Scavenger Hunt: Part 1

Initially I made a stop at Epiphany Island on my Scavenger Hunt. My first impression was that the island was very serene and quiet. It seemed like a good place to go if your avatar was having a rough week and wanted to relax. I was surprised at how realistic the church looked. The stain glass windows inside appeared colorful and bright as the light shown through them. I noticed the signs that said there was actually worship there at certain times. This is something that would be interesting to attend to see the differences between a Second Life church service and one in real life. It’s definitely a place I need to revisit. As you can see in the picture I was at the church in an off-hour and was able to stand on the pulpit. I thought this was neat because it made the church feel like it was mine because I was the only one there.

The next place I visited was the Sistine Chapel. My first impression was that it was hard to find. There weren’t even that many buildings on the island and even after taking the virtual tour I was still lost. Eventually I found it! It was definitely worth looking for. I flew up into the air to view the ceiling. The attention to detail of the different figures amazed me. You can see some of these pictures in the background of my photograph. One activity that I did was to look at the Rafael Tapestries. There are lots of them and they only stay up for thirty seconds so it was fun to click the button that shows them and run to one to view it. Running would never be allowed in the real Sistine Chapel! I learned about the beauty of art on my visit. It seems unbelievable that one man, Michelangelo, could paint such a detailed ceiling. Even a recreation of this masterpiece moves the viewer and evokes a great sense of appreciation.

Another place I traveled on my Scavenger Hunt was Virtual Harlem Books. My first impression of the place was that it was very dark and almost mystical looking. The streets were empty and just the city lights lit the way. I had a hard time deciding how I felt about the area because I didn’t have any idea of what it was supposed to look like in real life and I wanted to make sure I observed enough before I jumped to any conclusions about the area. I had heard of Harlem before but knew nothing about it. After wandering around awhile I finally figured out that there was a map type object you wear and can move to different areas of the city. Once I picked this up I realized I could spend all day exploring Harlem. I even went to a library that had an art exhibit. I learned a lot about Harlem from my trip because I had known close to nothing before. It was clear how much music was a part of the culture so I went into a building and played the piano so I could have that experience. Seeing the combination of music and art made me realize how unique Harlem's culture is and provoked me to want to learn more about the city's history.