Resident of the Week

Resident of the Week - Than Vayandar

OCCUPATION IN SL: Stylist and co-owner and designer of T&A BodyWorx , Shell Shores (54, 44, 27). At T&A Bodyworx, we offer personal consultation to make your avatar the one that people will notice. Our specialty is not the "cookie cutter "perfect avatars that can be bought at any skin lab, but a shape and look that will make your avatar not only stand out in a crowd, but also be the one that [causes] people [to] say "Wow, they looked real". Our services include customizing the shape you currently own, or building a new shape that makes your skin details stand out more.

DATE JOINED SL: Oct. 17, 2008

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT BEING A RESIDENT OF SL? [It's a] great place to relax and not have to be the hard case I am in RL... smile.

ONE THING IN YOUR INVENTORY THAT YOU WOULD BE THE MOST DEVASTATED TO LOSE?

That's easy: my inventory of custom shapes, which is about 700 plus and custom skins.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LOCATION IN SL? Wow, that's a hard one. There are so many special places. I love the Inspire Space Park, Old York sim, but really love to just spend time at my sim working and just enjoying the sounds.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE THE OUTSIDE WORLD TO KNOW ABOUT SL?

Well, the outside world usually thinks I'm nuts when I try to explain SL to them, especially people who know me in real life. What I would like each person who is considering entering the world to know is: don't treat it as a game. Yes, it can be entertaining, but it's much more productive and rewarding to treat it more like an extension of you. Remember that every avatar in here is a real person and has real feelings, and if you would not do it to someone in real life, don't do it here.

WHAT ONE THING ABOUT SECOND LIFE WOULD YOU CHANGE IF YOU COULD?

On the grid, that would be lag. Personally, it would be the structure we are allowed to use in our shapes so that my off-world shapes could be used to their full benefit.

DO YOU HAVE AN SL PARTNER? IF SO, TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT HIM/HER.

Yes, I do. My partner is Aileen Jarvinen. Aileen is both my partner in SL and my wife in RL. We have shared some wonderful experiences in SL and RL.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO SEE IN FUTURE SL UPGRADES?

Address the lag issues a bit more and allow much higher detail in shape options. I have tried the new V2 viewer, and I think because of my experience with V1, I cannot get thrilled about it. It just seems like a step back in the way I use the viewer.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE PERSON (NON-PARTNER) IN SL, AND WHY?

You know I sat and thought about that for a bit and I have to truly say that because my relationship with my SL partner is out of SL, I can't put a favorite title on anyone. I have made some extremely close and valuable friends in SL. Some I have known since my birth and some only a few weeks, but they each hold a special place in my heart and I could never assign them order. I don't look at friends that way.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE LINDEN? IF SO, WHO AND WHY?

No, I can't say I do. I have had very little interface with them.

PIE OR CHEESE, AND WHY?

LOL... Gonna have to do pie. I love them both, but I like about three kinds of cheese and have rarely met a pie in the eye I did not like... smile.