Women Also Rule in SL!

Women are taking strides in becoming leaders. We no longer just lead grassroots initiatives but enterprise as well. Technology will prove to be the driving force of the future, but what will actually drive the future is how we adapt to these new tools and integrate them into our lives, into our societies.

Heh, heh, heh .. women are also ruling in Second Life.

Meeting My RL Boss

Web 2.0 / Social Media, whatever you want to call it really does work.

It was how I happened to fall into my new job.

I also got to meet my RL Boss in Second Life in the Twitter Cafe, Winston.

Frankfurt Girl Geek Dinners in SL.

I've never been one to keep my SL and RL lives separate. Not that I spend oodles and oodles of time in SL, but I do manage to log on every now and then.

Last December 8, we held the real life Frankfurt Girl Geek Dinners #3 event in the Twitter Cafe. A total of 7 people showed up at various times. That was good enough for me.

I wanted to show that live events can certainly be streamed into SL however, there really needs to be a dedicated person manning the avatar and interacting with the people. It was challenging trying to be there as host for the RL event and also trying to be host in SL. Result - not good.

I think if I'm going to be doing any live streaming of RL events in SL I will definitely solicit the help of some Geek Girls in SL. I actually know of one too!

The Year Ahead

Moments like this will perhaps be few and far between for me in 2009. I intend to be very busy with many projects that have been deterred in 2008. I need to cease procrastinating or letting things get in the way of my progress here in Second Life.

When I first started with a very ambitious project (the Emerald Isle Community and DF Gallery) it seemed that I was on the right track. Then somehow, after meeting Fim, everything just went down hill for Ysabel's career in SL.

I am going to cease letting *that* be the obstacle to my SL success and just slowly and diligently work on each project little by little.

This weekend I'll be taking photos of the New Design Collection for Valentine's. I'm really looking forward to that.

Well, here's to looking at the year ahead!

Love,
Ysabel

No Comment. Had to Comment.

It would've been nice to have spent some time with Fim on New Year's Eve/New Year's Day. I still see him in and around his sim, seeing has I lost all my land in early 2008 (It was because of Fim that I sold Emerald Isle - as a sign that I loved him. I don't think he'd do that for me), he was kind enough to share a few parcels with me for my projects.

Anyway, I later found out that he ended up going to a New Year's Party. It didn't bother me so much as it did my RL person. You see, my RL person and Fim's RL person ended up getting together in Real Life. Still not sure about how that's going though.

Well, when Fim's RL person showed my RL person a machinima of what he did during New Year's in Second Life after he clearly was not in the mood to celebrate New Year's in RL with her, I can just tell you that she was so hurt.

I am proud of her though. She managed to control her feelings and somehow let it go through her. I am very aware of the kinds of things that Fim can do to hurt you, and he doesn't even know it. I hope he doesn't anyway. And I am guessing that his RL person is similar to him.

Actually, I am still not over the fact that Fim *divorced* me 4 times in SL. He gets so emotionally heated up over small things and does things to get back at you. He use to ban me from his sim so many times and so many times he would return objects I was working on - back to me. My inventory is a mess!

I know we started 1st TOUCH Magazine together in SL with Ben Vanguard and Ricus Devaux but for me, that 1st TOUCH is really the touch of a very long and deep hurt.

*sigh*

Happy New Year from the Twitter Cafe

Just wanting to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!
Looks like 2009 will be a busy year for me and I am looking forward to sharing all the projects that I am about to embark on. But one at a time, less I get myself too overwhelmed.

An overwhelmed Ysabel is not a good thing.

I've also noticed that people have been curious as to what happened to Fim Fischer.

All I need to say is, Fim still exists.

As for df:: designs - I have a humble little shop on Merx where a vendor is set up.
Lord knows I have to update that thing. I did manage to make a collection of interior pieces that are fitting for the bauhause/moderne look but as I have no room to rezz then entire collection for display - it will have to wait.

Hmmm, I'll perhaps have it ready in time for Valentines day!

Oh, and I am also going to work hard and getting the Tech Savvy Tech Sexy Magazine underway.

Well, Cheers everyone and see you all in the New Year.

You can also view the other site that I blog on.

From the Beginning ...

Hello again. It's me, Ysabel. You know, the one that started out in Second Life (SL) with visions of using SL as a platform to help empower women.

Back in December of 2006 I spent a rigorous week of taking on the monumental task of building a community. Monumental because I never took a single build class. I simply opened up the BUILD menu at the bottom of the screen, stared at it and started to play.

