Luck of the Germans!

Penguins symbolize dreams, adaptability, dual-natures, closeness, family, and spirituality.

I hear many people already saying Happy New Year and the new year is not quite here. In Germany, it is considered bad luck to wish Happy Birthday or Happy New Year before the day actually has arrived. We say " Guten Rustch ins Neue Jahr", which means have a good slide into the new year.

In Japan, the peacock is linked with a Buddhist divinity.
It carries the values of kindness, goodness, love, care

The Good Luck Pig or Glücksschwein comes in a marzipan form in Germany and is considered to bring good luck and usually you see many of these piggy treats during the time before the new year. 

The ladybug is a Christian symbol of luck. In German, it's called Marienkäfer. Ladybugs can have up to seven black spots on their red wings and in German-speaking countries (well, many western countries) the number 7 is considered lucky. To this day many Germans believe you’re in luck when a ladybug lands on you!  You will find them made out of chocolate or attached to the lucky new year pig.

We consider it good luck to see a chimney sweep (der Schornsteinfeger). And you’re even luckier if you get to turn one of the silver buttons on his black uniform – which is why plenty of German chimney sweeps are missing buttons that have got torn off in the process.

However, you celebrate the upcoming new year and the symbols that create good luck I do with a perfect slide into the new year...make it a smooth one.

Fireworks: Noisemaking and fireworks on New Year's Eve (Silvester)
are believed to have originated in ancient times when noise and fire
were thought to dispel evil spirits and bring good luck.

May the Ox kick the Rat out of sight

Wishing for a better year!!!

The year 2020 really made no sense at all. I mean think about it, what happened? From doing our daily business, we now have been locked up since March. That is 9 months. I once heard you can't milk a donkey if you don't have a bucket. That was kinda like 2020.

As the year of the rat comes to an end we can only hope that the new year of the ox will bring us some well-deserved prosperity. 2020 was the year of the Rat. According to Chinese astrology, people in their zodiac year are believed to offend Tai Sui, the God of Age, and incur his curse. It is believed to bring nothing but bad luck. We know that was true, not only did a virus infected the entire planet, we also stayed home away from family and friends.

If we go by that the year of the Metal Ox brings career advancement, success in business, prosperity, and wellness for all zodiac signs. The Ox year of 2021 is under the influence of the metal element, just like the Year of the Rat 2020. This year predicts new career opportunities, so don't let anxiety or negative thinking affect you.

Don't give up on your dreams.

Here are some wishes friends from the Basement Club wished for:

1. Medea Frostbite: Happy holiday from medea! I hope 2021 doesn't suck as much :-)
2. Anjelikka Resident: Let us all be united and create peace for all people!
Happy Holiday...Stay Safe
3. Ohtra Resident: Merry Christmas and a Happy New year 2021. May it be better than the last.
4. CaseyCruz Resident: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I resolve to be quieter in 2021!
5. americanheroxoxo Resident: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!
6. dandidlion Resident: Merry Christmas Holiday to Basement Club and Anjelikka! My home away from home
7. Alicia Czukor: Happy Holidays!
8. Electralaura Resident: Happy Holidays and all the best for 2021. What an awful year only kept sane by you wonderful people and the fun we have had. I hope for many more fun times and happiness in 2021. Hugs, Laura
9. Grumbachr Graymark: In an extraordinary year, I’ve been grateful for the extraordinary friendships made here at the Basement.…. thank you. And cheers to new beginnings!

Join us!!!

It is great to have second life to come together during this year...it was a blessing full of laughter, hope, friendships, and the experiences of how we cope.

Do you love music or need friends why not join our Auditory Refugees Discord group.

Just click the below button and join or on the link above. There should be something for everybody, you never have to worry about being alone. 

Merry Christmas, Mom!

May you shine like the brightest star on this Christmas Night.
 
Santa, do you know where heaven is?
Maybe your reindeer know the way.

For I have a special present
I need delivered on Christmas day.

