At Home With "At HOME WITH" featuring Jaspar Recreant
Written by Brendan Macarthur Friday, 13 May 2011 16:16
Hello everyone. I have been given the opportunity to bring back “At Home With” the residents of Costa Rica Sims. I will attempt to bring you some insight on various persons or couples who are residents here. And today, I’m going to pop over to the residence of Jaspar Recreant. As I understand it, Jaspar is one of the longest residents in Costa Rica Sims.
BM> How long have you been on Second Life?
JR> I've just had my 4th rezz day.
BM> When did you move to Costa Rica and how did you even find this place?
JR> As far as I can remember (it is a while ago now), I moved here in about August 2007. I saw an advertisement for Costa Rica Sims near one of the clubs I used to frequent in those days. The was a TP link, so I clicked on it and found myself in a beautiful park, which was, in fact, the centerpiece of what was then only a small estate. I was impressed, but not particularly interested in buying land at the time. The story continues a few weeks later when I discovered one of my close friends was on the executive team here. He had a block here and I bought a parcel adjoining his. For me, it seemed a big step.
BM> How many sims were there at the time?
JR > There were only two sims then, Puntarenas and Guanacaste.
BM> Wow ! So what impressed you upon finding Costa Rica Sims and made you decide to move here?
JR> I was impressed by its natural beauty. Gian also had a clear view of what he wanted the estate to become. I liked that, particularly as it fitted in with my idea of a great place to live in Second Life. And of course, one of my best friends was a neighbor.
BM> You have know Giancarlo a long time how has your relationship evolved being in Costa Rica Sims so long?
JR> Gian has the knack of being helpful without being intrusive. More importantly, he is also a friend; in fact there are not many people that I have known longer in SL. But really, I don't see very much of him; he is so busy keeping all this going, even with the help from his team.
BM> I’m sure you have seen how the Costa Rica Sims have expanded. What do you think is the key ingredient to the success of Costa Rica Sims?
JR > The sense of welcome and of community, even though it has grown so much. The other thing that I think is important is that the management of the estate, after setting the ground rules, it has encouraged the residents to develop community and their own activities and to become involved as much as they wish., including in the management of the estate. That reflects the philosophy of Second Life itself. We can make of it what we wish.
BM> what would you say is your favorite activity here in Costa Rica Sims?
JR> Oh that's easy - Sailing. There are not many residential estates where you can jump in your boat at home and have access to so many connected water sims and, for the most part, not have to worry about ban lines and security orbs. I also enjoy surfing here and, more recently I've tried hang-gliding.
BM> What you tell anyone who asked you “is Costa Rica Sims a good place to reside”? And why?
JR> Oh I would say "Definitely Yes!". After all, I have lived here a good long time. Why? Well for me there are many reasons. The natural beauty of it. The consistent vision for the look of the estate. The ease of movement around the estate. In so many ways, whatever your interests, there are reasons to live here.
BM> I’m sure you have many stories you could tell over the many years here. Is there any one you would like to share with the other residents?
JR> Perhaps the most amusing one is that it is only very recently, despite knowing each other for years, that Gian and I have discovered we both use voice chat. As it happens, we both pre-date voice chat in SL and have been busily typing away at each other all this time, without realizing that we could save ourselves the bother. I was out sailing and ran into him terraforming a new sim and said hello without thinking. I got a real surprise when he replied and we both had a laugh. That's Second Life for you. Nothing is quite what it seems.
BM > What do you enjoy the most about Second Life?
JR> Oh I think the thing I like best about SL is the fact that I now have friends all over the world and from all walks of life. It's fascinating really and endlessly different.
BM> Have you ever “fallen in love” on SL? And what do you see as the biggest challenges of a SL relationship?
JR> Oh yes. Several times. In different ways they have been richly rewarding experiences, although like anything worthwhile, there have been tough moments. I don't regret any of them though. For me the friendships are real, even if the world is virtual. And sometimes that can be tricky.
BM > In closing, we would like to thank you for your time and the opportunity to visit your beautiful home. Are there any other comments you would like to share with us today?
JR> I think I would like just to echo Giancarlo and close by simply saying "Love and Light". To me it is evocative of Costa Rica Sims.
BM> Well thank you again so very much. And to you rest of you...I hope you enjoyed this interview as much as I did doing it. Until next time!
