Adventures of Kix in SL

You are what you eat!

noreply@blogger.com (Kix Kayamanu) — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:20:00 +0000

I'm not much of a gardner. Perhaps it's because I don't have a green thumb. Or maybe because I don't have my own land to plant a garden. However, I do believe that avatars should have a balanced diet. But since we don't have a Whole Foods in Second Life, an organic fruit and vegetable garden is the next best thing.

I wrote an article called "Food for Thought" at The Slooking Glass magazine online. You can read more about my healthy nutrition adventures and what I found beyond the gardens of Second Life... (besides a blueberry muffin).

Although you may think because I exercise in-world that I don't need to worry about weight, cholesterol, triglyceride levels, and high blood pressure - you're wrong. There may not be true physiological side-effects to unhealthy eating, but there are great psychologically benefits to having healthy items in your inventory.

Mid-day Meditation

noreply@blogger.com (Kix Kayamanu) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:08:00 +0000

Never underestimate the power breathing. Even avatars need to take a few moments out of their day to breathe. And this afternoon was no exception. I was running around doing interviews for my next article and stopped by the Mystic Academy for Jane Atkey's "floating meditation' class.

If you haven't had the chance to attend her class, it is superb! Her voice resonates as she guides you through several breathing exercises and mindful . In fact, it was exactly what I needed today.

You can watch me meditate here.

Childhood memories...

noreply@blogger.com (Kix Kayamanu) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:48:00 +0000

Who doesn't like a good state fair? Don't all kids long for cheap rides, fortune tellers, and cotton candy? I entered SL as an adult so I'm a bit unsure of what children like these days, but I imagine most ferris wheels and clowns are things childhood dreams are made of, right?

After a day of following the Arizona (Real Life) Ironman triathlon, I decided to explore (or create) my childhood and relax a bit at the fair. Now, a carnival may not be your idea of relaxation. And had it been packed with people and lagging in connection, I would agree with you. But it was completely empty and avatar-free! That equaled no waiting and no lines! (And lots of cotton candy!)

Okay, for some, deserted theme parks seem borderline 'creepy' - an backdrop perfect for an episode of Max Payne. But I didn't care. Sometimes a girl just wants to let loose and have a little fun...

Relay for Second Life

noreply@blogger.com (Kix Kayamanu) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:32:00 +0000

Although the Relay for Second Life is still a few months away, I'd encourage you to start training! If you go to the American Cancer Society headquarters in SL, you'll see the major efforts that have already been made in preparation for the event. Groups have teamed together to raise awareness and funds - so be sure to donate your Lindens to the cause.

Here, I'm looking at the wall of those who survived and were beaten by cancer. Just another reminder at how precious RL and SL can be...

Party Time at SLTriathlon

noreply@blogger.com (Kix Kayamanu) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:56:00 +0000

It was party time at SLTriathlon this past weekend. They celebrated their first year anniversary. There was cake and champagne. And of course, no party is complete without a dance floor. As you can see, I'm getting my groove on - Suzy Spaatz (one of the owners) is behind me, also dancing the night away!!

Avatars Use Condoms

noreply@blogger.com (Kix Kayamanu) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 18:30:00 +0000

Health promotion still continues to evolve in SL. Today's post is about sexual health. Although the opportunities to spread sexually transmitted diseases from avatar-to-avatar are (at this point) physiologically impossible, awareness is still key.

On my way to BodyBuilding League Fitness Center & Spa to relax in their steam room (I had just finished running on the treadmill), I noticed a condom machine. For $10L you could buy your avatar some protection. If this machine was part of a company's marketing campaign, I either didn't see or must have missed the logo or brand name. If this machine was created as a social marketing tool, then how exactly could this affect behavior change?

Although safe sex is important, are residents willing to pay $10L for a digital condom? The machine should be passing them out for free. Afterall, most real life health fairs and sex education programs offer free condoms. Also, I wish there was some informational component to this feature (such as STD statistics, etc.)

I'd be interested in what MB Chevalier will say from University of Plymouth's Sexual Health Public Education and Outreach SIM (check out their blog, too). I wonder if he is aware of this machine and other efforts like this in Second Life.