For Christmas is a time for sharing
With those, we hold so dear.
Please take this gift, with all my love
For an angel who's no longer here.

It's wrapped up in all our memories
We once shared from the past.
The ribbons and bows are all our dreams.
Inside there's a broken heart.

It's such a special parcel.
Please Santa, don't delay.
I would love it to be in heaven
In time for Christmas day.

The Belvedere Hotel

The Belvedere Hotel was built in 1882 and was a popular attraction for the adventure-minded for many decades. Some say the road to the hotel is the scariest they’ve ever driven with steep cliff drop-offs on every corner. This once-thriving hotel where even Pope John XXIII was said to be a frequent visitor is now closed until further notice.

Lucky for us here in Second Life, you can now own your very own Belvedere Hotel and you can find it at the Collabor88 Event made by MilkMotion. You can go and view a demo there or look at the Flickr page for more information. It is absolutely stunning and if you never been in the alps you will feel that you are there. 

It is rather uncanny, isn’t it? A hotel built where? Up in the sky in the back of beyond. Truthfully, no one really knows for sure how and why it was built. What’s well established is that it was built right after the mountain pass was completed, probably as a lounge for people who wished to escape and enjoy the silence, or attend one of the many lavish parties held inside. So this might answer the question as to why it was built. Or maybe it was meant to be a resting place for the mountain workers, but, in no time, the charming location and what it offers in terms of isolation and excellence inspired the elite to climb the scenic road.

Located in one of the snowiest regions in Switzerland, the Furka Pass, connecting the cantons of Uri and Valais in the country’s south-central region, is considered to be one of the “most iconic, exhilarating, and exciting drives” through the Swiss Alps. When I was a child we went to this real glacier in the alps. Although we never stayed in the hotel or ate in the restaurant, I remember it was breathtakingly beautiful. Finding this here in Second life brought back a little piece of childhood to me. Thank you to the builder Marie Lauridsen who created this.

Respect All! Fear None!

Respect all! Fear None! You may ask yourself what does that mean? Let me give you my explanation for this quote. In a world full of DJs and Clubs such as Second Life you have to learn to stand up for yourself. Respect all means to never underestimate anyone! never think of them as “fools, weaklings or that they can never be in the position to alter your life." Fear none means to never let a person cow you, or make you feel small or have no power just because of their stature, appearance, or personality. 

Sounds much like Real Life? Yes, because it is no different that is where Second Life and Real Life come together. You have to be your own warrior in either world. I believe when people become jealous of other's success they lose that respect for them, but in reality, they lose respect for themselves. I know it is not easy when you play the best tunes and think you have the best club, yet it remains empty.

Your dream has to be bigger than your fear. 

"I need to rebel against myself. It's the opposite of following your bliss. I need to do what I most fear." 

It is really a simple formula because all life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. Do not fear those who are prettier, more successful, or smarter than you. You, and you alone, decide what something means to you. Yet this is a decision that most people make based upon past feelings, experiences, understandings, or future fears. None of this has anything to do with what is going on right here, right now.

So respect all and fear none of it. Follow your dreams without fear and when you fall, just get back up and dust off the dirt. 
In a gentle way, you can shake up the world and before you know it you are free from the fear that held you back.

Stay Safe everybody 2021 is almost here.

Chrismukkah

You may ask what is Chrismukkah? Well, it is really very simple. It is kind of blending both holidays of Christmas and Hanukkah into one.

Do reindeer have a religion?

People think more of it when both holidays fall on the same day or very close to the same day.

While the concept is not a new one-according to Ron Gompertz, author of Chrismukkah: Everything You Need to Know to Celebrate the Hybrid Holiday, German Jews celebrated "Weihnukkah" in the 1880s, with the German name for Christmas being "Weihnnachten"-it unquestionably rose to prominence in 2003 through its inclusion on the popular TV show The O.C. Characters on the show have continued to celebrate Chrismukkah every year, and the term has caught on among others around the country.

