Blu Sparkle

Region has been sold.

Full Grandfathered sim for sale. 20K prims. Buyers only! Land is empty. Buyer pays transfer fees of $300 US in addition to purchase price in Lindens during transaction. Region name and location must be changed upon transfer. Tier is due on the 24th of each month - $179/mo + any applicable taxes. If sale is not completed before tier is due, Buyer will pay tier in addition to sim price and transfer fees as well as any additional fees associated with renaming and relocation. Submit serious offers only via IM and notecard inworld to Blu Sparkle. Landmark: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Isle%20of%20Dogs/80/169/30

Hi, Ebbe. I'm glad to hear that you have joined the leadership of Linden Lab and that you plan to actually be a presence in Second Life. Frankly, there is no way to understand that Second Life is not a "game," but is actually a world unless you "live" in it. I could tell so many stories about being a noob and wearing all manner of items on my head (the default attachment point when I was new) or losing great pieces of my house when I was learning about using the building and editing tools. There is definitely a sharp learning curve to SL and one either gets it, is fascinated, and stays; or one doesn't "get it," and gives up on what I consider to be one of the most incredible experiences that can be had. I got it, and I stayed. I think I would rather tell you a different kind of story - one of personal development and growth and of a broadened view of myself and others. I had only been in SL two weeks. I had already sold my "first land" and had gone back to the little place to see who had bought it. There, standing on the parcel, was a lady all dressed in black, with cool red hair, and we began to chat. She was a wonderful lady from the UK. I was so much in awe of her abilities -- I mean she knew all about dressing herself, wearing shoes WITH the shoebase, how to wear clothes without wearing their boxes on your head first, and everything! We became friends and, in very short order, business partners. We have been so ever since, but our "business" has changed quite a bit. Several months after our arrival, we were taken to a sim called Caledon where we were first introduced to the Virtual Kennel Club ("VKC") and the VKC Dogs. I remember my friend and I peering over the fence and watching while the creator of the dogs, Enrico Genosse, commanded the dogs in chat and they would actually DO what he told them. We were both blown away and our Second Life changed forever. In RL, I have always been a bit shy at first (though my friends would never use that term to describe me), but I was not shy about contacting the dogs' creator and bugging him at every occasion I could think of to tell him how great his creations were or to explain what I considered to be some grievous error I had made while playing with them. I think the poor man became friends with me and my friend because we were constantly IMing him the second we would see him come on. One day, the three of us sat down in the first VKC Dog Park (Calendon) in a gazebo to talk. Enrico was trying to come up with the best way to market his dogs and was thinking of selling them from vendors. Vendors??? Seriously??? NO WAY! I wouldn't hear of it! I said, "You can't put them in boxes. These are like RL dogs! They learn! They respond to praise! They become your friends and companions! Vendors are simply out of the question. The dogs must be shown in a place where they can be free to roam around and let people see them for what they are." It was soon thereafter that the three of us bought an island where my friend and I would sell our creations, and Enrico would have room to show off his dogs in the best light. As soon as the island was open to the public and people started coming by, I found myself jumping in with both feet to talk to each one of them. I wanted to greet them and show them the dogs. I wasn't shy at all! I loved it. I spoke with as many people as I could, telling them all about the VKC Dogs, what they could do, and how wonderful they were. And I listened too. I cannot begin to tell you all the stories of dog owners whose RL dogs had passed, or who were unable to have dogs in RL, and how the VKC Dogs healed their broken hearts. It was not too long before my friend's and my business magically became being Enrico's and the VKC's face to the world of SL and his ears for comments, good and bad, about his creations. In that way, the VKC has grown exponentially and so have I over the years. I have learned that I am not as shy as I had thought, that speaking to a stranger with an inner smile that translates warmly into a virtual world is something I am good at, that I really DO have a creative bone in my body, and that I am capable of making lasting friendships with people from all walks of life and from all over the world. Recently, both my friend and I celebrated our 8th Rez Day in SL. I never tire of it. There is something new every day. And the VKC Dogs? They still amaze me and make me laugh every single time I see them. Thanks for listening, and welcome to what I hope you find is a wonderful life to have - Second Life.