Waiting; Tolerating; Curating

Years since last blog post: 1 (bad); Exquisite outfits bought since last post: innumerable (good); New rentals since last post: none (good).

Had "can't remember when last blogged, hope not so long ago blog disappears" moment. Turns out was a year ago and evidently at that point had grand plans to post detailed account of moving in to Ahiru. Well, moved in and have moving-in pics somewhere but probably on other computer so moving on. 

Was on VWEC duty today which involves standing or sitting about on the VWEC welcome platform (see pics 1 and 2), and then if anyone appears offering to help induct them into the wonderful educator's paradise that is Second Life. Have chosen slot at 9am Friday my time, which is 1am SL time, and after ??? months of duty only meaningful interaction has been with European educator I already know, who happened to have a holiday and so was mooching around in SL, as you do.

 Nearest apart from that was someone who rezzed and stood motionless for half an hour or so not responding to helpful chat and IM, turns out they were waiting for someone, so had to mean they already had communication and wayfinding skills but hadn't learned how to turn on BUSY so they could block out irritating IMs from busybodies "trying to help".

Will see that in 1st pic am wearing cute Chinese outfit, which spotted on Spectacledchic's Flickr feed and snapped up as soon as Kustom9 opened. Oodles of colour options for different bits, but ended up with blue, because, blue is best, and then homed in on these great boots when finally got into Fameshed. Fameshed was delayed by about a day as SL was having a Moment, or rather a moment lasting several hours whilst its servers fell over and they had to Roll Back to Previous Version a couple of times which meant the work people had done in setting up their booths had disappeared. 

Wasn't all the servers, and in fact the point at which realised that it wasn't just me not able to get to the sims I wanted was when saw chat on the Fameshed group inworld with people complaining they'd been waiting 3 hours for event to open and Fameshed people explaining the situation. As sidenote, is annoying when the place you want to loginto is vapour, and it sends you to one of the ghastly Welcome Hubs instead. With  mesh bodies, you just get used to lots of people initially rezzing naked before all the clothing bits cludge together. However if you happen to have been rezzed at an adult Hub, the point comes where you realise I AM IN FACT SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE WITH NO OR SCANTY CLOTHES THERE IS NO MORE TO REZ think they are aiming at the target market of those who have read media slurs about SL being all about sex. 

Hope don't have this happen when am doing demo for colleagues about SL, as would feed into stereotype, though of course last paragraph demonstrates that stereotype has some foundation. Am putting together lovingly curated link of annotated links about life in SL for this demo, though is possible that only person who'll read them all is me. Always have to remember although think SL and all its paratexts are entrancing, awesome, rich, creative etc. etc. etc. for some it is dull / weird/ childish etc etc.  

One of things am entranced by is self so here to finish is a pic of me in the Ahiru home, worshipping my otaku-themed PC, snug in the kotatsu. So much cuteness! I could look at it for hours.

Panic; Purchasing; Ill met by moonlight

No. of blog posts since November 2017: zero (bad); No. of items seen in own photo which remind me that I bought cute object: 1 (today, so far: bad)

A few times a year have sudden panic when think WHAT IF YOSHIKAWA BLOG HAS BEEN DELETED FROM BLOGGER. Know that deletion is a thing, since various student blogs have evaporated when student authors are no longer members of the uni, so are ex blog people, and has been no activity on blog for a while. Deletion of this blog would not mean end of the universe (you will be happy to learn) but still would be loss for me, esp. since still have ambitions to do grand autoethnographic research on SL experience (ok have been saying this for about 5 years but is slightly more solid plan now.)

Anyway as may be evident today was one of those days when thought - had better do a blog post - and what better to blog about than lack of blogging?

However (to string this post out beyond 2 paragraphs) can also note that consumerism continues unabated, as is witnessed by fact then when (this morning) was processing a bunch of photos from just 10 days ago came across picture (shown above) and thought OMG I think I bought that and I completely forgot about it. Thing in question is supercute tic tac toe table in form of mushrooms, which actually works as tic tac toe game. Well, think it does, but as had forgotten it existed and haven't unpacked, not 100% certain at the moment.BTW forgetting have bought something not exactly a novel event (that's what happens when you have 100,000 items in inventory).


