PARADISE IN PIXELS: MOUNT FUJI VILLAGE – JOSH (THOMAS1 BELLIC) REPORTING

For those few of you who have not been to see the Grand Canyon, Second Life, you are truly missing out on one of the Seven Wonders of The Virtual World.  Built by Lis Dubrovna, she has pioneered all kinds of new techniques in Virtual World Construction. While creating the Grand Canyon, with its spectacular vistas and unending beauty, she came up with a unique solution to the question of what to do with all the pixels she scooped out to make the canyons.  Rather than simply allow them to default back to Linden Labs, she repurposed all those pixels and built an adjoining wonder:  Mount Everest.

Well, Folks, she’s done it again.  With the help of her partner and Business Manager, Stephen, she has created yet ANOTHER wonder of the virtual world: Mount Fuji Village.

I saw the notice, announcing the Grand Opening of Mt Fuji Village, and thought I would go check it out.

While there, I came upon Lis and Stephen, finishing up a row of red ceramic roofing shingles on one of the buildings.  They paused from their labors long enough to answer a few questions for you, the SL Enquirer Reader.

Josh (Thonmas1 Bellic) (JB):  What an amazing build.  Where do you get the inspiration for a Mount Fuji Village?

Lisisme Dubrovna (LD): I had already done a Tibetan village at my Mt. Everest sim so when my builder friend Stephi (StephiDreamEvermore Doune) gave me some incredibly well made and authentic new parts, I realized the potential for building a much larger Japanese themed village at Grand Canyon South where I had plenty of available prims.

JB:  This is a highly detailed build, with literally dozens of huts, rooms, common areas, activities, etc.  It must have taken months to pull it all together.  How much time did you actually spend on this project?

LD:  As all builders in SL know, it is a passion to build, and when you have been building for a while, you visualize the dream, and then building it becomes rather straightforward. Stephen Fafler and I spent 3 days getting the core of the village built, although we still have a few areas and buildings to tweak. The overall vision of this village will obviously continue to evolve as we add more activities and structures to this sim. The vision includes having the village at the center and then continuing to expand with residential areas, and other iconic Japanese structures and landmarks.

JB:  How big a crew did you have helping you?

LD:  As the creator of multiple sims, like the Grand Canyon, Mt Everest, and Crater Lake, to name a few, I have learned that when it comes to terraforming and building, having too many cooks in the kitchen, so to speak, doesn’t always speed up the project. For the Mount Fuji Village, there were only three (3) people involved.  My friend Stephi (StephiDreamEvermore Doune) gave me some wonderfully constructed structures, and I did most of the positioning and layout with Stephen Fafler adding a lot of the detail work.  More than the size of the team, it really comes down to experience.  Working with people like Stephen and Stephi, is always a lot of fun. Our skill level and experience wonderfully complement each other.

JB: From a shrine/Temple to the Spirits, to a massage parlor/Temple to the Body, this place has it all.   Are you finished building here?  Or are there still ideas you want to develop further?

LD:  We are so passionately driven to help make incredible experiences and activities for SL residents, that I am happy to say that no, we are probably never going to stop building and improving this area. We constantly think of new ideas and get some wonderful ideas and feedback from our visitors and friends. We are considering things like a Shibari room - not in the BDSM style - we want it to be a learning place for the art of Shibari. Perhaps a Sumo wrestling area, Japanese tea ceremonies, and themed residential areas, just to mention a few.

JB:  I understand you even have residences for rent?  What are those like and what is included there?

LD:  We will be building a few themed residential areas on the outside of the Mount Fuji village. The residences will be furnished with top-of-the-line furniture and accessories and they will be reasonably priced.

JB:  Tell me about some of your other favorite areas in the Village.

LD:  I love the Japanese furnished home and the veggie market and the seating area there. I  love the balloon tour Stephen created and also the beauty parlor spa. Actually, I love all of it and I envision people using the different areas and having a great time.

Stephen Fafler (SF):  The temple and meditation areas are serene and the waterfall areas are wonderful to see and hear. I really enjoy the interactive garden near the market. It’s a lot of fun.

 JB:  Have you given thought to any kinds of Special Events to attract visitors?  What might they be?

LD:  We are planning a Scavenger Hunt with prizes. We will also have a Pogo Stick Race on a course around the village with a 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize in cash. We have also considered Karaoke contests and Japanese costume competitions. Residents can join the Grand Canyon Group to get announcements about new attractions and activities.

JB:  Mount Everest, and now Mount Fuji?  What’s next?  Maybe a Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii?  Or perhaps a Mount Kilimanjaro and Serengeti Plains theme?

LD:  We would love to continue to realize our dreams in so many ways here in SL, but like all things, we want to focus on things that residents will really enjoy, visit and recommend to others. Building in SL is living art to us, and we hope to find sponsors to help us expand the art of the possible well into the future.

JB:  Is there anything else you would care to share with our readers?

LD: We really want to let residents know that the Mt Fuji Village is free and built for their enjoyment and entertainment. Just like all of our other sims, we do hope for voluntary donations so that we can continue to enhance the experiences for all SL residents that visit.

So, there you have it, folks.  Some places are just too lovely to describe and you really need to see it for yourself.  Go by yourself or better yet, take a friend and explore together the wonders of Mount Fuji Village.

Be there.  Aloha!

JB

SURL:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Grand%20Canyon%20South/172/161/3655