Needless to say, my builds were not perfect. I created one condominium that I had to take down from a 10 story build to 5. After that I started building around it, creating small village like shops for stores and then landscaped it with plenty of green around and in between.

I remembered staring at the finished land (20,000 sqm or so) and wondering, "Who will come?" and "Will they come?"

They say, "If you build it, they will come." And they did. Soon, I got IM's from people inquiring about renting. I was so amazed. It was an awesome feeling being responsible for the Second Lives of people - or, their place(s) of residence anyway.

Soon, most of the spaces were rented out all except two retail shops that I reserved.

I even had an art gallery on the land that gave Emerald Isle a special touch.

While I was building, I had this vision of creating a community with events that would ultimately be used to raise RL money for RL causes. I then created a stage where people can gather for workshops, lectures and seminars. I even had a community model and a name. It was to be called the P.U.U.C. - Progressive Ultra Urban Chics.

I shared this community vision with a few people via notecard. Back then, there weren't any sim projects like this. Now there are many.

I never did get the chance to see that vision through. You see, I met a boy.

It was by accident.

I was teleported by my dear and close friend Maxine Montale (for which I help co-author a blog with. Maybe you've heard of it. It's called, "A Second Life Consciousness").

It was Christmas eve in Houston, TX and Maxine was at home. Her RL person was cancelled at work. So, what does one do on Christmas eve with nothing really to do? Log into Second Life.

Maxine logged on and found that her brother Hank Wade had given her a Christmas present. She felt bad. She didn't even think of spending or celebrating Christmas in Second Life.

Poor thing. She scurried around looking for a suitable present. The only suitable present Maxine could think of was a watch. You see, people were making virtual watches in Second Life. She remembered the name of a store where she got her first one. It was FREEBIE watch. She remembered being so amazed. So, Maxine looked up that store, IM'd the watchmaker for a last minute engraving and after 20 minutes, she and the watchmaker were in his store talking.

It was then that Maxine's RL person decided to teleport me into Second Life. Maxine sent me the tp and there I was - inside the store, with Maxine and the funny looking watchmaker (that was my first impression anyway).

Then all of a sudden, the strangest thing happened. The funny looking watchmaker positioned himself in front of me and started proposing. EEK! I kid you not. Well, you can see for yourself with the picture below.



And guess what I did?!!! I said "YES!"

And that my friends was the start of not only my amazing Second Life but also a whole new life in RL!

AHHHHHH!!!!!

I'm stuck in Real Life and I'm loving it!!!!!!

I'm Still Alive ... mostly in Real Life

Hello fellow Second Life peeps that even care. I just wanted to post that I am indeed alive and well in Second Life but have decided to spend or rather to create a more meaning and qualitative Real Life.

My thinking is this. If I have time to spend in a Virtual World then I sure have the time to spend creating and making my Real Life every bit as exciting and interesting and meaningful. Think about it.

Second Life, Real Life, Past Lives, Future Life - which one will you choose to invest in? Which one holds the greatest capacity to effect change NOW (that's a hint for you slower folk).

I'll try to peek in and report more often .. but you know how it is. Busy, busy, busy.

Love,
Ysabel

Metaverses: Their Effects on the Greater Consciousness

Fond memories flood my mind when I look back on my childhood days. Days of biking through open fields and wandering the ravines that backed our townhome. Of collecting rocks and burying shoeboxes full of 'perceived' treasures to be found by some other child of the future. I remember my collection of pressed leaves and the odd dead 'bug' that I would find and keep enclosed in a glass jar to be later analyzed. I remember the reams and reams of 'code' that I developed for my secret spy ring that would be scotch taped to the back wall of my closet, hidden carefully behind my hanging clothes.

I am remembering all these things as I sit here underneath a tree in a city park with my laptop, wirelessly accessing the 'information superhighway', as it was called back in the early '90's, while my avatar (a pixelated online representation of myself) is dressed in construction worker attire, creating a commercial build for a Japanese company in Second Life (an online virtual world created by Linden Lab of San Francisco).


"two paradigm shifts within a decade ..."


I have been immersed in the digital medium before it even became a reality to the rest of mainstream. When Nicholas Negroponte's book, "Being Digital" came out in 1995 I read that book cover to cover and twice over that same week. My thoughts were deeply intertwined with the concepts and visions that he had presented.

"Being Digital" reminded me of Alvin Toffler's book, "Future Shock", that came out in 1970. Both books stand side by side one another on a book shelf.