Musing on this, or more specifically uploading first pic and searching for it in my SL photo folder using word "buy" led to discovering other photos with "buy" tagline. For example, only a few days ago I snapped this kitchen and saved it with title "Shall I buy this". Currently answer is "Well, I haven't yet" but think it is only matter of time. Admittedly, have numerous sinks, fridges etc., but this one is super compact and very nicely textured. Also, those little under-table baskets! And that wooden frame to the cooker is really rather sophisticated! And the fridge is a neat shape, not huge and space-consuming! etc etc etc

The next exhibit is entitled "Fantasy Faire deciding to buy Luna" (date - 27 April 2017). So evidently I bought something called Luna. First question is, what is it I bought? A piece of statuary? Some curtains? Something rather odd with black wings? Had to immediately go inworld and search LUNA in inventory. Turns out have Luna dress, Luna leggings, Luna moth light (copiable), a painting "Luna" and so forth but eventually located LOVE- Mad queens _ Luna which sounded vaguely right so unpacked it and voila here is me in wood wearing Luna headpiece. It is animated, so moon bit in the middle sort of swooshes round. Not sure when will wear it, possibly when going moonlight haunting.

This could be fun new game. (a) Select random word (b) search word in inventory (c) wear whatever is found. If pursue this will report on how many days it takes to NOT find something matching the random word. Will be v. productive use of time, and isn't as though engage in any other procrastinatory activities, oh no, not at all.

BTW creature with me in pic is tie-dyed Cheshire cat. Obvs.

Not writing; Christmas; Transmediation

No. blog posts written in digital writing month: 1 (bad); No of stories written in digital writing month: 0.5 (could be worse); No. of items on shopping list: 35 approx. (bad)
Have failed singularly to increase amount of Yoshikawa blogging during digital writing month, as month has flashed past oozing with teaching, family emergencies, storms, meetings and cute SL items that SIMPLY HAVE TO BE BOUGHT.
In fact had decided that thing wanted to do more of was not digital writing but uninterrupted sustained writing (USW), as in getting into flow of writing for a couple of hours so imagination can take wing and so forth. In fact managed about 1.5 hours of USW on train between London and Sheffield, so partial achievement. Have also peered through window at digital writing activities, so to speak. Would have been fun to join in, but v. time consuming. One digital writing challenge was doing something transmedia, and was pondering extent to which SL is transmedian in itself. Could argue that is just one environment, on other hand have sound, pictures and movement and can zip about between different locations and import things in and out of SL. Is probably substance for whole, dull, peer reviewed article in debating this.

Anyway, did find time for some Christmas shopping as deluge of cute Xmas cheer kicked in as soon as the pumpkins and scary Halloween skeletons had been collected up into inventory. Thought that might be able to limit Xmas expenditure by going through all the events and making up a shopping list in advance, so am not tempted to buy anything extra. However not sure that this will work, e.g. for Lost and Found event my initial advance list ran

Lost and Found
Kalopsia - sewing table, crackers box or present pile 90 Linden each
 plaaka - kitchen cupboard? Linden 300

Kalopsia and plaaka are familiar puveyors of cute things, and although cabinet was on expensive side, all the items on cabinet shelves are v. cool e.g. artisan japanese ceramic bowls and tea whisk.
When tp-ed to Lost and Found was still impressed by cabinet. Decided that already had enough piles of presents, but the crackers were nice and the sewing table reminded me of the old treadle sewing machine that we had when was young (though it has to be said that nostalgia has already led me to buy 2 different SL reproductions of this treadle sewing machine, however don't have table without machine, so obvious gap in inventory).1st pic shows me stoutly resisting urge to also buy decorated Xmas chair, watering can with artful bauble tree in it etc.
However was drawn inexorably to the display of boots by Deadwool. They are v. realistic all wrinkled leather and laces. Suffice it to say that they cost 450 Linden and am now wearing them with my new Go! dress and Atomic woollen legwarmers. All very boho.

Eye was also caught by SariSari upcycled Christmas tree, a snip at 299 Linden. Well, in fact not PARTICULARLY a snip, but v. well made.Was more charming than in advert and could immediately see it being an amusing conversation piece in my new Fallingwater House art gallery. In fact had thought it came with a nubbly cotton rug (see 2nd pic) which proved not to be the case, but  am not too disappointed.

