SL Exploration: An Arabian Night (Majilis Al-Jinn, Sands of Time)
My inner bohemian came out today and I kid you not when I say I found the perfect dessert fantasy sim to explore. Based on Arabian night tales that anyone could find in literature and cinematic films. This area has anything from hidden tombs to a relaxing oasis. There is something for everyone, the traffic is very slow, and this is an area I’d like to promote up a little more because there are more than users are giving it credit for. Sims often go overlooked especially international areas from the destinations list. This place reminds me of Aladdin.
To be fair this Arabian oasis is both historical and romantic I'm a hopeless romantic and honestly, I'd bring someone here on a date. There is so much to do and explore and the architecture is simply gorgeous. From exploring a palace to exploring the outdoors with palm trees, crystals, vases, and more there is so much beauty to be seen. Inside when you first start on a little island surrounded by a colossal building you have two paths you can go on. One leads you to what I call the jewel and treasures room, the tombs, and the oasis. The other path leads you outside on a little path with gorgeous scenery and sitting areas. To be fair I started on the route to the tombs, there are statues everywhere that are textured so nicely that they look realistic. Crystals are lining almost every door frame which shows the fantasy aspect. The door frames remind me more of an Egyptian building kit I've seen but it works just as well with an Arabian theme as well.
Tomb:
The tomb is located up the stairs which feel like you're in a tower. There is an open tomb where you're welcomed by a statue that makes me question if there is a mummy that escaped inside of the sim. Luckily, I haven't seen one yet, so I think we're safe! To the right, there is a sitting area and a statue which people normally pray to. To be honest, my knowledge of Arabian culture starts and ends with Aladdin, some literature, and this sim. So, If I'm wrong about something this is a disclaimer, I don't know a whole lot about the culture, but I started reading up on it recently to better understand some of the Arabian sims on Second Life. The architecture is Moroccan and almost culturally accurate from what I've seen when looking up photos on google. Yes! I google imaged everything to discover how accurate everything in this sim truly was even though it is explained as being a fantasy type of sim. Gems are lining the doors and there is writing covering the walls. The inside of this structure is very dark, but it has every right to be so if you take photos just be careful and aware that they may come out way darker than you expect it to be.
The Outdoor Part of the Oasis:
On the roof of the structure, you'll find a gorgeous palace area with peacocks and an outside corridor with a little birdbath that had crystals at the bottom, paired with beautiful scenery. This is where I'd suggest bringing someone if you're looking for something elegant and romantic to woo that special someone. The floors are brick and tiled to show wealth and purity the peacocks moved around the corridor. The outside reminds me of an aristocratic house's garden. It was extravagant and beautiful I suggest checking it out if you're looking for something new to explore in Second Life.
In the Palace:
In the palace there are more than enough sitting areas, however, keep in mind a lot of the couches, chairs, and floor seating is one-person seating with not that many poses if any aside from one when you sit on the object. But the inside of the palace is simply gorgeous and it’s huge! There’s so much to see and take pictures of. I had to be careful with how many photos I took because I was getting picture happy inside of the palace. I'm sure there are other surprises, but I didn't go too in-depth with the inside of the palace.
Treasure Room:
Nonetheless, I’m sure there are places little Easter eggs and hidey holes I haven't yet explored throughout the entire island. As there are so many places in this one area to explore and so much to see. But, from what I have seen this is a beautiful Arabian adventure for any explorer who is interested in a fantasy Arabian night adventure. From an underground exploration into a tower with a tomb to a rooftop fantasy Arabian garden with a gorgeous palace there is a little something for everyone to enjoy here and if you’re a photographer and love photographing your adventures or need a place as a realistic background for a client this is the perfect place for it!
The Nature Collective: A new Journey by Emm | The Nature Collective
Via Flickr:
We are currently working on a significant overhaul of The Nature Collective, aiming to enhance interactivity and enjoyment for our group members and visitors. This expansion was made possible by a generous land donation from Ayame Kintsugi-Moon, the visionary and founder behind the former Moorcroft community. As of November 28, 2023, Phase 1 of our reconstruction plan has been successfully executed. [Read more on our website] Visit The Nature Collective in Second Life.
Sonder - The Meadows Cottage [available] by Emm | The Nature Collective
Via Flickr:
Are you looking for a quaint, quiet place to call home? Put your roots down at Sonder and enjoy all of the amenities of our little community. There is lots to see and do here - from the cobblestone streets of the village square, to Sonder Hollow, to the rural landscape of our residential area. Community amenities include: • Village square with Autumn farmers market • Sonder Hollow w/pumpkin patch & pumpkin carving • MyStory Community Garden • Teegle horse/bike rezzers • Flower market, book shop and craft shop, w/ painting on the patio • MyStory cafe, Coffee Shack, Sonder Brewing Co. Please message Emm Vintner or Teagan Lefevre with any questions! 🍂 Visit [The Meadows Cottage] in SL ------------------------------------------------------ For those who prefer a more urban living environment, there is also a loft available for rent.
