My memory of the first sim i saw was very vivid and magical. It was the Izakay Tereboro by Tokyo Tv. The head guy, Ken Cioc was always at this local bar place. And for some reason there is always a whole gang of people there. Poeple jsut sit around talk. As I did not understand any Japanese, it was always mysterious what they were talking about. So i had some bits of it translated. They were always talking about something heavy, very heavy. In anycase, as i was a newbie, i was a man and a woman, trying on different clothes. But as a man, i always looked too feminine, as if the avatar had make up on, or else, its jsut a lump, no character male.
The sim was very realistic set in 40s post war japan. Things were simple and mostly mechical and not the electronic goods Japan - reminds me of the era of a small msuuem in Japan. But that small museum was musty and dusty and even though nostalgic, it must not have been easy living. You can tell by the simple, worn, old moth ball feelings of the rough wood planks etc. People lived in such houses. But in sl, since there is no dust, everything is clean, straight lined. Charming.
The group of people at the bar were regulars. I thought, why are these people always here and in other places you have to offer camp money for people to hang around?
Then i figured its because of the bar man. The bar mann always greeted guests, and he was always polite, friendly. He seemed to be a mature man. His words are measured, makes you feel welcome. And one time, the bar girl even said, Swann welcome home! in English. Here, I learned everyday, you just chat and get a little closer to people learn about them. Like the little prince and the fox.
They were not friendly at the beginning. One time, a few women gathered together, and they asked me if i were pretty in real life. (How come she is here all the time, she must be very ugly in rl? No friend, no boy friend, no body...thats why she hangs around in this bar, not even a real bar, but an sl bar!)
Because i didnt understand the on going language, I am free to wander around in the sandbox and just watched people making things. I like to see their objects, its always funny with a special attention to detail way of making objects.
Later, there was a firework festival, and then the closing festival. All through these events, I think it was a piece of theatre, thats planned for a tv show thats aired - like an animnation film I guess.
I would like to see the show that was aired in Japan on tv, but it seems that nobody has any trace of this 2 months experiment.
How could that be, its a tv station! Someone must have a trace.
I will need to investigate more.
For me it was an experiential learning, very much like real life. My avatar was really me, i didnt play another person, i was walking around asking questions, dragging the timid people into bars, and offering them drinks. Then I was invited to join their club, then... finally, one day the big moment came, i found out where to buy the koto that was on display at the restaurant.
Ken took the care to actually tp me to the shop! I really appreciated that.
After this, I started the building of my guqin. I bought 2 kotos, just in case i totally broke one, i would still have a backup. :)
For me it was magic, but for the Japanese who were there - they were really working - not as an avatar flitting here and there watching, they were the puppeteers making the puppets and pulling the strings at the same time. I think the two months for them was very different.
Ken does not log in anymore.
His mission is over, he said he wont have time to come into sl much anymore.
Well, i missed the old Izakaya. It really felt like home, because of Ken.
I want to make a bar, that could generate this kind of warmth, but unders what conditions could this happen?
I have been to many other bars since, and I really cant figure out why people hang around and chat about nothing, there was no common topic of discussion ... great time... had fun... sexy dancing... how? what? I dont understand the pleasure of it that much.
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