime real estate even in RL standards.

Still the same floor area with an alternative design trip. One of the important points that inspired us to build a conservatory was for us to have a plausible pond for our (yep you guess it right) 7Seas fishing. It was a bit ridiculous fishing in the bedroom and in the seating area. hahaha


Same room... different floor and with a post modern-twist. Constant improvements have made us arrive to a point where in not much is left to do. Quite pleased with the outcome actually. What do you think?

Kidding aside, Second Life has opened a lot of doors for creativity to grow. No resident needs a technical degree to be able to create such wonderful things. The SL platform has made 3D rendering easy for most of us to manipulate, explore and enjoy - devoid of all the technicalities that comes along with stereotypical and traditional methods.

So far I have become my own furniture builder and designer, and the thousands of textures available to us makes rendering more simpler. I've heard that real life Architects and Designers have set up their own virtual office in Second Life. Indeed SL could be a perfect venue to demonstrate an almost real life presentation of your work to clients, albeit even drawn to scale.


So what's with the blank condo space?

Well I just chanted Mumford's magic word: "Ala peanut butter sandwiches" (poof), and a vision of what to do with the condo came to mind. Perhaps we needed a buffer below the penthouse to protect our privacy? hahaha Well perhaps, after all having had a very strange tenant below us before was a bit hair raising. Imagine her "bottom privates" whispering kinky and at times "grossly suggestions" of what that part of her body wants to do (raises eyebrows), not to mention a very-very noisy cyber bed (did I say noisy already?... try to imagine that hahaha).

Bay windows needing a bit of a Midas' touch. What do you think will happen next? Well looking at the lower picture is what's going to happen next (laughter).

Beyond the pond. Think pink and white tulips, think Dutch! hehehe Just our little private sanctuary when you just want to sit, relax and chat the day (or night) away.

Where a lot of ideas were built featuring my personal (but Lizzy-inspired) creations: The Mornington Aquarium; 2-seater Breakfast nook (in which the lower compartment can be converted into another fish tank or a fireplace); a Japanese dining table (sushi-time! oishi, kampai!); a converted fridge (formerly a static fridge, but with the help of invisible prims and object giver scripts made it possible to modify the appliance to my own preference) which gives out various meals, snacks and desserts.

While most tenants in the condo utilise the west-side as their bedroom, I thought a dining and kitchen would be more appropriate for this area which compliments the stairs leading up to the roof-deck and the mezzanine.

Nowadays, when I attempt to do designs (yeah coz' I don't do it as a profession anymore, I "is" retired with that hahaha... pardon the pun), it would take me a longer time deciding what to do next. I used to be faster and spontaneous in my younger years as a graphic designer. I guess I need some sort of a viagra for the brain then? hahaha

The last time I remember I had some sort of a designing breakthrough was when an investment brochure project came to my attention, about a year ago or so. Condo Unit 10 would be another one since then... and how good this one truly is. It's not everyday that you get brilliant ideas raining down from heaven you know.


Putting All The Pieces Together

The fun part was connecting the right pieces together: from scripted items, an ideal park bench down to flowering plants and the right type of grass. I was like a happy dog enjoying the fresh country air (from an open window of a speeding car) as I hop from one sim to another. Very adamant that I get that picture perfect vision in my head, presented in physical prim form... not satisfied until it would be good enough to live up to the name Lizzy's Secret Garden (smiles).

Another blank space needs a makeover! The condo's east-side, just the right size for another bit of magic. Like the rest of the condominium, huge glass panels gives it that fresh breezy feeling... something I would call "claustrophobic friendly" windows hahaha

I do have a confession to make though... the whole project may not be entirely for my babes (sticks his tongue out). Two-thirds of the project may have been all flowery and feminine but I had the urge to add a bit more of brute force in the third that remained. Just balancing the yin and yang in the feng sui of designing. And there is only one thing that would be perfect for that spot, none other than my beloved Ferrari F1 2008. I wish there was a way I could make the car rotate while on display, but sorry it's no modify (sighs).