Both these books had a considerable impact on the way I viewed the world. I have realized that I had lived my life being aware that I was amidst an era of immense technological change and advancement - thus opening and preparing my mind for the world of the future. A future where children's experiences would be so different from that of my childhood. A future that would see two paradigm shifts within a decade and would become privy to witnessing their impact on our daily lives, in a global scale.

The first paradigm shift was the advent of the world wide web when it became accessible to the mainstream. Because of this 2D Platform I was able to sit on my bed and book a plane ticket to Europe, transfer funds from within my bank accounts, upload photos of my chihuahua to an online page to be viewed by my friends in another hemisphere and talk to my partner in Germany using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) all while watching the CNN morning news in video format - from my laptop (a laptop that was not connected to any cable or power source!)

"Closing the gap of the Digital Divide is inevitable."

The second paradigm shift actually started occurring almost simultaneously along with the 2D Platform - the creation of 3D virtual worlds or metaverses.

It behooves me to think that with all the hype Second Life received from the mainstream media being a platform for collaboration with education, the arts and various other projects, there have been other 3D platforms that have been quietly doing the same for the past decade, all with a healthy following of Real Life businesses, universities and the like. New metaverses are also being created by the handful almost every month (don't quote me on this, this is just suspect).

One 3D platform to watch out for is HiPiHi Ltd, a Chinese based company whose founder and CEO, Hui Xu was recently quoted as saying in a recent press release, "It is just a beginning of the globalization of the 3D virtual world." - just the beginning is an understatement.

I am NOT about to make a comparison between other metaverses (that is a whole other blog in itself). In my head, however, I am wondering what impact, both positive and negative, will these metaverses have on our societies. I can only wonder that on one planet alone, our earth, we have so many variables that keep us distanced from one another, religion, race, politics, sexual orientation, just to name a few.

Metaverses are being created where people can choose which platform or platforms best suits their tastes - will these metaverses separate us even more, I wonder.

In 2005 I blogged an entry about how Second Life can actually be used as a testing platform for improvement of Real Life social, business, industrial and educational models. It would be a place where we can create, improve and implement 'things that will work' for the benefit of the other 3D world (planet earth) and perhaps, humanity as a whole. Back then, I was only aware of Second Life and ignorant to the other 3D worlds that have been around for more than a decade. Second Life to me was the ultimate communication tool 'on cocaine'. Visions of a better world - through the use of Second Life's platform sent my mind reeling off in tangents.

This lead me to begin my journey into 3D platforms and other metaverses. This also lead me to realize the inevitable, possible, perceived 'separateness' that metaverses would have on 'us'. Or would it?

Then I thought ...

I remembered a few years ago reading something on Group Souls and Twin Soul Mates. It has suddenly struck me that with 'like minds attracting', these various metaverses may serve, on a metaphysical level, platforms for Group Souls to get together and achieve common goals. This thought appeased me, somewhat. I will continue to observe these various metaverses and follow up on blog entries and the like, on how these metaverses are changing and impacting our global society.

After these thoughts had raced through my mind, I took a charcoal pencil and quickly drew what came into my mind. The drawing was this.

Later, I logged into Second Life and made a 3D representation of the sketch.

The middle sphere represents the earth. The other smaller spheres around the 'earth' represent the different metaverse platforms that exist. Each metaverse platform, esoterically, also represents a Group Soul. There would be many more Group Soul groups, I only chose a handful of smaller spheres for easy visual. The larger, transparent sphere, where the 'earth' and the Group Soul spheres are enclosed in, represents the Global of Greater Consciousness.

My theory is this:

Each metaverse serves as a platform for various 'like minds' to connect and collaborate as they see fit. There may be similiar projects being collaborated on in the other metaverses and that is a good thing because ultimately the energies of all are somehow connected and related anyway and on an esoteric level, increasing the 'frequency' or 'vibrational' qualities of a specific 'thought project' .

I intend to explain this theory in more detail, but for now I will leave it as is. There are other 3D platforms I need to discover and explore and I hope to bring to you more insight into all of them.

Dancing in the dark ..

It was already past midnight in RL and yet, there I was, breakdancing in SL.
I attended a Sim opening of an RL artist (Socorrow Villa) in SL. I had almost forgotten about the opening until she kindly IM'd me to remind me.

Funny, but I was just about to log off of SL when I received her IM.