Think of all the fun you can have decorating for both holidays and all the food, trust me latkes go well for Christmas, they do.

Alfred: I can be Santa this year, while I light the Menorah.

You gonna light candles, so you might as well light the Menorah. I love decorating for both holidays in second life as well as in real life. Why do people celebrate Chrismukkah? There are several factors that might account for the popularity of the Chrismukkah concept. One might be a backlash against the increasing politicization of the holiday season, with people taking umbrage at tidings of "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays." The term seems to cry out "can't we all just get along?" Another might just be an indulgence in postmodern mashup fun. But perhaps the largest factor is the increasing prevalence of families with mixed religious heritage. Chrismukkah neatly solves the question of whether to celebrate Christmas, or Hanukkah, or both, or neither. Like mixed families themselves, it brings together elements of both worlds.

Snow can fall no matter what holiday it is. 

I do have some decor for Christmas and Hanukkah in the apartment for you to see, where you can search for the pickle. Just follow the sign to teleport.

The Basement Club has both decors for Hanukkah and Christmas and that is what I like.

With the holidays coming around the corner, I hope you enjoy your Chrismukkah. Or Hanukkah. Or Christmas. Or whatever you practice.

Stay safe

You should be here.

What I miss most in real life, I can have in Second Life. Especially these days it is important to get something right. For me, Second life brings me the joy of seeing a Christmas Tree with 
real" candles like I remember in Germany.

It is truly remarkable of all the different types of trees you can find here in Second Life. You could easily put a tree in every room to complete the perfect look. This is one thing I love to do here is to decorate and then re-decorate. Unlike real life, the costs are very low or you could just create your own stuff. My favorite is to buy it in a gacha so after I am done enjoying it I can resell it so someone else can enjoy it.
Are you in need of an item, then check out my gacha store? I resell cheap because who doesn't want a bargain. Gachas are kinda like a big huge garage sale where you find treasure. I used to love to go to antique stores and find stuff I can decorate my home with and then later sell them and replace them with something new. Now I just do it here without the risk of catching the virus. Best of all, no shipping fees :)

You like pets? Yes, here in Second Life you can have just about any pet you desire. You can feed them, per them, and breed them. It is endless of all the things you can do. Oh, and here you do not have to clean out the litter box. The variety of pets is quite large and I am sure you will find your friend here. You will get very attached to the pet you pick. Once I had a Kitty Cat and it got lost I was sad and lucky the creator had a system to get your pet back. Sometimes that is not as easy in Real Life when your pet gets out and you have to search for it.

Dreaming of a white Christmas? You can have any type of Christmas you like, whether it is with snow or on the beach or why not try them all. I love snow and miss it during this time of the year. Lucky for me my weather system allows me to really let the snow come down. Where I live in Real Life snow is as rare as the Blue Moon we may get. 

So, remember whatever you desire no matter where you live and who you are, your dreams can be made into reality instantly in this virtual world. Might as well take advantage of the term "Virtual".

Virtual reality is inevitably going to become mainstream - it's only a question of how good it needs to be before the mainstream is willing to use it. Be part of it now. There is an entirely new world out there to discover. 

Oh and do not worry about the critics who say virtual is not real, I may have to argue that a little. It is real because you are the one controlling this in real-lifetime...your time is your time and that makes it real.

Santa Baby!!!

 Postcards from the North Pole:

Santa Baby, slip a linden cash card under the tree for me.
Been an awful good girl

Santa Baby, can these Huskeys really fly?

Santa Baby, some mesh eyes, light blue.
I wait up for you, dear
Santa Baby, so hurry down that chimney tonight.

Just think of all the lag I had and delay

logging in on Tuesday's scheduled maintenance day

Next year I can be more patient for sure

just check off this list for a quick cure.

Santa Baby, I want my own sim, that's not a lot

Been an angel all year

So hurry down that chimney tonight.