Can see from this account that future does not look promising for list approach, since started out intending to spend max of 480 Linden and spent nearly that on unplanned boots. Oh well.

3rd pic shows me with the acquired consumer items. Am wearing boots but also have displayed one on top of cabinet.

So, this is the kind of thing I was doing instead of digital writing.

I must say, it seems pretty transmedia to me.

Multicoloured musings

Hunts toyed with: 2 (good); Papers on SL delivered in RL: 1 (excellent, Naturally); No. of people attending talk: 7 (4 more than one of the other speakers; so, good)

Seem to be writing blog posts here circa once a month. Have speculated before on sad fall-off in Adventuresofyoshikawa productivity. One factor is still 52 weeks of colour challenge which has reached week thirty-something, so might as well mention that have blogged clothes in mauve, electric blue (see 1st pic), celadon, lemon and patriarch since last post here.

Some of these are colours that didn't know existed before 52 Weeks challenge, so am engaging actively in lifelong learning. Other skills for 52 weeks challenge include shopping, buying more linden so can do more shopping, spending hours trying on different virtual clothes, playing with lighting so look more exquisite in photo shoots and fiddling with photoshop to add final touch to exquisiteness. However, most of these are skills had mastered already, esp. shopping.

Have also acquired numerous freebies from Hunts, including bed with cotton bunny draped nostalgically over rail (see 2nd pic), boat, and supercute house with shutters that make creaking sound when open and close (also in 2nd pic). Stash of not-free-but-cheap includes 2 starry night skydomes, zen massage platform with parrots and urban rooftop garden. Could now have whole islands themed with different types of building e.g. think have at least 3 different stables and 3 different spa/massage sets, so could already create either equine paradise or health/spa resort.

Meanwhile, am dazzling RL friends with news that am researching how to do research in SL. Actually for "dazzling" could substitute "inducing glazed eyes and sudden realisation that they have urgent appointment elsewhere".




Have got v. interested in research on documentary photography & its application to SL, and whole issue of documenting and presenting research about SL. This is what paper at RL conference was about, and am sure that after hearing topic of presentation, readers will be wondering why audience was not 20 deep and queuing down the corridor rather than being confined to 7 people, one of whom was chairing session.

However must be said were only about 40 people at conference and at that point were 4 parallel sessions, so did not feel too bad about it. Also had attended previous session where were just 2 of us plus chair, so felt relieved were as many as 7.
Presentation included numerous pics (e.g. "spot the difference" ones above) and 2 videos, one of which is on Youtube and is linked below. As predicted, acquiring fraps recording software has been ... come to think of it, yet another reason why am not blogging here.

Bye-bye Screenr, hello fraps

No. of videos which failed to publish on Screenr: 5 (bad); No. of minutes it took to to buy fraps and download it: 10 (good); No. of minutes it took to work out how to record a video in fraps: 5 (v. good); No. of minutes it took to work out how to edit and save a video use Windows Movie Maker: about 60 (bad)
Relationship with Screenr somewhat under strain. Had been using it happily to record video in SL. Can only do 5 minutes, but in some ways that is opportunity rather than constraint, as they say.

However, had something of a SL-fest on Saturday (after 9 days away from SL) looking round Homes and Gardens expo, doing some dancing to virtual Albannach, and fitting in some photo shooting for the 52 weeks of colour. Attempted to capture some of this for posterity, and was successful with Albannach vid, but film of Homes expo persistently failed to publish, so had to rerecord it (see above, it ends with me purchasing the Julia Hathor enchanted moon grotto, but that's another story).
After this was downhill all the way, as tried to record one vid of the Spring Home that am about to delete on Infolit iSchool, and another of the greenhouse on Noyo (which was going to dismantle, but doing the tour reminded me how much I like it, so it stays). In end recorded tour of greenhouse 3 times, each time attempting to publish it endless (well, not literally) times, v. frustrating.
Thus purchase of fraps today. Downside is that it captures the whole screen, rather than allowing you to frame the part you want. Upside is that it records inworld sounds and is simply toggled on and off with the F9 key.