In RL, Fim Fischer's (my SL partner) human was getting ready for bed and I wanted to time my logging off with him. I had just finished rezzing the AU BUILD rez-faux package on Virtuoland HQ when I got the IM for Een. I had to go. Afterall, she attended the 1st TOUCH Online Magazine launch and I wanted to show my support. I am also in the middle of writing up an interview piece with her so it was my chance to take some SL photos.

I felt strange attending an SL function without Fim there.

We use to be inseparable in SL. Not only were we inseparable in SL but we were also inseparable in RL via VoIP. If it were not for sleeping - we would have been always in SL and always on VoIP.

The even stranger thing is, now that we are in RL together, we are now never in SL together. And .. while we are in RL physically, if we are at home, we usually are apart, sitting at our respective corners, in front of our monitors.

I know I did not start this. I would much rather live in RL, however, now that we have an RL business that involves SL - rightly so, that we should be on our computers logged into SL - for WORK.

As it is, we do not even work together in SL - and are still learning to work together in RL. *sigh*

Anyway it was strange not having Fim with me. This was the first social function I have attended in SL - without Fim, eversince we met in RL.

I wonder if it's a sign.

My avatar was dancing while I was sitting in the dark watching Fim's human sleep and hearing his soft snores. It was bright on Gaea .. but for me, it felt as if I was dancing in the dark.

It's getting mightly lonely in RL. I sometimes wish I never left SL. I sometimes wish I never allowed the Fim and Ysabel relationship to leave SL. We had so much fun in SL. RL is often lonely.

I so need THIS!!!!

Well ... enough said.

My Soul Sister Across the Ocean

I met my soul sister awhile back. She had found me amongst the countless other pixelated souls in Second Life. It was meant to be. Second Life never ceases to amaze me. I have yet to remind myself that Second Life is just another platform for my learning to take place and meeting people in this metaverse is of course, meant to be.

The Reality of Real Life

It's nearing my 3 month stay here and I have a few more days until I here the verdict of whether I get to stay longer or not. I do not think I can handle staying longer as a Tourist. It's such a big change from my previous life of a few months ago where I had everything my way, had my own things with me - that I worked hard for and paid for with my own money. I had my own king-size bed, my own walk-in closet where my clothes where neatly placed on black hangers, colour coordinatated.

Being vegetarian, I would routinely go to my favourite organic store, WHOLEFOODS to buy the usual, Odwalla Juices, Edamame, Couscous, Hummus, veggies, Kombucha etc ... etc ... oh and of course my Fiji water. Funny, but the lady that researched on the different types of water from all over the world and their property values was German, Dr. Barbara Hendel. Her book, Water & Salt was first published in Germany and what?! No Fiji water any where to be found.

Plazes.Com. The largest and fastest growing wifi site was founded in Germany by a couple of really cool guys! And what?!! No free wifi in Frankfurt Germany!!! What's up with that?!

Oh! And did I mention I use to have a car. All paid up for! 5 years of making payments .. and out of desperation, I sold it for extra money to get my ass over here - and now I walk. It's not too bad. The walking is good. It helps burn off the extra calories from all the potatoes, bread and butter that I've had to resort to eating. *sigh*

As well, I have never worn FLAT shoes, unless it was to take an emergent trip to the drugstore at, like 2 am in the morning, but now, all I can wear are my Sketchers. I've only worn my Sketchers, like 4 times in 4 years while living in Houston!

Now, all my jeans, whose lengths are perfect for my 3 inch heeled shoes now all have tears at the bottom of the hems. And it's not like I can afford to buy jeans or anything else for that matter.

My friends in Houston, My Eddie and Freya have recently helped me out. My Eddie sent $300 U.S. to a PayPal account - which is like, $210. euro. Just enough to pay the $80 euro for a conditional Residence Permit, to buy the essential 'a female cannot live without' items, such as, a jar of Pond's Cold Cream that I have been using for like 12 years, John Frieda's Shampoo (I know, this is a luxury for some but for me it is essential. It is the only product for my hair that does not dry it! And I am NOT about to compromise on the 'female essentials'. God knows I already willingly compromised on everything else!

Hell, that is what alimony is all about! To maintain the lifestyle and quality of living that a spouse was use to prior to the divorce. In this case, no one divorced me. It was I, that had divorced my self from a life that I had in Houston.

Real Life Ysabel is still slowly getting acclimated to her new surroundings. That's for sure.

