Spotlight on the Kissing Booth and Valeria Paster-Bimala Tagore Reporting

The Kissing Booth brought to Second Life from The SIMS Online nearly a decade ago. Its objective was to become a local icon through lighting and friendly club entertainment and has certainly made its mark. Valeria Paster is the creator and responsible for this a small intimate friendly place. Both Drums, a great dancer and guru of music along with Valeria Paster represents the joy of living intensely. Following-up and continuity are important, as well as keeping promises to become a musical cult and unique club with kind avatars, DJs and mentors. The Kissing Booth features the kind of attention that is sure to gratify the most challenging visitor and will certainly stimulate the five senses of those who appreciate relationships, worthy music, kisses, bites and funny people who share the same interests.

Valeria is firmly established as an entertainment promoter in Second Life and it is something that nobody would deny, because she has more followers and true friends more than most in Second Life. It can be seen by the large numbers of avatars who gather at the club.

Interview with Valeria

Bimala: Valeria, could you tell me about the trajectory of Kissing Booth’s. I know you started in “The Sims Online”, a highly popular computer game, and then migrated to Second Life in 2006. Tell us about this amazing historic process.

Valeria: Oct 2003 I downloaded the “Sims online”, when searching for a place I saw a place called “The Kissing Room” so I landed there. There was a girl named Sally just building the room. She asked me if I wanted to be a roommate and I said yes at that time. She was charging like 10 “Simoleans” for a kiss any way’s then  I went on vacation for 2 weeks when I came back she had changed the name to “THE KISSING BOOTH” and no longer charged for a kiss :)  We were number one romance house in “The Sims Online” after 6 months Sally turned over the “Kissing Booth” land to me she said that it was me and I was always there running the place for her. She moved on in “The Sims online” for other avenues, so, I decided to make a kissing booth in Second Life when “The Sims online” went out of business. I think it was like august 2006. I made a Valeria in Second Life who was owner in “The Sims online” and along with my RL Sister Tammie Trottier we decided to buy two plots of land which had 117 prims for each plot. We had total of 234 prims for our very first Kissing Booth in Second life. We put a kissing booth stand that my friend made, and asked another “The Sims online” friend to make 4 walls and floor with no ceiling. However most the people that came to “The Kissing Booth” was friends from TSO but we continued to make new friends here in Second Life at that time we just played R&B on the radio but one day we found out that we could stream into Second Life, so we got a DJ friend from “Sims online”, his name is DJ Canuck who worked for Volt Radio at that time. Then we started having DJ's coming in then themes & contests. DJ Dreams, DJ Pasing Wind, DJ Stella, they would bring their friends and the friends brought their friends and it just snowballed. This is how the “The Kissing Booth” got started in Second Life.

Bimala: The best DJs from all over the virtual world come to Kissing Booth joining the best club and the best nightlife.  Since the beginning of the Kissing Booth, your venue has been a welcoming “domicile” for new members and also the best spot to meet and share with friends over the last 8 years. In this regard, Kissing Booth´s is where many Djs take pride in sharing music with patrons. Most of them manage their own music collections. Why is Kissing Booth so successful and how it packs the house every weekend?

Valeria: I feel the “Kissing Booth” in Second Life is unique & we are PG which it’s safe for just about any age, it’s a small & friendly club, after myself going to other clubs the KB always feels like home and I have been told that many times over the years. We have loyal regulars VIPs & STAFF. We have about 1400 in the group, but over all we are family at the Kissing Booth. We greet everyone that comes in and make them feel at home. We have many awesome dances in dance pad, dance balls and couples dances, unlike other clubs you walk in don't know where the dance balls are, no one greets you. We also give a little linden love as well with a random drawing, coin tosses, etc.

Bimala: We are individually responsible for the influences that we apply on others. Noob support is some kind of social assistance in this virtual world and in this amazing story, Djs entertainment are the main attraction in your club. We entertain ourselves by dancing around the fires to the beat of the music or joining the ritual of good companionship because we all know music is a cultural phenomenon in Second Life. Please tell us about the huge body of virtual souls congregated in Kissing Booth?

Valeria: We have awesome DJs who are free to play what they want, which is many genre and people keep coming back so it tells me we are doing the right thing. We are almost to 80k people coming in the KB for the last 5 years. Did not count how many before that but I think that's a very big accomplishment and tells me we are doing something right

Bimala: I will take this opportunity to express my gratitude and appreciation to those DJS who initiated this noble job and their followers. They deserve our appreciation. You told us about Volt Radio, sparklingly creative community of crazy Djs. “The Kissing Book” supports its own radio. Tell us about the story of “Fly High Radio”.

Valeria: Since Fantasy2u Deere joined Second Life back in 2006, her sole aim was to share her distinctive style of music with others. By first gaining experience with her residency at the popular Kissing Booth Club, she perfected her producing skills. DJ Deere continues to entertain audiences with her original blues sets, ubiquitous rhythms, soulful melodies and unique artistry. She raises the bar as evidenced through a simple listen to her widely-acclaimed radio station, Fly High Radio. So we made her station our own station.

Bimala: In marketing some people say that a good name will last.  Kissing Booth is some kind of attraction where the man or women running the booth aren’t kissing customers for money. Why did you choose that name for your club? Have you ever seen or participated in a kissing booth? ;)

Valeria: We never charged for kisses but it does make people come in wondering what a kissing booth is. So they come in and check it out. We are in the process having a KB event where singles can come in & pay for a kiss... our club is really PG almost any age is welcome. We make everyone feel welcome if you are furies, fairy, gay, we do not discriminate in any way.

Bimala: Your support makes the difference. You have helped so many new residents get a head start in SL.  Could you expand a little bit more about this?

Valeria: If a newbie comes in whoever in the club will help them get started giving clothes, hints where to find stuff on market place or even give them skin, shapes, hair and a nice outfit. I know when I made my first Avatar in SL back in 2004 I was a complete newbie for over a year no one helped me and I almost stopped playing.. so my mission in second life is to help others enjoy second life as much as I do now... so if you are newbie and need help the kissing is the place to go... so many people drop in saying someone told them to come here to get help so I feel we are a first-aid station for newbies :) most of the newbies will move on after a month or two but to my delight they will pop in once in a while they never ever forget the KB..Below here are some feedbacks from a sign I have at the kb for the last 3 months

Definitely KISSING BOOTH is the place to be! Don’t forget to visit this fantastic club.

                                                             

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cerisyi/198/22/21

https://www.facebook.com/thekissing.booth.5

https://www.avatarsocialnetwork.com/group/59