SLTriathlon Training

noreply@blogger.com (Kix Kayamanu) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 17:09:00 +0000

Second life is taking cyber training to a whole new level! One of my favorite places to visit is SL is SLTriathlon (32, 40, 21). Read more about SLTri in the article "Attention Avatar Athletes" in this week's The Looking Glass. Below is a snippet from a YouTube video RL creator, IronRav (or Wolfgang Spaatz in SL) produced, explaining the concept of SLTri:

You can also check out his full YouTube video.

I had the great pleasure of attending a cycling class last week at SLTri, lead by super instructor and RL Triathlete and Coach, Suzy Spaatz. I've worked out in-world plenty of times, but never like this! Such a warm and welcoming environment. Suzy gave me a water bottle and helped me get comfortable on the bike. It was a packed class, almost every bike was taken.

The music was fantastic - driving songs to keep any avatar motivated. And Suzy never missed a beat, always challenging us with different drills (on and off the bike). The classes are LIVE on Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon. Definitely worth checking out!

In class, I also had the pleasure of meeting Mo Hax, a regular attendee of SLTri cycling classes. As a dedicated cyclist both in RL and SL, he incorporates SLTri classes into his training. Mo sets up his at-home turb0-trainer and synchronizes his rides with the class. Sometimes, he puts his computer keyboard on the handlebars to chat with the class while cycling!

If you have some time this week, IM or stop in to chat with Suzy or Wolfe. SLTri club, whose membership is growing fast (about 330 so far) will be celebrating their 1 year anniversary soon. Expect to see some amazing additions to their services this year!

See y'all at the next Economan, SLTri's virtual triathlon.

Billy Blanks Has Nothing On Kix Boxing

noreply@blogger.com (Kix Kayamanu) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 05:53:00 +0000

How awesome would it be to see a SL version of pop fitness-icon Billy Blanks? To one day teleport to a random Hawaiian-esque destination, sun setting in the background, and watch Billy Blanks (along with his chiseled SL posse) commanding repetitively at us to complete seven thousand squats until our avatar legs caved in! Come on - you and I both know we'd love every minute of pain!

Since there's no virtual Blanks guiding us through our 'upper cuts' and 'knee lifts' (believe me, I've searched) I figured I should explore the possibilities of how one might go about becoming the first fitness personality in SL.

In light of my new mission, yesterday I took a trip to Machinima Institute and Cafe (63, 20, 22) to find out more on making movies in Second Life. If I want to make fitness videos, I might as well learn how to capture SL-movies, right? Although the institute was deserted, there were tutorials available to help ambitious Hollywood-wannabes.

I followed the step-by-step guide for capturing movies in SL, but for some reason my computer did not save my movie recordings (and I'm not even sure I recorded anything correctly).

After twiddling around a bit, I gave up trying to be Scorsese. I haven't given up on the idea just yet. In fact, I'm planning to go back to the institute when SL-residents are around in hopes of asking people to help troubleshoot my technical problems.

I'll keep you posted on my progress...

Don't Drink and Fly

noreply@blogger.com (Kix Kayamanu) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 17:46:00 +0000

Even SL residents have to be aware of the dangers of alcohol consumption. I realize that "drunk" avatars may not necessarily pose the real physical threats as drinking in the real world, but drinking and driving is still an issue that affects many RL individuals. Regardless of what world you live in, health-related safety messages are warranted in all forms.

I came across a simulated car crash - a bit graphic for my tastes - which was meant to demonstrate the consequences of drinking and driving (SlangLife 148, 106, 25). "Don't Drink and Drive" was displayed as floating text at the scene. A big beer bottle was also placed near one of the cars - reminding you that beer and cars don't mix. Tragedies included one death, one injured, and many onlookers emotionally shocked.

I've joined health-related groups and seen educational islands in SL devoted to bringing awareness to various health issues plaguing our lives. But this is the first interactive campaign I came across that was both engaging and visually powerful. There's something to be said about walking around the scene of an accident (even if it's virtual) and immersing yourself in the middle of the car crash. This can have a genuine impact on the viewer. Unlike passive campaigns, such as TV spot against drinking and driving, the audience becomes a part of the message. They take on the role of that 'emotionally shocked onlooker'.

At this point, these kinds of campaigns are still in its infancy in SL. But with tools that allow residents to shoot machinima and create avatar animations, I suspect these types of campaigns will become increasingly interactive.