SL Exploration: Ville De Coeur (Small French Inspired Village)
Today we're taking a mini-adventure to a small European village called "Ville de Coeur" this is a primarily English-speaking sim that has French architecture and culture. If you're looking for a place that is both nice for photography and gives you a small taste of France, then you have come to the right place. This little village can be found in the "Destinations" tab of your viewer under "International" which means this area gets a lot of traffic. This is a place I'd consider checking out as it also mainly meshes and keeps up to standards with Second Life's graphics advancements otherwise known as going fully mesh. While exploring this little village you'll find that the demographics of users that you'll find here are normally 35 and older. However, now and then I've run into someone who is around their late 20s early 30s. If you find someone younger here, for the most part, their either exploring, looking for a place to do photography, or just have an old soul. To be fair, this sim appeals to anyone and everyone even though it attracts older and mature individuals so don't let this frighten you away from the overall concept and amazing community this little town has to offer. There is so much to do, always someone to talk to, and from what I've experienced thus far no drama (I normally try to find places with little to no drama, because who wants their Second Life experience ruined by other peoples issues?).
Ville de Coeur as told by one of the users who own a gallery within walking distance from the entrance of the sim is 7 connected full sims. I'm mainly focusing on the main area as this was mostly what I explored but will be sure to explore the rest later and compile a detailed post on it. This area is very pleasing to the eye, relaxing, romantic, and overall a lighthearted atmosphere. There are always people here and from what I've experienced everyone is extremely friendly in the area. There isn't one person that I've questioned as far as their motives, everyone just wants to talk, relax, and enjoy the scenery. There are a lot of dance balls, poses, and snuggle areas as well as a small café by the docks. There are residential areas where those who want to be on the sim can live and enjoy more of the community. I wouldn't say this is much of a come and go destination… if you come here you come and stay and explore everything. The French theme is seen everywhere with mimes lining the streets, churches, the French flags above the market corridor and cobblestone streets. In a sense, if you're into old architecture it reminds me of an older France then today's rendition of the country.
Meeting new people:
As I’ve stated, this sim is filled with so many friendly people my first visit into this area a gentleman was sitting by the dock with some coffee and a bottle of wine in a small little café created area. He welcomed me in and then asked me if I wanted to join him for a little bit if I'm honest I had to leave not long after he invited me over to chat and hang out with him. I felt bad because he was so nice about it and talked to me about the community. He explained, that he owned a small gallery in the area which is where I asked if it was real life photos displayed in Second Life or more along the lines of Second Life photography and photo editing. His gallery is Second Life photography there is nothing wrong with that as I take photos of all my adventures and then of course post it onto this blog. I will be joining him on a small walking tour of some point in the small village and community.
I've come here at all hours of the night so I could type up a genuine and true portrayal of this sim it required me to pop in quite a few times to be able to do so. In the end, if you're looking for a drama-free place to meet new people and make new friends this is probably the perfect place to be. There is so much to do from walking around with a walking tour either with someone or alone to hanging out on the beach and partying in the small gazebo with a bar, seating, and dancing, there is so much to do. Also, if you love randomly dancing consistently throughout a city like you would find in a Broadway show when in a small city or village than you will appreciate all the dance orb rezzers throughout the entire sim. This is a perfect place for romance as well as it's a very enjoyable place to be with that special someone. There are a lot of couple's activities and dancing is for more than one person as well as some of the specific walkers. What I love the most about the people here is they don't have a hidden agenda. You might get someone saying you're pretty or attractive, but they aren't going to try and de-robe you in bed within the next hour of talking to someone. Everyone here has values and isn't the type to cause drama from what I've experienced the 8 times I've visited this area. The people who are here are here to be a part of a community and have fun by surfing the waves, dancing, virtual drinking, etc. Sex is not the primary thing on most of the peoples' minds here so it's a nice escape from the rest of Second Life.
Scenery:
When exploring if you can't tell this sim is made from a French theme then you might want to re-evaluate what you can and cannot see. The theme of this village Is to connect it with an older version of France. Which of course is one of the most romantic countries in the world. The area is lined by the French flag in banners throughout the main sim of this area to a small gathering area with a water fountain. Which by the way is a super nice touch with the cobblestone streets, if I'm honest the area reminded me of how Charles Dickens in his literature describes his surroundings in 1800s England. It's very beautiful and I feel literature enthusiasts and historians will appreciate this area! There are shops everywhere but ahead of time, I'll explain that a lot of the shops here are mainly older Second Life outfits that aren't mesh. But to be fair I still have some outfits like those in my inventory some things just never get old even when everything moves forward. It's nice to support small businesses though so don't let that throw you off from looking around. There aren't any roads throughout this sim it's all paths and walking areas so don't be ready to bring out your Lamborghini's and other cars you bought on the Second Life marketplace.
There is so much to do there are sitting areas, you can swim, surf, sail, drink, dance, you name it you can do it on the beach except be fully nude. This isn't a nude beach if you want to be nude on a beach there are sims specifically for that sorry my beautiful nudists out there. Right next to it which I explained in the "meeting people" section of this post is the small little shack where you can drink, sit, and dance in an outside bar-like setting. Right next to it is a small swimming area it's a pool with a beautiful gazebo where I took a photo of my avatar. It was such a pretty section I just had too! There aren't couple swimming animations but it's there if you want to take a dip in the pool instead of the beach.
Everything about this sim matches the theme perfectly. There’s also a residential area if you’re looking to live in this small community to find out more about this please visit the Ville de Coeur website at https://villedecoeur.online/ where you can find more information about the community, events, and residential areas.
To conclude, I enjoyed my time here in Ville de Coeur and plan to visit more in the future. The scenery is gorgeous, and you can do pretty much anything in a beautiful setting. There's so much to do and it's just overall a super appealing area with so many kind people in the area to chat with and enjoy your time with. With so much to do, I would come to explore the beauty of this sim and how well made it is. If you have any more questions or want to know more about the sim please visit their website at https://villedecoeur.online/ until next time...