Santa Baby, just one little thing I really need, a swede

with lots of lindens indeed.

So hurry down that chimney tonight.

Santa Cutie, fill my stockings with an endless amount of prims

so I can build and build,

Santa Cutie, hurry down that chimney tonight.

Come and decorate my land

with tons of gachas that would be grand.

I really do believe in you,

let's see if you believe in me.

Santa Baby forgot to mention one little thing

can you have Draxtor give me a ring

on the phone I mean

so hurry down that chimney tonight.

~~~~

I hope you all have a wonderful Holiday and are enjoying all the great places you can visit in Second Life. I love this time of the year. Santa and I had a long talk and he promised that next year life will be back to normal but in the meantime he wants you to be good and stay home and come here to visit him and take lots of pictures with your friends.

Just think all the food here will not show up on your waist next year. I am still amazed by the time and effort people take to decorate this virtual world. It truly shows love and devotion to this.

Remember this:

It's the most wonderful time of the year
There'll be much mistltoeing
And hearts will be glowing
When loved ones are near
It's the most wonderful time of the year.

Get some more inspiration for the holidays with my little video from the Retreat:

https://vimeo.com/487045308

Enjoy and stay warm!!!

with 💗 

Anjelikka

The powerful connection between us all

I see many posts about how people are looking for new friends and new places to go and that makes me realize we all want to belong somewhere and feel like we are needed. Therefore, it makes sense that belonging is a basic human need, recognized by Maslow in his hierarchy of needs. Everyone wants to be loved, whether it’s by a spouse, partner, child, parent, pet, another relative, friend, colleague, or just a kind stranger who reaches out a helping hand. Being loved or feeling like you belong is an unconscious need that goes to the core of what it means to be human.

Why not stop by the Retreat here in Second Life. Right now it is a winter wonderland but the seasons change. Enjoy winter as it warms your heart with feeling like you belong because you do. You matter and you are wanted here.

Right now it is a critical time for all of us to reach out to one another and help each other through the pandemic. We are so lucky we have Second Life to be able to connect with each other and make new friendships.

Happiness is unfortunately not a guarantee and can be quite elusive, disappearing the harder you chase it, like pigeons deftly dodging the pudgy hands of children trying to grab them in public parks. But that doesn’t make it any less of a basic human desire. We all want to be happy. Here at the Retreat, you don’t have to do anything, achieve anything, or make anything to have value. You are valuable just because you exist. 

We humans are social animals and with good reason. From our earliest beginnings, being part of a group has been incredibly important to our survival and well-being. Just think about a caveman living by himself, without any other humans around for support and without the fur, fangs, or claws other species use for protection. That lonely caveman is not only likely to end up depressed … he’ll probably also end up as lunch for a saber-toothed tiger! Humans depend upon each other in all sorts of ways, and we are most likely to thrive as part of some type of community.

I hope you come and join the peaceful community at the Retreat. What we have is an art gallery ( you can even share some of your art here and have an exhibit - just let me know), we have a Club for music and dancing called the Basement Club with daily DJs, we have rentals in case you look for a spot you want to call home (super affordable prices) and we have different events happening like hunts and other fun stuff and even a gacha store. Don't feel alone, come on over.

Gather 'round the table, we'll give you a treat

Hanukkah, Oh, Hanukkah

Let's light the menorah
Let's have a party
We'll all dance the hora
Gather 'round the table, we'll give you a treat
A dreidel to play with and latkes to eat.

Not only do we have Hanukkah here at the Basement Club and Retreat but we also have the Hunt for the Kosher Pickle. We had our opening of the apartment where the pickle is hidden with great success.

The fun part of a party like this is that we were able to talk about our own traditions and memories about the holidays. It was also mentioned how great it is to have Second Life so we can get together like this without the worries of social distances or wearing a mask. 

Don't miss this fun hunt and stop by the apartment at the Retreat and look for the Kosher Pickle. Here is a hint: It is not hidden in the Christmas Tree.

