Village of Ahiru

The Village of Ahiru is a wonderful Edo Japan inspired SIM with Onsen, shinto shrine, river, waterfalls, and is Home to Blue Lotus Okiya geisha. Enjoy exploration on land & boat to discover amazing photo opportunities. There are also rumored hidden areas to seek out.

I recently sat down with Nuwanda (yasyn.azemus) from The Village of Ahiru to talk about the SIM….

ѕιкυ “So Nuwanda, how long have you been in SL?”

Nuwanda “I’ve been in SL for at least 10 years by now! It’s kinda crazy to think it’s been more than a -decade-. A DECADE. That word alone…” Laughs “…Now I feel old.”

ѕιкυ laughs “Ive been in for 12 years so I know the feeling!”

Nuwanda grins a little bit. “Oh I didn’t even see your SL age haha.”

ѕιкυ giggles “I hide my age well!”

Nuwanda laughs nervously.  “Well you look extremely polished.”

ѕιкυ grins “So how long has Ahiru been in existence?”

Nuwanda  “This SIM has been around for about 3 and a half years now. The village here used to go by different name, but the SIM’s name itself has always been ‘Ahiru.’ I guess you could say it has a little bit of history, a teeny bit, but things change in SL.”

ѕιкυ nods “The SIM is one of the most beautiful SIMS I’ve ever been around. I know that you change it with the seasons, which I find is part of its charm…have you always been the creative mind behind it? “

Nuwanda laughs nervously. “It feels so strange to hear you describe me that way. Yeah, I’ve been part of Ahiru’s start. Setsuko Haiku (also known as Esu) is the SIM owner and she asked me to help create this town. She’s always loved Japanese culture and themes and really loved how I had done Blue Lotus Okiya’s previous regions so she wanted me to bring the same flavor to her SIM Ahiru.”

ѕιкυ smiles “You really do have a talent for it. Every corner of the SIM has even the smallest detail…” looks around “…I love the cherry blossom theme this spring. I’ve also seem the winter theme and was blown away. If you could pick one area that is your favorite about the SIM, what would it be?” laughs “I know that’s a hard question with such a place”

Nuwanda “Oh boy… this is too hard! Each thing has something special about it. Or something becomes my favorite because of what’s being featured that season.  I guess… if I were to choose something constant, it’d have to be the Onsen. That calls out to me the most because I see it is what many visitors are seeking or gravitate towards when they come here. People come from all time zones so I usually see someone there at various hours. They go there to hang out, for relax time, to have some gentle romance, to gather… and it looks great every single season.  It’s one of the oldest parts of the SIM that has remained in the same spot, same building, and most of the same structures. The interior has had a bit of an upgrade in the last 3 years, but people still visit it for the same reasons. I guess it’s my favorite because of how it functions and what it does for people. I build for others, rarely for myself. I don’t even have a house here. lol. My house is technically the little hut along the river in front of the waterfall, but I’ve allowed it to become the “Waterside Hangout” because I saw how so many people loved to just sit and relax there. It would take a lot away from the SIM to turn that into a private home.  I rather share it with the visitors.”

ѕιкυ “It really is a beautiful area. I actually followed the water ways the other day and found small little areas that I haven’t seen before and had to take pictures. There are so many spots for photography on the SIM and you actually have residents here as well. How many houses do you have on the SIM?

Nuwanda “We have 14 residences here. Many are people who have been here for many months straight, some for more than 2 years now!!!”

ѕιкυ “That’s amazing but for such a lovely place I can understand why. I’ve also seen that you have a waiting list which is no surprise again because of the sheer beauty and thought put into the SIM. I also recall that you have done group activities in the past. Do you plan on more of those in the future?

Nuwanda “Oh yes! My friend Hinako (Etsu Niseru), who is a Sr. Maiko from Blue Lotus Okiya, is someone I frequently coordinate with to host events together. Real life has always been the determining factor. We certainly do want to at least be able to host another summer festival. Obon Festival is very popular and generally quite enjoyed throughout all of SL. Some of our smaller events are just tea party gatherings at the tea house on the top of the hill. We have little games, dance performance, and stories done there.

ѕιкυ nods “and can anyone join in those events? and if so, how would people find out about them?”

Nuwanda “Oh yeah, our events are -always- free to attend and join in on the festivities. We open it to all folks in SL! Our events are both for fun and educational purposes. Because they are primarily rooted within Japanese culture, we try to incorporate a mini history lesson so that people get a chance to learn about the significance of the event they are taking part in. Our scheduled events are usually announced at least a week in advance. If it’s a bigger one, then at least 2 weeks so that people can make plans if they want.  Group notice is usually sent out in the Ahiru Village resident’s group. I also put up a lot of posters around the SIM and change the region snapshot to the event poster. I also advertise it on Second Life Events page so that it comes up on their schedule. I do share it on my flickr, and I think that’s as far as we tend to go about sharing. That and word of mouth of course.”

ѕιкυ nods “I would encourage everyone to visit the SIM and just experience the magic here.” smiles “And for my last question…” smirks “…What is one of your favorite things about Secondlife?”

Nuwanda “One of my favorites has to be the ability to create your own vision. I love the creative aspect about SL. SL can be whatever you want it to be. Some love to socialize, connect, shop, and so many other things! It’s great! I love to create some little things here and there, create spaces and landscapes. It brings me a lot of joy to share it with other people and hear how they experience what I made.  If it were not for the creative ability within SL, I don’t think I would have stayed as long as I have. I love to build here.”

ѕιкυ “I couldn’t agree more. Thank you for sharing and sitting down with me, Nuwanda. It’s always a pleasure”

Nuwanda “Thank you for your interest in Ahiru SIM! Happy to have you here.”

The Village of Ahiru is filled with magic and beauty. I encourage everyone to visit and create your own beautiful pictures and memories at one of Secondlife’s premier SIM’s.

Please see the links below to go to their Landmark and Flickr Page!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ahiru/231/109/21

https://www.flickr.com/groups/3022566@N21/

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