Take about a long day in Brazil. A person would think that hanging out on a Brazilian island in Second Life, it wouldn’t be too difficult to find a few people who were willing to be interviewed that are from Brazil. This is where I was wrong, however. I spent the majority of my Sunday teleporting from place to place at different times of the day trying to find people that were willing to be interview. I still did not get the full interviews that I would have liked to, but I met some that were willing to talk for a few minutes.

            The first person I met was “THAMIRYS1213” in a place called “PLAYA PARAISO II, LOVE CORNERS, EXCLUSIVE CREATIONS, Marianna”. I found it after teleporting to the “UNIVERSITY OF BRAZIL WORLD AVATAR HEADQUARTERS, RIO,RJ, BRASIL, Marianna” and flying around. The conversation was not very helpful, to say the least.

 

[12:15] THAMIRYS1213: td bem?

[12:15] juliusrandle: Olá, eu sou um estudante de uma universidade nos Estados Unidos. Eu estou trabalhando em um projeto de classe sobre comunidades no Second Life. Posso conversar com você por alguns minutos? Eu gostaria de fazer-lhe algumas perguntas sobre a sua participação nesta segunda comunidade Vida. Não vai demorar muito.

[12:15] THAMIRYS1213: ok

[12:15] THAMIRYS1213: pergunte

[12:16] THAMIRYS1213: respondo

[12:16] juliusrandle: você é do Brasil?

[12:16] THAMIRYS1213: deixa eu te fazer uma pergunta primeiro?

[12:16] THAMIRYS1213: sim sou brasileira

[12:16] THAMIRYS1213: a quanto tempo vc ta aki no second life?

[12:18] juliusrandle: Eu sou bastante novo para a segunda vida. i juntou primário para fazer a pesquisa para a minha aula. quanto tempo você tem sido uma parte do Second Life?

[12:19] THAMIRYS1213: mas tempo quanto a mais de 20 dias?

[12:19] THAMIRYS1213: sim eun estou no sl a um ano

[12:20] juliusrandle: Sim, eu tenho. você é um local para esta ilha, ou apenas visitando?

[12:21] THAMIRYS1213: é lindo aki mesmo

[12:21] juliusrandle: See also: what

o quê?

[12:21] THAMIRYS1213: do u setnd me?

[12:22] THAMIRYS1213: i speack english dont very well

[12:22] THAMIRYS1213: but i can stend u

[12:23] THAMIRYS1213: acept animation

[12:23] juliusrandle: eu falo principalmente engish, mas assumiu que você fala português. quanto tempo você tem vindo a esta ilha?

[12:23] THAMIRYS1213: u is very very bad

[12:24] THAMIRYS1213: nesta ilha hj é primeira vez

[12:25] juliusrandle: você está interessado em todos os esportes, como o futebol?

[12:34] juliusrandle: você não quer mais ser entrevistado?

[12:36] juliusrandle: não? bem, obrigado pelo seu tempo

 

Yes, it took me a while to translate everything into English, and then translate my responses into Portuguese. To sum up the conversation, she agreed to answer a few questions at first. She told me she was from Brazil and had been a member of Second Life for about a year. She said this is her “first” island, which I assumed to mean her primary island. Once I began to attempt casual conversation, such as asking her about her interests, I received no more response. I noticed her avatar began to engage in “physical” interaction with another avatar that was unresponsive as well. I assumed it was time for me to move on.

            The Island itself was rather unique, having part of it that could only be accessed by group members, which I was not. The atmosphere seemed tropical, having palm trees, sunshine, and an “outdoor” living area if that is what it could be called. I was never able to question the local about the area, as she became unresponsive. But I could see it being similar to a place in Brazil.

The SLurl is as follows: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Marianna/140/225/21

 

 

The next person I found was actually rather interesting. Her name was “sweet lullaby”. I found her basically the same way I found the first person, after teleporting to the AVATAR HEADQUARTERS in Brazil and flying around. I continuously flew upward until I found a “skybox” with someone inside of it. I couldn’t get in it, but I could see her inside and began chatting with her. The conversation was actually rather surprising.