In heady rapture proceeded to record 3 tours had failed with before: the 2 mentioned above plus a broomstick tour round Infolit (since am just clearing out the cherry trees and installing summer), which had tried to record on Thursday. Also recorded art installation by Pixels Sideways and a brief cherry blossom idyll. Files run beautifully on my computer, but are huge, and as want to share some of these with world have to fiddle around with them in Windows Movie Maker. This is in fact why have never bought fraps until now, as see this is dreadful slippery slope towards yet more late nights playing with pixelated technology. Edited 2 videos and uploaded them to Youtube (where resolution seems pretty low grade, or could be way Movie Maker Saved the project, the saving options seem somewhat obscure to me, having been user-friendly-fied to point where not clear what is actually going on).
Anyway, above you should see the greenhouse tour.
My, I do sound twee.

Trying to keep up

Cute stuff viewed: lots (good); Cute stuff bought: some (good); Animotos created: 1 (good); Guilt factor in time wasted faffing round SL viewing and buying: high (bad)

So, no actual work done in SL since last blog, but reasonable amount of activity. Rediscovered cute furniture shop and bought sculpty giant leaf with ladybird and pose on it, also (elsewhere) 50 Linden Friday pink poolside chair (see pic) and 2 items featured in new Oh My Stars sim (see latest 52 colours post). And some trees and a coat and a pair of trousers and doubtless other things that I can't even remember now.
Think spent largest amount of time converting 2 screenr videos of dancing at the Arvel end-of-year party into an animoto and then posting it to Arvel ning. To date has had 4 views, but noone has rated it, which find disappointing. This desire for tangible approval from people that don't know is also rather worrying. Could have been worse i.e. people could have rated it a one-star vid, but on whole people only tend to rate things if they like them. Oh well. Anyway, here is the vid.

Trying it on

Hair bought: 2 (good)
Today visited Kin, which is shop where bought first proper hair, Kin's Ryuzaki. Rereading that 2007 post, note that at time thought hair might be "too cute". However, compared with some of the stuff have been wearing recently is relatively low on the too-cute scale. Realise that worry about being too-cute has been with me from start, but think that gradually cuteness threshold has risen.

Kin has now gone in for sculpted hair, which as always can be a bit alarming whilst it is rezzing (see first pic.).

However got. v. excited when realised that some of the demo hair at Kin is actually in MY COLOUR i.e. blue, which is something of a first. Normally demo hairs are in some random "normal" colour, and require some hope and imagination to visualise what will look like in blue.

Therefore could not resist buying a new Kin hair (see 2nd pic), which is actually a bit like Ryuzaki, but sculpted, so does not wave around in breeze so much.

Scoured walls to see whether Ryuzaki is still on sale, which it is, and was cheered by that. For months was really the only hair I wore and ended up buying it twice, since the first time around did not know about how you should COPY your hair before stretching it around (for a back up), so first Ryuzaki had to be abandoned in the end as it got somewhat malformed, with strange giant strands. Happy days.

Second hair, BTW, is a newish one from Exile (which does some nice blues). Is another "turning into me" kind of hair, since is long and straight, with a windblown effect. Evidently have learnt little from past experience since couldn't be bothered to copy it and instead started editing and stretching it straight away to try and get rid of bald patches. It still looks cute. Think the new Kin hair is more SL-me, though.

More stuff

Beach huts bought: 1 (patriotic); Weeping willows bought: 1 (pretty but superfluous); Fawn with 13 poses bought: 1 (v. good); Set of scuplted stone and garden stuff bought: 1 (good); Hot springs installed: 1 (v.v. good since was already in inventory)
Despite fact that already have 34,000 items, new land has stimulated consumption lobes, even more so since have actually sold one chunk of land (which is now on sale again at higher price, but would say likelihood of resale is correspondingly smaller). Thus have linden burning holes in virtual pocket.
Have created willowy waterside area, with variety of willows (i.e. willows made by 3 different designers) and decided that needed beach hut to complete this area. By happy chance, one of the offerings for Spruce Up Your Space this weekend was an English beach hut, complete with Union Jack details (actually to be ENGLISH should really just be St George's flag, as currently being torn off a zillion car aerials following the mollocking of England by the Germans in the world cup) (and what's with the blue union jack? perhaps it indeed symbolises the spirit of the nation following defeat).
Anyway, spent happy hour setting hut up and furnishing it with some items from the Bloggers Hut that was a previous SUYS buy, plus a couple of sculpty shells and one of my own pictures (duck on boat in canal, appropriate I thought). Also put in Antique Typewriter that bought ages ago, which tells people whether Sheila Yoshikawa is online and allows them to send me IMs. Obviously am hoping that these will be IMs complimenting me on exquisite taste and hopefully not complaints about blocking sea views or polluting riverside with excessive willow leaves.

