Top row from left to right: Apollo Call, Caine Elcano, David Jupiter, & Gin Zaks.

Jaymz Pearl is taking the world of Second Life™ by the horns.

"I want to be one of those guys that they say 'we can't do this fashion show without Jaymz here'. We must have him at all costs. Face on billboards, magazines. I'm not aspiring to much. Just to be the best. LOL!"

Highly stlyish and drawn to fashion, his goals are not lofty in his mind. But before all that, the title of Mr. Costa Sims 2010 yawns before him. And he is eager.

Having found Second Life™ about two or three years ago, he found it difficult to nagivate due more to his impatience with the platform at that time rather than a lack of understanding.

"I don't think I made it out of the newbie starting gate."

Be that as it may, he found his way back.

"One night I was bored and I think I came across a website and said let me try again and see what happens. I have been hooked ever since.

It started slow at first but then became addicted. There really was not much of a beginners tutorial. Though I have been around for a year now I still feel like I'm new sometimes. I'm trying to learn. I do often wonder where I would be had I stuck it out years ago."

A feeling we all know too well. Second Life™ with its myriad of interests and possibilities snags people left and right across the globe. Originally from New York, Jaymz wanted a place to escape from real life for a while.

"I have a very busy RL and I just wanted something for myself. That's why I started but what keeps me coming back is that I'm like a sponge. Theres so much to learn and do and I still learn a ton every day. My partner Sammie teases me all the time. I'm always asking questions. I love to learn and in alot ways Second Life™ is like a huge expanse of untapped potential. There are so many people, so many chances to meet people that you would never come in contact with in RL."

Like Costa Rica. He had been on the Second Life™ grid for about eight months before he found Costa Rica sims.

"It's because of my partner Sammie [Samantha Ohrberg] that I'm here."

Jaymz and Samantha met in a very Second Life™ way. I dare you to be able to do this in real life.

"KMADD [MADesigns] had a sale going on and she teleported in on my head. We met and she wouldn't stop talking about this place. [It was] really by chance but it was the greatest thing ever. We dated for a while and when we decided to go further I moved into Costa Rica with her and that's how I ended up here. She raved and raved about Costa Rica and after being here for months I know why."

The two plan to wed in April.

"Date to be decided. That would be my fault with my hectic schedule, lack of a date. I was a bachelor living in skyboxes away from everyone. There is no better place to build a second life than Costa Rica. Plus I'm a shopaholic so to be in what I believe to be the fashion mecca of Second Life™ is just a bonus."

Being interested in modeling even before he met his partner, Jaymz has high goals for himself within the fashion industry.

"I figured I'm good looking. I have "swagger". The next logical step would be to put that out for the world to see. Again because I love to shop, to be in a field that I could have acess to the newest trends and fashions is where I want to be. I'm a trendy kinda guy even in real life and I have to have all the newest gadgets. LOL!"

Entering the Mr. Costa Rica Sims pageant is a step in the right direction. And if he wins, all the doors will be open.

"It's a great way for me to break into the industry and hopefully take it by storm. This is all like uncharted territory for me, learning as I go so I wasn't aware of the prizes. I entered to get exposure. When I found out about the prizes and saw what some of them were I was like score! Just icing on the cake."

Navigating the uncharted territory, Jaymz is hardest on himself, especially during practice.

"The rehearsals are good and Clyde [Saunders] runs a tight ship. LOL! But he also works with you. It's not as demanding as I thought. I find that I'm harder on myself, needing to practice and trying to hit marks. One of my greatest strengths and weaknesses is that I'm a perfectionist. I'm harder on myself than anyone ever could be. A great learning experience and its a ton of fun. Learning and meeting new people. Two of my favorite things."

Being a curious bunny by nature, I wonder who some of his favorite designers are in the Second Life™ fashion arena.

"Hmm... Redgrave was one of the first stores I ran into in SL. I think I own her whole store. Muism, AOHARU, LE.LOOK!, Kalrau, Hoorenbeek. I like detail. If they have great detail they have me. Funny, I'm always complaining that women have so much more than men do as far as choices in SL but even from a year ago it has grown. I'm into fashion in real life as well, so attention to detail is what gets me, if they have amazing detail, if it looks like it does in real life. That's what I want."

Do I sense a Jaymz Pearl fashion house in the works?

"I wanted to originally create clothes. I feel I have a great fashion sense and I think to hear of the woes clothing creators go through deterred me a bit. That's one of my fears. It's sad that there are people like that out there."

Content theft is a big problem in Second Life™. With so many measures in place and hopefully more coming, Jaymz will definitely do his homework. But that's not stopping him from planning.

"I am learning to build. That is one of my bigger goals, more long term to be an awesome builder. Photoshop, learning to do photography and I want to learn scripting. I want to be self sufficient and to be able to build anything I might want for myself. These are all things I would never have gotten into if not for Second Life™, never would have dreamt of it."

Seems like a huge plate, but Jaymz' shoulders are big enough to handle it. He's got the confidence and the people skills.

"Who knows, maybe one day you could be wearing a Jaymz original and having this interview with someone else and they say that my store is one of their favorites. Thinking of cool names for a store and clothing line."

We have no doubt Jaymz. As Jaymz goes through names for his future shop and clothing line, we wish him the best in the pageant and the future.

My last interview with the FINAL finalist, Todd Anton will bring our set of interviews to a close. I hope you've all enjoyed learning about the finalists and don't forget, only five days left until the Mr. Costa Rica Sims 2010 pageant. Hope to see you all there. ;)

peace & love,

Keshi