 

[15:22] juliusrandle: Are you from brazil?

[15:22] sωєєт lυllαвy (fearxbringer): No

[15:22] juliusrandle: what country are you from?

[15:22] sωєєт lυllαвy (fearxbringer): USA but I’m constantly in sweden

[15:23] juliusrandle: Do you come to this island often? this is brazil isnt it?

[15:23] sωєєт lυllαвy (fearxbringer): let me go get this dog out of this cage real fast… it only take like 3 minutes

[15:23] sωєєт lυllαвy (fearxbringer): I’m not sure… my friend gave me this skybox

[15:25] juliusrandle: have you met anyone since you have been here? how long have you owned this skybox?

[15:27] sωєєт lυllαвy (fearxbringer): a month… and yea

[15:27] sωєєт lυllαвy (fearxbringer): your the second person lol

[15:27] sωєєт lυllαвy (fearxbringer): but i dont go out of my skybox

[15:29] juliusrandle: what do you do all of the time in the box?

[15:29] sωєєт lυllαвy (fearxbringer): its my dressing room…

[15:30] sωєєт lυllαвy (fearxbringer): i shop and rez and try on and tweak

[15:32] juliusrandle: have you met anyone from brazil or any other country here? i thought this was part of brazik

[15:32] juliusrandle: brazil

[15:32] sωєєт lυllαвy (fearxbringer): Yes.. one person.. but he just wanted to have sex

[15:34] juliusrandle: i promise i am not here to ask for that. This is for part of my cosmopolitan class. Has anyone else tried to talk to you since you have been here?

[15:34] sωєєт lυllαвy (fearxbringer): Nope

[15:34] sωєєт lυllαвy (fearxbringer): Doesnt seem to be a very busy sim

[15:35] juliusrandle: i have noticed that. I have had a hard time finding anyone from brazil to interview

[15:35] sωєєт lυllαвy (fearxbringer): Ah

 

It turned out to be a woman from America who had a skybox on a Brazilian island. I didn’t expect to be meeting many Americans on a Brazilian island, to be honest, so I continued to chat with her and ask her about the place. She really didn’t know much, and after her last IM she teleported elsewhere. I know this wasn’t exactly the kind of person I was supposed to be interviewing, but I thought it was strange that she had a dressing room on this island. The conversation was in English, so there really isn’t much to explain.

            The box itself was floating very high above the main island down below. It just looked like a large white box floating in the air until I was able to look inside. She called it her “dressing room”, yet there was hardly anything inside. The pictures sum up pretty much everything that was there.

The SLurl to the area near the box is: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Marianna/116/218/800

 

My best interview came late last night and was my last interview. I teleported to “AVATAR BRASIL” because I have been able to find a few people there at any given time. Her name was “TheDarkRises” and she was the most interesting person I have found in Second Life.

 

[17:00] juliusrandle: hello, do you speak english?

[17:01] TheDarkRises: no portuguese

[17:01] juliusrandle: Oi, eu sou um estudante de uma universidade nos Estados Unidos. Eu estou trabalhando em um projeto de classe sobre comunidades no Second Life. Posso conversar com você por alguns minutos? Eu gostaria de fazer-lhe algumas perguntas sobre a sua participação nesta segunda comunidade Vida. Não vai demorar muito.

[17:02] TheDarkRises: ok

[17:02] juliusrandle: você é um local para esta ilha. ou só de visita?

[17:03] TheDarkRises: venho aqui para editar objetos (visita)

[17:04] juliusrandle: assim você vem sempre aqui, sim?

[17:04] TheDarkRises: sim

[17:06] juliusrandle: você poderia me dizer um pouco sobre este lugar? quais são as pessoas como que visita aqui?

[17:06] TheDarkRises: Esta ilha é de ajuda.

[17:07] TheDarkRises: Principalmente para iniciantes

[17:07] TheDarkRises: Mas também para os que gostam de editar objetos

[17:08] TheDarkRises: e o próprio avatar

[17:08] TheDarkRises: aqui existe um Banco

[17:09] TheDarkRises: as pessoas podem comprar lindens (dinheiro para o second life)

[17:09] juliusrandle: Você é um iniciante? ou alguém aqui para ajudar os iniciantes?