Something I would really want to have in real life, my very own Ferrari Shrine (hey Barbie-gal eat your heart out hahaha). A Ferrari F1 2007 that won Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) the Formula One championship. Posters of former world champ Michael Schumacher (Ger) and the ever reliable Felipe Massa (Bra) are on display as well as official Ferrari F1 helmets and an Acer Ferrari laptop (though IRL I am more of a Dell follower) that will actually lead you to this blog when clicked upon. Make sure you don't read my personal MSN-IMs in there, yeah? chuckles


Would you be surprised if i told you that this part of the penthouse is my favourite? You wouldn't, would you? My favourite command would also be /1 hide (hahahaha). Lizzy and I call this area the "snooker room", and to why we call it that way is just between her and I (sticks tongue out). Lots of personally modified gadgets in here as well. Also top secret (smiles)

Now with the Ferrari shrine in place (as well as all the gadgets and gizmos to perk it up) and our secret garden built-up to appeal from all angles... I think it would be safe to say that my vision and mission is now complete.


Lizzy's Garden Up Close

Just to highlight some of the special features of Lizzy's Garden. All it took was putting together all the right flowering plants, textured materials and scripted objects. Now I've got something to really be proud of, I know Lizzy is too!

A bay window with a fantastic view. You can watch the sun rise from here, amazing even if it's just virtual SL. Sadly the last time Lizzy and I hung-out here was when a storm blew-up her router. Now that was one really nasty crash. Ugh!


Special features: Waterfall themed walls (with ambient water flowing sounds and water splash animation); Flexy fan-tail gold fishes (radial swim); Pond Japanese Koi; Flowing rock with 7Seas fishing server scripts (just transfer the contents of the official transparent server to your preferred object); and a Wishing Pond (utilising a Migizi North tip jar script).

What does this picture tell you? hahaha...

a) Lizzy fell asleep on me because it was already 1:30 am in Oz
b) Oh babes, I have to be honest with you, I'm gay
c) Sorry babes, I grazed your knee
d) Damn, I declined that new SUR
e) Read my mind babes, hint: I'm hawt!
f) Ewwwww babes, you farted!

Well the real answer is: I wonder what I will be doing next? hahaha gotcha mate

Happy New Year (2009)

New Year greetings from Liz and En!

How time flies so fast when you think that yesterday was 2008! Despite of the hectic and crazy festivities that seem to have taken over our limited SL time, a good number of residents still managed to go in-world. I was going on and off to check for any surprises that Liz may have left for her "c'est qui tom papa" (loud laugher), Lizzy apparently was doing the same. Nevertheless the time difference between our RL worlds didn't seem to be a problem for the both of us as "sweet nothings" never fail to greet our unexpecting AVs during logins. One of the reasons why we look forward to go in-world on every given opportunity!

Celebrating the New Year together! Plus all the chatter and updates from last week's (last year even) festivities. Never a dull moment when we're together.

CSI: New York Episode "Down The Rabbit Hole"

Can't help but reminisce all the wonderful events of 2008. Well discovering Second Life is one of them, thanks to an episode of CSI New York which opened a new door for me. After years of being addicted to my work (yep workaholic as I have always been for over 15 years until you know what...), it has made a big change in me of wanting to stay at home more often which caught a lot of my workmates by surprise! Could we say that SL has been good for me then? One thing for sure is that I don't spend as much GBP every Friday when I hang out with the lads.. Linden $ are far much more cheaper (spits out coffee for not being able to control his laughter). After all, it's the chatter we share on a Friday or Saturday night that makes the get-together party worthwhile... grub and booze comes second and while having some "take-home" buddy is optional, I don't carry excess baggage with me on the way back to my place (chuckles). Besides. if it's just chatter we're after on a work-week break (okay that means Friday in layman's terms duh), Second Life has lots of that and I am sure most if not all of you residents agree.

Check out this short clip of that CSI:NY episode, and I wish that changing clothes and editing your appearance would be as lightning fast! False advertising of SL? You be the judge (laughter):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbxwtEKpEL4&feature=related

.. so what do you think? Even the gladiator role play made it look like a game from a Playstation. How I wish that were the case in real time SL hahaha. Oh oh.. and the super duper panoramic screen? I want one! Some animations were probably CGI generated, don't you think?

Now check this one out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaqiUUlyEYg&feature=related

hrrrmmm walking hand in hand? The one me and Liz got was horrible! I wish there was really one that we could get which mimics real life "holding-hands" while walking (grumbles).

Another question, what's wrong with the pick-up line "I love waterfalls" anyway? Bah! hahaha. Watching those CSI:NY clips again really brought back good old noobish memories! sighs...