Imagine this future scenario: let's say this same car crash ran on an animated loop. Avatar comes out of the bar, gets in the car drunk, then CRASH! - unfortunate chain of events. What if SL residents had the opportunity to interfere with these events during every loop - right clicking on the drunk avie and selecting the option of 1) Calling him a cab, 2) Offering to take him home, or 3) Grabbing his keys - all of which would prevent the animation from proceeding, hence saving the lives of two other avatars (at least for a little while, until the animation resumed itself). Now, instead of the floating text at the scene of the accident reading "Don't drink and drive" it would state the statistics of how many SL residents offered to help the drunk, preventing him from getting behind the wheel. Now, that's INTERACTIVE!

Consider this: Every SL-resident to impact the course of events, donations are made to organizations like SADD or MADD. Now, that's POWERFUL!

Willy Wonka's Splenda Factory!

noreply@blogger.com (Kix Kayamanu) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 04:26:00 +0000

What would make life sweeter the second time around?

That's what the popular sweetener company, Splenda®, asked SL residents. They created an in-world contest encouraging all SL residents to submit their ideas on what would make second life even 'sweeter'! This week Splenda cut their finalists down to four. SL residents will be casting their votes for their favorite ideas over the next seven days (Jan 17 - 23) at Splenda® Island (143, 204, 29).

Out of the four finalists I can't decide which one to vote for! There are two that I really liked. Passion Pinger because Lyra Muse came up (what I think is) a fantastic idea! The concept is this: "Second Life® isn’t the small town it once was. With so many residents, it can be tricky to meet people with similar interests. So how do we make this aspect of Second Life® sweeter? With the Passion Pinger, of course. The Passion Pinger is a device that lets you enter your interests, with as many key words as you like. Then when someone in your vicinity is into the same things, you get an IM letting you know that there’s a potential new friend nearby."

And Moo Money's concept called "The SPLENDA® Island Community" which is a hodge-podge of social activities - one of which (I thought was creative) is an in-world cooking show and cooking scavenger hunt "where residents follow clues and search for ingredients around the island, then prepare them at a station."

Both ideas sound great - and being a health avie, I'd be really curious to see what an SL cooking show would look like... but I think Lyra's idea is more practical. Resident experience would really be enhanced if her idea was implemented.

I also visited Splenda Island (out of curiosity, though I'm not a Splenda consumer at all) to see what other interesting things I would find... WOW - what an island of fruit flavor! It is true sugar heaven! It would be Willy Wonka's sister's place (if he wasn't the only child). I swam in lemonade pools and slid down milk shake slides (which I got stuck in a few times because the animation didn't work). I ran through cupcake fields and picked blueberry flowers! The cafe was inside a big coffee mug (tipped on its side). If I wasn't so health conscious - I'd leave here 10 pounds heavier (and of course the SL camera adds a few pounds)!

Although for the most part I was responsible, couldn't resist the whipped cream covered strawberries. They just looked SO delicious! I just had to eat one!

The Looking Glass

noreply@blogger.com (Kix Kayamanu) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 07:15:00 +0000

The best thing in life is when you actually get paid for doing something you love doing anyway! Well, I love exploring anything related to health and fitness in SL - and now I have a job writing about my experiences. I author a column entitled "Shape Up" for SL magazine The Looking Glass. I'm excited to see where my travels will take me! Even more excited to see who I meet along the way! Check out my first article "Avatars Have Heart."

Thank you to Lexa Dryke for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the TLG team!

A Way to an Avatar's Heart...

noreply@blogger.com (Kix Kayamanu) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 04:00:00 +0000

We all know that a way to an avatar's heart is through her stomach. So eating well in SL is important.

Today I visited MDKiosk (112, 112, 30) which is full of healthy resources. Individual health videos are available on various topics - from acne to ulcers. I couldn't view the videos because I couldn't get the links to work, but if anyone gets them to work, please let me know - I'd really like to see them.

Also, in the main lobby, there was a dining table full of delicious food, each with a tidbit of information about healthy nutrition tips (such as what constitutes a healthy serving of veggies, what are good sources of fiber, etc.). There is plenty of food to share - a great way to meet your friends and have an enjoyable meal. I consumed a hot meal during my visit.

The second floor of the venue had a very limited fitness facility, hardly comparable to some of the other gym and health clubs I've visited. But it was adequately equipped with a mat (for floor activities) and a treadmill. I found the following sign by the stairs to be quite relevant for SL residents: "Burn calories by taking the stairs rather than teleporting."

Well said.