There are days when I feel terribely homesick. There are days when yes .. I hate to say it, but I feel unwanted and neglected. Fancy that! Words or emotions muttered by such an independent woman such as I! But .. when one is in a strange land and does not speak the language. When she needs to illicit the help of people who talk the language and need to discuss matters of importance - mainly dealing with her status in Germany, with others .. and you do not understand what they are saying .. and the right to know what to say and when to say things and what to ask seems to be taken away because of a language barrier .. WHOA! That totally leaves even the most independent MAN - security challenged!

What do I miss most?

My King sized Bed. My Closet. My two dogs. My friend(s) that love me. Being able to do what I want and say want I want. My food. My car. My Life.

Ah.. but aren't I suppose to be starting a new life here? Huh?!

Where's the inspiration ..

Blah .. it's been cold lately and it's summertime so I don't understand it really. I've taken numerous RL photos and barely any SL photos. I still hang out in Second Life to keep in touch with inworld friends and also to 'work'? If it weren't for these two things then I would just as well leave Second Life altogether to work on enhancing and enjoying my Real Life.

Blah.. perhaps I am just in need of dire inspiration. Perhaps I have extended myself onto so many other blogs that I am experiencing 'blog text block'. Who knows.

All's well the ends well - and so far nothing has ended ... or began?

Blah.

Photo Journalist SEEKS Writers, Artists, Ads

Here's a PLUG for a magazine I work with *smiles*


Writers wanted:
Professional, aspiring or other, for article/story submissions for the 1st TOUCH Magazine Summer Edition. If your article/story inspires and can touch the hearts and lives of readers then contact us. We want to meet with you.

Artists wanted:
To grace the pages of 1st TOUCH with visual and thought inspiring work that shows a connection between Real Life and Second Life. If you would like your work to be shown in one of SL's thought provoking and art focused magazines then contact us. We want to meet you.

Ads wanted:
Do you have a business or service that you would like to tell people about? Then please contact us for advertising information.
(Sorry, due to the nature of 1st TOUCH, we will not be accepting ads that are of a 'sexual' or 'mature' related content - we are not that kind of a magazine. But we are in no way against these types of businesses or services.)


For a copy of the 1st TOUCH Spring Edition simply teleport to the df design studio at [envy] to pick up your copy.

Home is where the heart is ...

The street where I now live is lined with pastel coloured, pre-war, apartment buildings. One part leads to streets and a community that is abundant with little shops, bakery's, cafe's, ethnic restaurants and art galleries. The city's University is just around the corner so the area is always filled with interesting people to look at.



On the other end of the street are steps that lead to a quaint little park. We pass this park on the way to the nearby train station or to the heart of the district.

There is no street in the world that I would rather live on, than on this one. It is the street where my new home is - a special place that I share with the one I love.

WIndow of Opportunity

The winds of change have taken me across the Altantic Ocean to Deustchland. This is a good thing. It would be nice to photograph life in another country.

I only regret not recounting the events that had lead me thus far as it happened. Perhaps during rainy days, I will start to write the events as they have occurred, chronologically.

As this blog is much about photographing my experiences in Second Life, it will now include photographs of my Real Life. The reason is simple. My Second Life has just recently merged with my Real Life! The avatar that I had met on December 24, 2006, who had proposed to me on the very night of our meeting (within minutes of our meeting), is now very much a part of my Real Life.

I am pleased to say that Fim Fischer and Ysabel Isabella have courageously crossed the boundaries of Second Life and made the decision to carry on their *partnership* in Real Life.

As for now, it is just enough to say that I am happy and in love with my new home.

slnn.com coverage

Just wanted to let you all know that an article on the df design group was written for slnn.com.

I met Diago Quaranta while on my way to the ITE 2007 Conference at Silicon Island last Friday April 20th. Actually, he had IM'd me as I was waiting for the conference to start, so I decided to tp him over.

The interview took place at the gallery's 2nd floor at [envy] where the Collective Project exhibits are on display. He was a very personable young gentleman, working at slnn.com as a journalism intern. It was one of the easiest interviews I had ever done ... and it felt 'nice' to be on the 'questioning' end, for once.

The article can be viewed here.

Real Life Blog Just Launched!

My partner, Fim Fischer and I have decided to go 'open source' to so speak. Our decision to not only merge our second lives with our real lives has gone further towards emerging slowly into Real Life.

Our first venture starts with today's launch of the Villadar+Link Blog. This bold and courageous act of no longer keeping both lives separate and private will pioneer this new 'convergence' of the 3D client with the REAL 3D World.

For more updates and with the latest news go to the Villadar+Link Blog.