Cheers for 2009

What would be an even more better way to wrap up 2008 than visiting my first hang-out spot as a noob... Miramare! And what good timing that was with all the fireworks already in place. Good old memories also lit up my subconsciousness like a roman candle, as pleasant memoirs came flooding in. To see the folks that help mould my virtual alter-ego there with me was just enough for me to be thankful for I wouldn't be to where I am right now in SL without them.

Her "hotness" Lisa, the queen of Barcola and her royal loverly-hawtest Lizzy, the queen of my heart celebrate the New Year with the Brickies (a Barcola institution).

So what to expect in 2009 with all the gloominess the world is experiencing right now in RL? I guess it's still going to be the same for us all in SL... status quo. Whoever said the party should ever end? The only thing missing though would be our dear friends Drei Dragonash (one of the three SHB founders.. guess who the other two are..) and Sammie "Mew" Benoir who I think won't be with us for the coming year (cries). But who knows, after all anything and everything is possible in SL right?


The only way to move is forward...

And I hope that's exactly what we're all going to do. With so much going on in SL, upgrades and new features popping up occasionally making the virtual experience getting even more closer to real life, the future seems bright! Who knows, maybe we get to actually experience the reliability of Second Life like in the scenes we saw on CSI:NY.... omg that would be pure virtual heaven, wouldn't it? Then maybe I'd probably be getting me that super huge HD monitor. Think about how huge those "pink and blue" balls would be hahahahahahaha...

The future looks bright for me and Lizzy-babes, a new year... a new chapter!

To everyone who had made my adventures in Second Life pleasant (apart from Lizzy-babes of course!), Prospero Ano... Bonne Année... Buon Capodanno... einen guten Rutsch ins Neujahr... oh oh, and how can we forget... nanu nanu eeepuy nuayee ahree... that's alien for you peeps hahaha

First SL Christmas (2008)

It's that time of the year again when evergreen pines, poinsettias and mistletoes takes over a special corner in our homes. Just like the RL Christmas rush we've got so used to (with all the chaos that comes along with it), a virtual preparation can be equally as stressful. Though I would have to admit that it's way far too convenient when everything can be done with just a click of a mouse... and of course let us not forget that teleporting helps make things quicker as well.

Pressure Pressure!

Now how do I decorate the penthouse? I was really keen on making it very special but with so many ideas in my head, it wasn't easy deciding on what to do first! Good thing Lizzy was there to help me out with the most important and basic ornament for Christmas, the tree!

Awww give me a hug babes! We've done it, our first ever Christmas tree! En and Liz congratulate each other with a warm-body-heat-saving hug (rawrrr)!

Having thought of Caroline Apollo's tree on display at Lo Lo and Lisa's towering pine at Miramare, we headed to Botanical (in Straylight Island) for a 7 foot evergreen pine and a set of sculpty snow cover. I remember the first time I went there with Liz for a bit of He-Man and She-Ra role play much to the bemusement of others (laughter)... ahhhh These days of "innocence" will always be blissful for us...


The Ice Breaker

The tree was all we needed to jump start our decorating frenzy. Liz chose a perfect spot for the it and did a marvelous and fantastic job in setting up the tree. Nothing less that amazing, and I wouldn't have asked for more, it was simply perfect!

Our Japanese-inspired dining area will have to give way to the tree. Pressies instead of takeaways will be a staple on this spot for the time being. Don't you just love decorating?

A view to a chill? Making sure Santa knows that he is invited in this household! It would be more lovely to see two lovebirds seated on the cushions wouldn't it?

Naturally once you have broken the ice, ideas would start to flood in. It was much more easier to put everything down to its rightful place once you get things started. We couldn't be more pleased with the outcome which we believe added more of the homely ambiance we tried to project at the condo. Having to voluntarily add a bit more premium for the extra prims was worth it as I have always believed in quality comes first before practicality.

All ready to go! Looking around for anything that may need some dolling up before moving on to decorate the outdoors. But not after a glass of shaken (and not stirred *coughs*) martini... and maybe a bit of that "une baguette" as well. Care to join me?

What The Heck (Let's Get Carried Away)!

We can't leave the rest of the unit just like that, and how can we forget to decorate the fireplace? After all that is where Father Christmas will be squeezing his big bum to get in the condo (still baffles me how the old dude can do Blaine *lol*). Better ready the hot cocoa and the biscuits for the old man if we ever want to get everything on our wish list "neatly stacked" under the tree! ho ho ho!

