Today, Second Life is in focus. Second life is a virtual world and its like a massively multiplayer online role-playing game but without manufactured conflict, nor a set objective. We have interviewed a user that had her 10 year anniversary in October 2006: Elisabeth Beurling.

It didn't take long before she started to build and create items. She bought her first house after two weeks. The house was instantly retextured and decorated. She even had an Asian inspired room!

- When I was learning to texture, I accidentally textured the entire interior of the bottom floor with a pic of myself. It was like an emotional meltdown, since I wasn't sure if I could change it. My friend Jewel taught me how to fix it. She's my oldest friend in SL. When I bought the land, she lived on the next parcel.

Elisabeth continued by opening an art shop in the New England sims, which sold posters of art. Next to the art shop, she opened a pottery shop with her own SL made pottery. One day she decided to make a coffee shop from a brick urban building.

- Then on that same sim I had an art shop, a used furniture store and the coffee shop. I had a purse shop there too.

Borneo and Beurling

A year or two after that, an orange cat named Borneo walked in. The coffee shop was then called Cup of Goodness. But is there any frustrations when Elisabeth build or design?

- I don't find any frustrations in it really. I like to buy buildings and mod them, so one thing I've found is with the new mesh builds, If I take out or move a wall, there's a shadow painted on behind it. So that's a tough retexture, to make it look realistic. Every other aspect of it, I love. And then, we have Elisabeth's guest. Are they running around, eating her flowers and drinking her wine?

- People are usually looking for conversation! So if you talk to them, they sit down and talk or they get up and dance with everyone and talk. Sometimes a baddy will come around, someone trying to be mean or antisocial but usually I disarm those types by just talking to them a lot, asking them questions. It takes them out of that bad character they're playing, back to their core person. Usually it works.

- You sort of send the message that maybe other people are mean to you, but no one here will be. That lets people relax and makes them want to come back.

Some of Elisabeth's guests do come back quite often. The tone is good and then the friendly pranks starts. Like the AFK shower...

- Oh yeah! LOL! We did the AFK shower, the sombrero, the blowup doll. Those were the funniest times. I'd put a sombrero on their head while they were gone. We had some other things that went with it, but I can't remember what. The shower was the best of those.

For the record: the AFK shower was placed over someone who went away from keybord while the avatar is standing. And on the deck, there was a flamingo sculpture.

- Oh yes, Floyd! I don't even remember how he started, I think there was a luau maybe? Party on the deck! He's been a great mascot and fun to decorate for holidays.

Cup of Goodness

Elisabeth is the undisputed champion of pillow fights in SL, but her favourite memories are racing the newbs around the coffee shop. The Newb Rodeo. She also enjoyed the event where they jumped their bikes off the roof ramp.

- Then we had a few days of deep sea diving off the back deck. Those were some fun times. I guess we all made the fun. Remember when Miles would come in as a fireman and do inspections and make us evacuate? It wasn't really organised. Usually I would get a new toy or an outfit or like, a giant teacup to soak in, and I'd start just setting stuff up for the theme or activity and people would show up. And everyone would get totally into it.

- OMG! I remember when we used to put you up on those pillars?! I laughed so hard when we were doing that. We would wait and wait and wait for you to wake up!

Borneo hoped Elisabeth had forgot. Borneo pooped in her garden after that. And that's why Cup of Goodness moved. But would Elisabeth say her places are a success? Either financially or social?

- Successful financially? No, I don't make any money. Each place has had one or two weeks where the place earned enough to pay its own tier. So you know, 50 weeks out of the year, it's all me paying. But I like it and it's a lot of entertainment and relaxation for me personally. Successes have been making all the friends and fans over the years and keeping them! We're like a family and I feel like I have "followers" who like what I make who like my environments and that's very cool.

- I appreciate people not abandoning me, or thinking I'm crazy, and I'm so glad we all have each other in here! Also, I probably should open a chair museum in sl. I feel so famous!

A takeout from the conversation:
Borneo: is he (Floyd, the flamingo) related to mr. Pink?
Elisabeth: Who is Mr. Pink?
Borneo: Pink Floyd...
Elisabeth: lmao I think you've done that to me several times now
Borneo: I have! :-D
Elisabeth: I have no memory so I'm an easy target lol
Borneo: muhahahaha :)~~~~
Borneo: we still love you.
Elisabeth: ?*¨¨* Thank Youuuuuuuuuu! *¨¨*?

Another takeout from the interview:
Borneo: You are a wise cracker, aint you?
Elisabeth: LOL And you're not?
Borneo: im just a cracker! :-P

Top