Of course, it is fun to reminisce about memories of the holidays we have experienced, but here we are actually making new memories. How fun is that? I think just spending time with friends and other people here in second life is very special. All of this is happening in real-time and these memories are long-lasting. I still remember setting up my first tree here in Second Life and goods of holiday decor have improved so much. That is another reason why the apartment is fun to visit for the decor ideas.

Stop by when you can and bring your friends, take some pictures for your holiday album.

Share your traditions or fond memories from your childhood. Describe your all-time favorite special holiday food. Discuss your wackiest holiday memory. What pleasant memories do you recall when you think about holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve? You can leave some of the comments here or stop by the Basement Club and add your thoughts and wishes to the holiday book. We would love to hear your stories. Whatever your story is we wish you a safe and very Happy Christmas and Happy Hannukah. Safe me some of the Latkes ( my childhood favorites ).

And while we are playing
The candles are burning low
One for each night, they shed a sweet light
To remind us of days long ago
One for each night, they shed a sweet light
To remind us of days long ago...

Wer ist Sankt Nikolaus? – Who is Saint Nicholas?

For a long time in Austria and some regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria, St. Nicholas was the main character in the Christmas celebration. But he was not Santa Claus, and he arrived earlier – on the 6th of December.

The tradition has it that on December 5th, children will leave a boot or shoe in front of their door and St. Nich will leave them some goodies if they were good and coal if they were bad. This is still being done all over Germany, however, nobody really gets any coal. 

Christmas Eve is now the most important day of the German celebration. But there’s no Santa Claus coming down the chimney (and no chimney!), no reindeer (the German Santa rides a white horse), no waiting for Christmas morning! Families with young children often keep the living room or other room closed off, revealing the Christmas tree to the excited youngsters only at the last minute. 

The decorated Tannenbaum is the center of the Bescherung, the exchanging of gifts, which takes place on Christmas Eve, either before or after dinner. Neither Santa Claus nor St. Nicholas brings children their gifts for Christmas. In most regions, the angelic, fairy-like Christkindl or the more secular Weihnachtsmann is the bringer of gifts that don’t come from other family members or friends on Christmas Eve.

In honor of the famous St. Nicholas on December 6th here in Second Life, we will kick off the Holiday season with the "Find the Kosher Pickle Hunt" ( another myth that has been totally customized for American cultures) 

The apartment will be open to all residents in Second Life to enjoy for picture taking and also to find the pickle with some gifts. You will find the Teleport at the entrance of the Retreat and at the Basement Club. 

I hope you will come and check it out and tell your friends and maybe we can talk about what your holiday traditions are from your childhood. That is what Second Life is all about to learn about each other which is so much more important nowadays.

Art by Anjelikka

So dear Niklaus come to our party, we all have been good and we are waiting for some goodies from you. The poem on this Holiday Card I created for my friends and family comes actually from a song.

Don't forget to take lots of pictures which you can submit to the Retreat Flickr Album. You never know St. Nick may pick his favorite...

Wishing you all the best Holiday ever...stay safe and wear a mask when you are out there in the Real-world...just do it..no fussing over it.

Remembering Winter!!!

I love Winter in Second Life because I never get cold. This is the perfect place to go when you live in a place where winter does not include lots of snow. This year it is especially true when you are forced to stay inside and cannot go to Holiday Markets or Gatherings. I can drink my hot "egg-nog coffee" and it is always just right and never filled with guilty calories. 

In Germany, I would take the sled and go to the forest with my father and we would ride down the snow covered hills. It was so much fun as a child. We would also ski, but I felt a bit safer on the sled, plus besides I did not have to walk home, my father would pull me.

As I slide down my own hill here at the Retreat I joyfully remember those cold Winter Days in Germany. These are great memories I can recreate right here in Second Life. The cool thing about it is I can keep this snow for as long as I like even in the summer.