Mindful Explorations

noreply@blogger.com (Kix Kayamanu) — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 03:34:00 +0000

Today, I enjoyed a personal day in-world. I took my 'health & fitness correspondent' hat off and devoted time exploring my virtual self. Who is Kix? What is my purpose in this second life? Do I extend across various dimensions? Do I exist autonomously or am I a part of something greater? (Are these even my own thoughts?)

My afternoon began with a group Tai Chi session. I've always enjoyed participating in Tai Chi in a group. A powerful energy is often generated during a synchronous practice, everyone moving in unison. I spent a solid 15 minutes intensifying my practice - listening to the sounds of the birds chirping and water flowing in the park and simply being conscious through every posture.

Later, I discovered OkoKun Meditation Island (98, 138, 30)! What a delightful find! A wonderful place to learn and expand your knowledge on meditation and mindfulness practice. In fact, I attended an introductory lesson on meditation where the discussion focused on moving from "a pointed mind" towards "no mind" - interesting.

I sat quietly, absorbing these ideas, quickly becoming aware that I was actively still processing these concepts... then, I was thinking about the fact I was having thoughts about how I was processing these concepts... recognizing that in order to realize these concepts, I had to let my realizations go... easier said, than done... I resorted to start by focusing on my breath, first... inhale, exhale.

I loved my day today!

Santa, Baby!

noreply@blogger.com (Kix Kayamanu) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 01:05:00 +0000

In keeping with the holiday spirit, I bought myself a Santa hat. What do you think? Do you think Santa will like it? LOL. Maybe my wish will come true this year...

I went shopping today and I must say, the holiday decorations in SL are looking quite fantastic! I look forward to experiencing the holiday season in-world this year!

American Cancer Society

noreply@blogger.com (Kix Kayamanu) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 08:10:00 +0000

SecondLife can be more than just a social network for different health communities. American Cancer Society has sponsored a place for SL residents needing support with their disease. It’s called Hope Island.

I went to Hope Island today and sat down with Synergy Devonshire, Program Director for ACS-SL. I wanted to learn a little more about this unique virtual environment and the resources it’s providing to its community. “We offer survivor and caregiver chats, a buddy network, and lectures by qualified medical professionals,” says Devonshire.

As long as you respect everyone’s privacy, residents are allowed to express themselves openly. Those going through cancer treatments (and therefore feel sensitive about they way look), may find this platform to be a positive way to address their concerns and feelings. “There is no risk of being seen, or [display] unwanted emotions face-to-face,” she says. Voice-enabled chat also helps create more compassionate relationships.

Next time you’re in SL, check out the Hope Island campus. It’s absolutely gorgeous!

Sporty Kix

noreply@blogger.com (Kix Kayamanu) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 22:34:00 +0000

What do you think of my new workout outfit and Nike shoes?

Wellbeing Conference: Body, Mind, and Soul 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Kix Kayamanu) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 08:07:00 +0000

I attended the WellBeing Conference on Saturday afternoon at the Cove (location: Xenia 140, 71, 21). Although I could not be present at all of the sessions and festivities (see my posts on the Worlds AIDS day and ECONOMAN Triathlon), I did get the opportunity to reconnect with fellow health and wellness professionals and sit in on a couple of different lectures.

Most of the presenters were already health and wellness professionals in their real-life. In this case, SecondLife served as another platform to communicate their health messages and ideas. The conference covered topics on coping with cancer, alcohol addiction, HIV, spirituality, meditation. (Click on the schedule to view full conference events.)

I attended Rivka Thorne's presentation on "Your Body's Best Friend: Practical Steps Towards Embracing and Supporting your Physical Self." She reiterated the importance of listening to your body and trusting your instincts. After all, you're the only one who knows you best. And I think this is especially worth remembering in a time where there is a lot of skepticism about our nation's healthcare. By trusting the messages from our bodies, we can develop healthier habits and ensure our longevity.

Avalon Birke (a SL and a RL counselor) discussed "Virtual World - Real Emotions." Her lecture was supported by the belief that "our perceptions make up our reality." So, if your experience discomfort, sadness, happiness in a virtual community - it's no different than experiencing those feelings in a RL environment. Your brain won't know which is stimulated by 'virtual' versus 'real' world. Avalon's work experience in SL have ranged from counseling RL clients with their RL issues via SL (much like e-counseling) to SL clients with their SL issues (such as relationships between avatars). In fact, sometimes she sees patients who are struggling with maintaining both their SL life and RL life.