Time to relax a bit, decorating ain't easy (laughter)... Black Italian marble does look good on a fireplace doesn't it? One of the many fixtures I modified as a noob, a favourite past-time of mine apart from virtual 7Seas fishing and OCS combat (of course). I leave the shopping to Liz (chuckles).

Warming up as it begins to snow outside as SL Weather forecasts a blizzard. Apparently, it would seem that we all would be spending a white Christmas in SL after all!

Bleeping Blizzards! Here comes the snow! Can't wait to have a snowball fight when Liz wakes up! Oh, is she gonna get it! Well both outdoors... and ermmm... indoors (naughty grin)...

Lets sing to the tune of Mr. Lennon's "Happy Christmas" song (hehehe)

So this is SL Christmas... Look what have I done... Raised the tree up this morning... Liz did it, I did none...

Okay.. okay I'll have to stop... I'd hate to receive an AR from the IPR owners of this song as it is a Christmas classic (chuckles). But I betcha I made you guys sing, didn't I? Catchy isn't it? I guess I really got "carried away" there. Karaoke anyone? hahaha...

Dang it, a mistletoe and no Liz? I guess I'll just have to make up with the snow-woman then (can't kiss a snow-"man" can I?) and see how far down the huge snowball goes from the 11th floor balcony hahaha. Nah just kidding, can't do that to this cool work of art from Sugar Rush. They did a good job crafting this ornament, didn't they? Go check them out!

Happy Holidays to everyone!

SL Christmas is indeed something special as we get to celebrate it with people around the globe! And having different time zones would "almost" be like celebrating it for two days! That's the beauty of SL, and that's what makes it click!

Well the tree is up... the decorations are all around the place... and apart from me starting to have the usual Christmas blues (sighs) as I wrap up this blog... I leave you all with a very special message...

Love ya all!

Breaking Into The SL Property Market

(Revised March 2009)

HALE HAKUNA

First Time Around...
Searching for a proper SL home would be the next big step for N71 Aeon. Being a squatter for a week in Lo Lo may seem as if I was taking advantage of Caroline's hospitality hehehe.

I am certain that searching for the right property may be quite a challenge for a new comer like myself to Second Life. Still caught in between renting or leasing out a condominium/apartment unit to buying a parcel of land. Though all that tier, prim-limit talk and land ownership policies were something still foreign to me, settling down in Second Life would not be as easy as I thought it would be. /me frowns

No longer having the slightest trace of a Haraguy, N71 contemplates what to do next?

Hunting High and Low

So finally I have decided that I would go for renting a condo instead, sort of testing the waters before finally jumping into the lake. Taking the advice of Keeley Huet on the importance of using the search button (works exactly like Google and Yahoo in-world) presented heaps of fabulous properties, most of which were too costly for an SL newcomer.

Noticing that the word "prims" (short for primitives) on every rent-box was a totally new language. I thought it meant something more like the property's floor area. Being in a gung-ho moment, alien terminology didn't deter me to keep on searching for the right abode.


Discovery By Accident

With a stroke of luck just when I was about to give up, a bloke publicly announced renting his condo units for L$500 pcm. It was not too bad at all since the ones I have looked up earlier were ranging from L$800 to 1,000 (not really sure if I am ready for that yet hahaha). Strangely enough as he discussed the details of our tenancy agreement, the word "prims" came out in our conversation. Not wanting to look like an idiot for asking what he meant by a 25-prim limit, I pretended to understand everything. Unlike earlier when the word didn't seem to bother me at all, I now felt the need to be concerned. lololol

The condo unit was not the type I was expecting, having London's Canary Wharf in mind. It had a lot of odd architectural features which were not logically feasible to have in real life. But who am I kidding here, this is after all a virtual Second Life right?

Nevertheless, my desperation to settle down and to have a place I can really call my home, was more important than some minor architectural faux pas. I just thought that with the interiors done properly, things might end up the way I want them to be.

Hopping from one furniture shop to another, interior decorating has never been this fun since AutoCAD. The Architectural industry does have a potential to grow in Second Life.

Enhancing Dull Features

Adding a bit of bibidi-babidi-boo to blank space is the fun part. Doing interiors has never been this easy: just drag, drop and reposition the objects. Reminds me of the old days when doing interiors was so tedious, having to deal with coordinates, dimensions and measurements.