I seem to be the perfect ice skater, well here in SL not in real life. That is an amazing thing. I love to skate at my own skating rink here. It is so much fun, especially when everybody is now out there hustling and bustling the black Friday sales.

If you are longing for Winter and want to refresh those memories, why not stop by the Retreat and take some pictures. The Retreat is open year-round for all residents to enjoy. Let me know what you think and what memories it brought for you. Also, pictures can be posted to the Flickr Retreat Group.

Happy Winter!!!

What is the magic?

The magic isn't in what you lost but what you still have. So what if romances come and go and he totally did not dig you and disregarded you. When you are hurting, you are vulnerable. Protecting yourself with healthy boundaries is an essential part of good self-care. Almost all relationships are great in the beginning—otherwise, they would have never started—but the whole of a relationship is what it was from beginning to end.

Because our mind is trying to heal our heart, the painful memories often get shifted to the background and we find ourselves remembering and longing for the good times. We forget who the person really was and idealize who we wanted them to be.

Don't let the disappointment and anger follow you, because it can eat up in you. Questions like why are normal. but do not spend too much time figuring out why. Instead, figure out the now what. And there is no set time limit for healing - as factors including the length of the relationship, shared experiences and memories of betrayal, and the depth of emotion all play a part in the healing process.

The saying time heals everything is actually true in many ways. The hurt will lessen and lessen and that person you once worshipped will not matter as much as all anymore. Someone wise on the internet once said that “the past won’t rest until you jump over the fence and leave it behind”.

Just like this year is almost over and new adventures are heading your way. Just like the song says: 

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And auld lang syne? 

The basic message is that we should not forget our old friends and should celebrate a reunion with them.

When the clock strikes midnite on New Year's Eve, gather everyone together at your party or celebration to sing the New Years Song and remember the good memories of family and friends from long ago. Remember what you still have and not what is gone.

Wonderful Winter 2020

What I miss most during the winter months is the snow that I remember from 

Germany. There was always snow during this season or the air was crisp and you could bundle up while you completed your holiday shopping. The great thing in Second Life is that I can do this and make it feel like I am in that Winter Wonderland anytime I like. There are so many places to visit in Second Life, it is an amazing time of the year. So go log in since you are staying home anyway and travel through the regions and discover something new.

The Retreat is a perfect spot to enjoy Winter in Second Life.

You will find an ice skating rink, lots of snow, a warm cozy gallery, a nightclub for those late parties, and lots of snow. There is also a chapel if you want to quietly thank someone or reflect on the past year.  

I hope you will stop by and enjoy the Winter Season. Take some pictures and enter your photographs in the Retreat Flickr Group.

Get Ready for the Holiday Party @ the Retreat ( Secret location)

Here is the official poster for the Holiday Party. I will have a LM/TP posted at the Basement Club and the Entry at the Retreat.

This will be open all December so you can come and visit as often as you like and take your holiday pictures. Find the pickle for a fabulous gift. Start on December 6th, 2020 at 6PM SLT. 

Open to all residents in Second Life...young and old...member or not...

Happy Holidays from Anjelikka and the Retreat :)

Oh! What a freezing cold winter morning

Everything is white.. everything looks frozen
I find myself in a state of mourning...
Not a single soul, complete silent.. unspoken.

The grave silent winter’s day today
On this chilly winter morning...
The memory of you is within me every day...
This frosty winter morning, it's you, whom I am longing.

The winter skies are clear and bright...
The chilly breeze touches my skin.
Your handsome grin will be such a delight.
If you shall lay next to my skin to skin.

The Last winter we were together
In front of that fireplace. We cuddled each other
Throwing snowballs like we were teenagers
In this world, only you and I lived together.

How I wish on this winter’s day.
That your love for me will never die...
I have faced the sun on the summer’s day
The emptiness on this winter? I can never lie.

Every year I decorate the Retreat for Winter. I love this time of year, but it does feel cold. I hope you all come and enjoy the Winter Season at the Retreat.