The expo was small, but effective (yes, there was an expo - what's a conference without an expo, right?) American Cancer Society had a booth promoting their "Relay for Life." There was representation from SL Wellness Coaches and Hope Island (SL's Cancer Surivors).

I wonder if the conference hosts administered an evaluation. It would be interesting to gather feedback on the attendee experience. In other words, does attending a virtual health conference an effective medium for delivering health messages and promoting wellness? If so, how effective is it?

I hope there are more events like this to come. I would definitely attend another one!

World AIDS Day 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Kix Kayamanu) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 22:01:00 +0000

Many events and activities in SL were promoting World AIDS Day 2007 today, although I couldn't make it to all of them. Around lunch time I attended a forum facilitated by Rinken Flow, originator of the SL Nyumba Rafiki Community Center (a meaning house for friends). Rinken discussed the issues and concerns for those with AIDS/HIV. Topics included medications, job security (absences due to regular doctor visits), politics and healthcare in regards those living with the disease.

"The NRCC has been present in SL for 2 months," according to Rinken. When people began confiding to Rinken about their HIV-positive status, he knew an SL community would be beneficial to residents. The center offers support for those with HIV/AIDS, as well as, welcomes anyone dealing with or wanting to learn more about the effects of the disease. Rinken hopes to create a RL non-profit version of the NRCC in the future.

I asked Rinken what he believed were the advantages to a person dealing with AIDS/HIV in a virtual culture. He stated that people were much more comfortable in sharing and discussing certain issues in the SL environment, especially if they hadn't 'come out' with their condition to RL friends and family.

I suspect SL develops the confidence needed to deal with RL consequences of the disease - be it emotional, social, physiological. However, I have yet to see any academic research qualifying the specific impacts of these virtual communities. But continued eductation and heightened awareness of health-related issues - in real or second life - is always a valuable effort.

Economan SL Triathlon!

noreply@blogger.com (Kix Kayamanu) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 21:41:00 +0000

What a great way to start the month of December: cheering on the athletes at the Economan SL Triathlon! It was encouraging to see the athletes tackling the challenging course on a brisk winter morning. Two laps of swimming, 2 laps of cycling, 1 lap of running! Because I had never participated in a SL Tri before, I opted to cheer from sidelines. Naturally, I brought my camera and took pictures of the event. Unfortunately, most of them didn't turn out too well because the athletes whizzed by me so fast!

If you would like to find out more about the SL Triathlon club, check out their landmark (Kona Island 39, 47, 23). Their studio offers a workout room, spinning classes (Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon), yoga and meditation spaces, and a retail shop for gym clothes and Nike shoes!

Good job to everyone who successfully completed the race!
I look forward to competing next month!

Morning Coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Kix Kayamanu) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 16:46:00 +0000

I'm up early this morning - enjoying my morning coffee at one of my favorite SL cafes: The Open Latte Coffee Shop (252, 218, 26).

Today will be an active day for yours truly. I have a lot of traveling to do. First thing on my agenda is the SL EconoMan Triathlon. I won't be participating this time because I haven't trained for it (meaning I haven't had time to create my swim, bike animations). But I'll definitely be on the sidelines cheering on the athletes. Winner gets L$300 (which is just under US$1).

Then I'll head on over to the World AIDS day celebration.
There will be speakers and roundtable discussions about AIDS/HIV. And of course, a dance party!

Finally - something I'm really excited about - the WellBeing Conference at the Cove. This conference will focus on Real Life personal well being. Sessions and discussions are designed to teach ways on improving your life on in various dimensions of wellness - specifically, the body, the mind and the soul. Of course, another dance party at the end of the day!

I will be blogging about my SL events throughout the day. If you have any questions, feel free to comment or email me directly - or come find me in SL.

Hello Second World!

noreply@blogger.com (Kix Kayamanu) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:18:00 +0000

Welcome to my Second Life blog. I still consider myself a Noob ('newbie') in this world, despite the fact that I've been here for over a year. I've met a list of innovative people and discovered exciting new opportunities in SL. Now that I feel more like a real SL-resident, I'm looking forward to sharing my experiences on a blog.

There's not a lot here, yet. I'm in the process of compiling my posts. But expect 2008 to be a great year for Kix - that's me!