[17:10] TheDarkRises: se você clicar em meu corpo com o botão do lado direito, e escolher Profile

[17:10] TheDarkRises: verá que tenho 2 anos

[17:11] TheDarkRises: sempre ajudo as pessoas que pedem

[17:11] TheDarkRises: Existem ilhas de ajuda com voluntários

[17:12] TheDarkRises: que dão plantão para ajudar as pessoas que chegam na ilha.

[17:12] juliusrandle: É esta a sua ilha casa? você é Brasil na vida real?

[17:13] TheDarkRises: aqui não é minha casa

[17:14] TheDarkRises: Na vida real sou da cidade de São Paulo, no Brasil

[17:14] TheDarkRises: Aqui sou vampiro

[17:14] TheDarkRises: kkkk

[17:16] juliusrandle: você já conheceu muitas pessoas de todo o mundo nesta ilha? ou na maior parte do Brasil?ᕐ⮤Ḁ〳

[17:17] TheDarkRises: Nesta ilha conheci poucas pessoas

[17:17] TheDarkRises: Nas ilhas onde tem eventos, dança

[17:17] TheDarkRises: CConhecemos mais gente

[17:18] TheDarkRises: conhecemos mais pessoas

[17:18] TheDarkRises: de muitos paises

[17:18] TheDarkRises: Meu atual esposo é de Portugal

[17:18] TheDarkRises: Conheci ele aqui

[17:19] TheDarkRises: e depois de 2 anos ele veio para o Brasil, na vida real e nos casamos

[17:20] TheDarkRises: O avatar dele aqui é o Espanhol Teixeira

[17:20] TheDarkRises: está aqui do lado

[17:21] juliusrandle: que é tão legal! Eu sou novo para o Second Life. principalmente aqui para a pesquisa para uma das minhas aulas. O que você faz para viver?

[17:21] TheDarkRises: aqui ou na vida real?

[17:22] juliusrandle: vida real

[17:22] TheDarkRises: sou arquiteta

[17:22] TheDarkRises: trabalho para o governo

[17:24] juliusrandle: Oh! im actualmente na escola para ser um farmacêutico! foi ótimo conhecê-lo. obrigado pela sua ajuda!

[17:25] TheDarkRises: Foi um prazer

[17:25] TheDarkRises: Boa Sorte com o tgrabalho

 

Another conversation in Portuguese, I know. To translate it however, the woman said she is from São Paulo, Brazil. She was a local to the Island, which she told me is primarily for editing things and for newcomers to explore, and I could see that, as there are many freebies and available items to buy on this island. She has been a member since 2011 and actually met her husband through second life, which I thought was awesome. He was from Portugal, met her online, eventually moved to Brazil, and they got married. For a living, she told me she works as an architect for the Brazilian government. I’m not entirely sure how truthful she was about the whole thing, but regardless if she was telling me the truth or not, I certainly enjoyed talking to her and learning about her life. I thanked her for her time, and proceeded to teleport back to my home island.

The area was mostly shops and buildings to explore. Many of the places there offer clothing articles to buy, or spaces to rent. 

The SLurl for this area is: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Avatar%20Brasil/121/73/23

 

            While only one interview really turned out to be what I was looking for, I found it rather interesting to meet the people that I did. The American with a place in a Brazilian caught me off guard, but it was cool to meet someone else from the United States. She helped me with what she could, and I thank her for that. The last interview was without a doubt the most interesting, as I was able to meet and casually talk to someone living in Brazil. We added each other as friends, and I will now be able to contact her anytime if I so choose. In terms of a cosmopolitan canopy, there are some who choose to respond and be friendly, and some who do not which to talk. I don’t know if I would consider these places cosmopolitan canopy, because not everyone wants to engage in conversation with others. I did not, however, have anyone attempt to talk down or badly toward me, so in a sense, maybe there was some respect between all. I enjoyed my time spent talking to those who did respond, and do actually feel more on common ground with those of a different country than I did before.