Grand Re-Opening Party in Oahu

 

On Sunday August 25, there was a grand re-opening party in the Oahu sim. The place had closed and was now up and running once more. The Newser was there, and took a few pictures. 

 

Read the story in Events. 

Welcome Back Oahu

 On Saturday January 7, The Oahu sim had their official grand-reopening party, the "Oahu Ohana." The party got started at 12 PM with some music, and at 1PM had a "Maori, hula, and fire" dance.

Twstd Ruggles (the lady in the grass skirt to the left) is the owner of Oahu. The sim had been up for several years, but closed sometime in early 2016 due to her real life financial situation. She informed the Newser on January 3 the sim was back and online, with the official celebration on Saturday.

On the other side of the island from the celebration stood the island's most noted feature, the USS Arizona memorial at (176/22/23), a tribute to those killed in the Imperial Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. People drop by the memorial, notably on Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and the Pearl Harbor anniversary on December 7. But the island also has much to offer people who just want to kick back and relax on the beach, watching the surf roll by.

Bixyl Shuftan

Pearl Harbor Memorial Service at USS Arizona Memorial in Oahu Sim

In Honolulu Hawaii on Dec 7th in real life, there was a memorial service to those who fell in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In Second Life, there was also a tribute, at the Oahu sim at the USS Arizona Memorial, with a number of residents gathering to pay their respects.

Read more in Events.

USS Arizona Memorial Service in Second Life

On Tuesday December 7, the Ohau sim had a service at their USS Arizona Memorial. I was unable to attend the event, but later on I did meet up with the event manager, Twstd Ruggles.

“Aloha” she greeted me as I ported in next to the memorial, the names of those who died at the battleship’s sinking being announced. A lei rezzer, when touched, would throw a wreath of flowers into the water, stained a bit from oil bubbling up from the image of the sunken ship, calling out, “Thank you for remembering the fallen soldiers of Pearl Harbor. Your lei has been launched into the sea in remembrance.”

“It was really a beautiful service.” Twstd told me, and shared a few photos, though was sorry some people only appeared as clouds, including singer Ichie Kamiche, “she sang three songs, one patriotic, and two Hawaiian.”

“I gave an opening speech. I almost couldn't speak because I was choked up. But I got through it. This place is special to me.” Before her speech, she had sung “America the Beautiful,” and played President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Day of Infamy” speech. Besides Ichie’s singing, there were also hula dance presentations, and a prayer from a chaplain.

Besides myself, there was one other visitor, “my father in law was a survivor of Pearl Harbor.”

“Thanks for stopping by.”

Bixyl Shuftan