Having more than adequate lindens at hand, thanks to eBay (it would seem Linden Labs limits linden purchases to new members?), the time has arrive to do some serious furniture shopping! (thanks Laci Snowdrop for the landmarks, you have been so helpful).


The Finishing Touches

Since the condo already had sofas for the living room and an "animated" bed (I honestly had no idea at first what an animated bed really means hahaha) for the bedroom, all I had to do was add dividers, side tables, dressers, plants and some table top decorations.

I was a bit disappointed with the flooring (i love black marble especially the glazed Italian types, but not the ones the condo had) and the ceiling (unpainted and raw ply boards?), which looked so bare and unfinished. Though making the condo look as homely as it can possibly be (to real life) was my main concern; the flooring and ceiling would have to wait.

Among all the furniture and ornamental shops I have visited, MAKEA ended up to be my first choice. Their products were elegant and they remind me of an IKEA store. Don't be surprised if I tell you that I bought the whole range, from lighting, fixtures and furniture. Now that I think about the similarity between the two stores, MAKEA might actually mean Mike's IKEA which would explain a lot.

An attempt to make the ambiance as cozy as possible. Mostly earth and dark colours are used to compliment the floor.. but the ceiling? /me screams!

Learning From Trial and Error!

Ever heard of the saying: "... if it sounds too good to be true.. then it must be too good to be TRUE..." Yep, don't you ever forget that!

I had a feeling that there was something more to the low cost rent-package and all that desperate marketing strategy. And true enough, there was a limit on the number of prims (God I hate that word!) I could add to the property. In fairness to the landlord, I have been told that the limit was 25 prims. If only I were not too proud enough to ask what he meant by that in the first place; I would not have to endure all the pain and disappointed on having to remove most of my furniture!

According to Ashton (the landlord), I have exceeded my prim limit to about 200, that is exactly 800%! Talk about being a prim-hogger hahaha

Thankfully enough, because according to him I was a nice chap (add naive to that word lol), he was willing to compromise by removing some of the standard furniture to free up a few prims (now I fully understand this prim-of-a-headache... finally). But surely MAKEA was now out of the question; each sofa average 12-13 prims which would not leave me much to spare. Now with some added prim allowance, I would have to work around 49 prims... which obviously is still not enough.


Next Step... Low Prim Furniture!

Looking for low-prim furniture is like finding a needle in a haystack. My best friend: the SEARCH BUTTON took me to a store that do have items of good quality. Not necessarily close to IKEA standards BUT good enough: Primsavers, I guess the name says it all.

... more of a life saver, furnishings from Primsaver averages about 1 to 3 prims per item. The secret lies on the proper textures being used other than multiple primitive shapes aka PRIMS, now that is indeed amazing!

After tasting the sweetness of having more prims to spare for furniture I really like, gut feeling tells me to reconsider going for high prim property. It may cost me just a bit more in lindens (actually would only cost as much as a candy bar in real life), but I am sure it would be worth every bit of the investment. What good is living in a restricted environment when you know you can do better and have more? Besides I am quite a rebel when it comes to such restrictions; I'm one wild stallion that no one can restrain! hahaha go ask my parents!

GOING HIGH PRIM (Royal Tropical Condos)

The only thing constant in this universe is change - Ηράκλειτος

True enough, having to starve the need for more prims triggered the compulsion to look for an alternative place to stay. Going back to the "tropics" where I inquired the first time makes me regret for not moving here in the first place. Just add L$300 more to the Hale Hakuna unit would have given me about 400% more prim allowance!

Laci Snowdrop was right when she said Royal Tropical Condos was offering me a great deal. Having learned my lesson from Hale Hakuna, I now give more consideration to prim allowances than the cost of the rent pcm. The penthouse unit which includes the whole of the roof deck would give me 400 prims, an eye popping offer for L$1,000 - adding just L$200 more to the other units with 100 prim allowance, or double the rent of Hale Hakuna BUT statistically with 1600% more prims!

On top of the world: having 2 floors and 400 prims to mess around with, I would not have asked for more! As an added bonus, no eyesores in the neighbourhood as structures in the sim have to abide by covenant standards.

Quality and Taste...

With so much room and space for my sweaty hands to work on, more home furnishings and fixtures (other than the ones I already have) would definitely be needed. Being a bit more wiser the second time around, I was more conscious in counting my prims without having to sacrifice quality.

