Just reminiscing and thinking out loud....says the Sweet Pinay, and Marco Responds...

by The Sweetest Pinay--"J"
(the Philippines by way of Second Life)

Hey, you got a new skin! Cool!!!

Your post reminded me of my noob days, back in orientation island. The first time i landed on the metaverse, i was told to adjust my apperance. so, noobie that i was, i did. i moved those darn sliders back and forth to try to get the skin tone as realistic as possible, my shape as sexy as possible... ok, as sexy as one can get without nipples! And since i didn't know much about clothes either, i just tried to make do with those horrendous system shirts and skirts (with the sleeves and hems looking like it was not sewed properly. sigh!) I walked around a few days like that, but still got picked up by a guy who told me that i can change my clothes and skin from my inventory...

I thought, "I have an inventory?!?" I can only imagine now that he probably rolled his eyes and sighed. Then he dragged me to shops and bought me some better skin and clothes. Isn't he sweet?

Now i realize that he probably did that so he can ... uhm... screw me without the nightmare of seeing a noob on top of him. LOL. (and yes, i like to be on top *wink*)

I commend those clothes and skin creators who take time hand painting clothes and skins! They are wonderful!

When i was starting out in a photography studio, i realized the wonders of "photorealistic" skins. They're better to take photos of than noobie skins. I remember that we had a promo of free photos for newbs and not even the best lighting equipment can do anything to lessen the brightness of the pasty pale and flat-looking skin. If i wanted that photo to look realistic, it would take a long time and tedious and extensive photoshopping effort.

But why in this virtual world do we want everything to look so real? Is it because we feel that it's real that we want almost everything to look like it?

In my days inworld, all the experience there felt soooo real that i forget that i'm merely looking at my 14.1" screen and typing on my keyboard. There were times that i wished that my neurons are connected directly to my laptop and internet so that i would wake up in my perfect photo-realistic skin and shape, and perfect clothes, with the perfect-looking guy beside me.

It felt so real and wanted badly it to be the real world, and not just a virtual world that i log into every morning.

What i have inworld are the things i don't have off-world (well, some of it anyway e.g. skin, clothes, partying, furniture, some relationships). And it was like, the me that i am, the person inside, is really in limbo.

And the virtuality of SL is addictive, while the reality of real life is most of the time nauseating, irritating.

Am I rambling? Yeah, probably. Or just thinking out loud. Or just missing the people i met when i was a noob, and the people i really shared my ups and downs with.

Well, right now, i still like SL and poof in every once in a while quietly. I still read Marco's blogs and still enjoy most of it. LOL.

but now, you can consider me unplugged. :)

PS. you don't have to post this on your website. It might demoralize some people... well, you know what i mean. :D

>>>>>Marco Responds....

(I always DID respond, wink!)

Lol, hello J... I was hoping you would see my latest writing efforts. I am trying to write a little something every day, and publish a new article three or four times a week. YEP! I did get a new skin, thank you! I am sad to hear you unplugged, but I am very glad that you still keep in touch. Thank you for your nice comments hon. :-)
--Marco