The 7 Seas

Fishing options installed: 1 (so far) (good); No. of demo rods have to sell before recovering cost of 7 Seas package: 3800 (bad)
Having been toying with idea of buying 7 Seas fishing package http://www.7seasfishing.com/ for a mere 750 Linden so that visitors to Infolit iSchool can enjoy premium fishing experience and on Thursday bit bullet or rather clicked vendor. For your 750 Linden you get a crate which specifies range within you can cast rod and catch fish (or not), plus a vendor from which people can buy rods, bait, and (closing the circle) their very own 7 Seas vendor pack. You get other stuff like a prim that gives a FAQ in many languages, a Contest unit and so forth. An extra which may also purchase is an aquarium into which people can drag their fish.
What it enables people to do is WEAR the rod they have bought, cast the rod (you get 5 casts with a 1 Linden demo rod) and then quite often you catch a fish. When you wear the fish it swims round and round your head (as in the 2nd pic). Cool. You can add extra prizes so e.g. can arrange it for people to catch an exciting Information Literacy calendar or information literate sheep. Or perhaps an information literate fish! Possibilities only limited by own rubbish building skills.
When people buy stuff (rods, bait etc.) it LOOKS like Sheila Yoshikawa is getting all the money which is indeed true initially, but at once 80% goes out again to the 7 Seas creator, which seems fair enough to me since all I've done is buy the kit and put it on some land. However think might put up sign explaining this, in case visitors think this is a 100% Sheila Yoshikawa benefit.

Since island is Educational, is issue of whether this counts as commerce, well in fact quite evidently IS commerce, which shouldn't really be doing. On other hand assume that if LL is at all bothered about this will simply ask for 7 Seas' removal rather than slapping another 1000 US dollars on island's rent.
Secondary issue is whether fishing is of any interest whatsoever to visitors and residents or whether indeed will resent having anything you have to pay for. Well, will wait and see. And put in the aquarium. And perhaps a fish restaurant. And some fisherperson clothes might be nice. And surely a boat .. (and so it goes on)

I want

Hours without Linden: 48 (v. bad); Items on shopping list for when access to Linden restored: 8 and counting (v.v.bad)
Due to SL glitch am currently unable to buy more Linden. Keep seeing merry messages on Linden Labs' blog saying "Service restored" but these are lies, since whether try in or out of world still get same gloomy message that transaction has not gone through. Blog acknowledged that "UK Lindens" were having problems but concentration seems to be on sorting out concurrent PayPal problem. Humph.
In meantime am making list of things to buy when SL restored. Top of this are spring flowers from Heart Garden Centre. Have been visiting frequently since was evident that space was being cleared to advertise New Lines and now, hurrah, can splurge on (1) daffodils, (2) snowdrops, (3) tulips, (4) orchids and (5) another flower I forget the name of.
Have not been totally deprived since fortunately today received my weekly L$300 from LL for being a premium customer , so hot footed it to Heart and snapped up 2 snowdrop plants and one daffodil clump.
In RL these would scarcely fill a flowerbed, however as can see in pics, in SL daffodils are apparently 5 feet high, so 3 plants plus a couple of freebie bluebells was just enough (see 2nd pic).
Am also hoping to purchase (6) some implausible pink denim shorts that hope will go with new cream and rose shrug and pink tulle skirt, (7) Egyptian statue of Bast to adorn new Morrocan home; (8) Stone hinge bracelet from Fae Designs.
Of course is possible that should be taking opportunity to quell consumerist urges but that does not seem much fun.