Somewhat in between MAKEA and Primsavers, T&S Designs is one of the best places to get your furniture and other decorative and ornamental items.

My penthouse's "well behaved" bedroom... just right for resting your AVs before logging-off. Start to think out of the box, who said everything indoors have to be flat?

Having been frustrated with Hale Hakuna's marble texture, I took the liberty of adding a prim cover to replace the lighter wooden floor boards with a varnished finish. Decorating has never been this exciting especially if you start from scratch.

Home made goodies! The Aquateque Aquarium; the Japanese dining table; and the breakfast nook and bar are few of my very own creations! With an adequate prim allowance, custom-making should not be a problem.

Patiently taught on the basics of prim building and crafting by my SL mates (Lizzy, Lisa and Drei in particular), personalised and remodified furniture would definitely be part of the penthouse showcase. Nothing feels more better than having to see your own creation on display.

With prims to spare in my new home, I can now rezz up my favourite Makea furniture (at last).

Finding my MAKEAs a home for the last time, my sitting area has never looked this good! I am very pleased with what has been done to the penthouse and I can't thank Relic Starbrook enough for welcoming me into his group. He does have a lot of good offers for land without having to worry about maintaining tier fees, but I guess that would have to be left for another time. For now, the penthouse is just right for me.

This is what generous prims-allowance can do for you... the freedom to create and re-decorate! Side tables, fireplace re-assembled to fit your needs and requirements.

My New Home... My Sanctuary...

Moving to the new penthouse is definitely one of the best decisions I have ever made! Though I cannot be sure that maintaining Hale Hakuna would be such a good idea, maybe I give it another month?

I have actually been asked countless times from fellow condo tenants below me, on when I would be leaving the penthouse. As much as I hate to disappoint people, I made sure they got the message that I would be staying way much longer. After all, I did gave Relic my word for a long time tenancy, and I plan to honour it. It would seem that "my penthouse" is one hot property, giving me the feeling that I have struck gold... and indeed I may have!

I have never felt so optimistic about my SL's future and so inspired in building more stuff. I do have dreams and aspirations in my virtual life, merging RL and SL just might be one of them, but who knows what tomorrow will bring? We would have to just wait and see...

The perfect sunset at the penthouse roof deck... setting the mood right with Lizzy-babes who loves what we had done with the condo.

Haven Is Where My HEART Is...

Only a handful of friends have seen this secret hideaway of ours. Not that I don't like having guests, it is just that I love to keep "some things" private /me winks and grins. Every corner of the penthouse carry a wonderful memory, making our home a sacred and holy ground. heeheehee

The perfect living quarters set on a homely ambiance simply brings RL close to SL ... and a house ain't a home without the Lizzy around to keep me company. Darn, I miss her already!

Lizzy and I could just sit at home (both virtual and RL I'm sure) and talk about absolutely anything under the stars for hours until one of us gets a tug from our dear Mister Sandman. With a homely atmosphere at the penthouse, there never will be a dull moment... ever.


Is There Life After Hale Hakuna?

... Definitely! But what to do with it, after Royal Tropical is the real question. While I'm at it, I do admit that I cannot help but wonder this time on how it is to finally have land of my own? If so, what would it be?

Beach island property or a secluded house by the lake? Hrmmmm... Better weigh the pros and cons first to know which type of property would suit us best.

Am I hearing wedding bells somewhere?

But until the Virgo knows what he finally wants, and that Libra for once quickly makes up her mind (woooot hahaha), for now the penthouse will stay!


What Ever Happened to the Old Condo?

You would not believe what actually happened... it's gone! Imagine this: while doing some conversions to the unit, from just a sitting area to a disco with matching psychedelic dance floor... the whole building just disappeared!

Boogie nights, before the bloody building disappeared!

Good thing I was not in the shower stark naked (ROFLWPIMP try figuring that one out hahaha) or worse doing a "winnie the...". I found out from the real land owners that the condo-owner's leasehold on the property has expired, and even has unsettled dues to his tier. That explains the desperate marketing he was doing when I first met him.

Still no word from the chap, wish he informed us all in his group before hand. So I guess in a way, this solved my dual-property dilemma. laughter

Where my old condo used to be? Gone with the wind (and 2 months worth of rent along with it... bugger!) I patiently wait for the condo owner to return... with a SIG 556 slung on my shoulder hahaha