80Days -Jambo2.0.

The zebra is a beautiful beast
He has stripes that go from west to east.
Or is it east to west? , I don’t know
But I like the way they seem to flow.
It’s camouflage, one of the best
It keeps the lions from their quest.
Stripes, a result of natural selection
By the zebra trying to attain perfection.
Must be a small relation to the horse.
Of course the horse, the horse of course.

These beautiful zebras can be visited at 80Days -Jambo2.0. These are not the only animals you can see and enjoy here. There are many many more including a village. For the photographer in you, it is a must-see.

"Return to the cradle of mankind and explore once again its gorgeous nature and wildlife, either by foot or on elephant back. Watch a herd of zebras caring for their foals and the majestic lion playing with his cubs. Visit the small fishing village near the coral reef and dare a boat trip among crocodiles and hippos. But no matter what you do, don't forget to bring your camera with you!"

This is the advantage to Second Life, regardless of what virus is coming our way, we can travel endlessly without the worry of a passport that shows who we are or what we have. Here is Second Life we are all "residents".

I like that.

Happy Travels!!!

The Pirates of Monte Likka Hunt

 

Ahoy, Me Hearties! It is never too early to plan for the great month of October, where everything is spooky and mysterious. Last year I had the D.B.Cooper Hunt and people had to find the bundles of money. This year we are looking for pearls. Not just any pearl, but purple ones.

If naturally occurring, purple pearls are a variety of “Black” or “Tahitian” pearls, a deep purple or silvery purple. These are traditional, luxurious, understated, and are a stunning color to wear in fall or winter.

On the other hand, if a purple pearl is one that has been dyed or otherwise treated, it can be any shade of purple under the sun. These treated pearls could look much like natural purple pearls. Or they could shimmer with a fantasy hue of electric purple.

Avast Ye:

Captn' Zack Farrow a fearless pirate and long retired from the stormy sea who settled down at Monte was ever so cursed by his greedy deeds of plundering the treasures of others. The only way he will be freed from this curse of the Pirates of Monte Likka is to find ten purple pearls all scattered around the Retreat and the Basement Club. 

Follow the clues in each pearl to find them all. Each pearl also contains parts of the treasure.

Yo, ho, ho !!!

Get familiar with the land and surroundings. It will help later.

I'm still haunted by the memories

When I say haunted it does not mean bad, I love hauntings in a way. This is one of the reasons I love to re-read my blog because I find fond memories of people and places here in Second Life.

The photographs I take capture the moments of my different moods and emotions. I know people say to forget about the past and move on, but I believe differently. I believe the past is a valuable tool to remind us that even in Second Life we are still human.

I have been here almost 10 years in Second Life and learned a lot. Moments may last a few seconds or minutes but the memories last a lifetime. People who know me in real life hear me often speak about Second Life with a smile on my face. 

I used photographs taken in Second Life on my google slides and presentations. All these memories are good and keep me going.


Wind of the summer afternoon,
Hush, for my heart, is out of tune!
Hush, for thou movest restlessly
The too light sleeper, Memory!
Whate'er thou hast to tell me, yet
'Twere something sweeter to forget,—
Sweeter than all thy breath of balm
An hour of unremembering calm! by Sir Charles George Douglas Roberts

I can spend a Sunday afternoon with friends doing nothing other than reminiscing about the past or talk about the people we know. (I think it is gossiping?) Thinking of childhoods past and lovers went and yet the sun shines bright or the stars twinkle just the same here in this world of awe.

Time stands still when you dream

You fly over rivers it may seem.

So each night take the time

To dream and fly mountain's climb.

Never regret the time that's gone

It never comes back to anyone.

Look forward to the hours you share

With friends and family everywhere. by Anjelikka

So, keep the hauntings coming because I love to re-dream the good dreams while spending a boring Sunday afternoon that now is turned into a memory to cherish on a cloudy day. Add some music to set the mood and you really have something special.

I really don't have any time for bad feelings anymore and as I get older I understand that even more. Stay calm and enjoy the moments you have and make them good ones that you can remember later when you need them the most. Put the light into your heart

keep your soul clean from sour tart, that may mess up your mind don't ever stop from being kind. The truth is life, a battle you win when you fight for what you believe in. Be honest to yourself and even your foe then the enchantment of life will grow.

Embrace Reality! I have Writer's Block!

I have been at a painless writer's block for the past few weeks, well actually for July. Real Life has me working to teach what was missed for the entire school year and the weather has been so hot that all I can think about is to escape to my Retreat in Second Life.

I appreciate the variety of visitors that come here and I am in awe that they find this place. 

I have been evaluating why I am not writing as much a little deeper as well. As a writer I struggle with being afraid, with putting my ideas (and myself) out there for everyone to see and critique. Fear is a major reason some writers never become writers.

I have been often told to write down many of the real experiences I had with teaching and with the virtual worlds. Writing about life is so personal and sometimes I feel vulnerable to expose my wants and needs to the world.

Honestly, I do not consider myself a writer, even so, I wrote many many poems and short stories and of course this blog. I always wanted to be known as an artist, someone who is creative. I am grateful to the people who continue coming here and to the Basement Club. There are some new DJs that bring more of their styles to the music we play here, so don't hesitate to stop by and listen in M-F starting on most nights at 6PM SLT.

I will think of some new ideas on what to write soon. I see some summer vacation coming my way.

Oh, BTW please see this article about Grum in the Focus Magazine for Second Life. I think that is great he got recognized. He may not think I did not notice, but I did. Great Job!

Why I am attracted to aliens?

 

I truly believe it is the mysterious unknown of the aliens that I want to understand more closely that attracts me to them. Has it always been like this? In a way it has.

I see the relationship between humanity and humans as a romantic love story that I would be part of if that was about to happen. Who knows perhaps it is already happening. Whether you believe in aliens or not they most definitely are around in Second Life. I must give some credit to Grum (I relentlessly called him an alien until he told me to stop years later), who totally showed me the SCI-FI possibilities here in SL and I like the idea of exploring places in Second Life that are somewhat based on those themes. 

Perhaps that is what attracts me to all of this even more because here I can actually meet an alien or shop for clothing that comes from different worlds.

All of this alien news raises a lot of questions. Have aliens visited Earth before? How much does the government know, and what is it keeping from us? Are the aliens friendly, or are they coming to harvest all of our spleens for rocket fuel? And most importantly: Are they hot? Just some silly questions that go through my mind when I cannot sleep or when I wander around Second Life in search of aliens.

I could even go into more details about aliens like how would we kiss? Is kissing even hot to them, or are they all about — I don’t know — pressing foreheads together, or docking belly buttons? Also, what if a hot alien and I try to kiss, and they start sucking on my elbow and I’m like, Oh, uh, that’s not it, and they get really embarrassed and are like, Haha, yeah, I know, I was just kidding, and then we kiss normally, mouth tentacle–to–mouth, but we can never get the spark back? Oops, I got totally off subject here, lol.

What if I fall in love with this one hot alien, and everything is going great, but then we throw a dinner party and the hot alien’s other hot alien friend shows up, and I also fall in love with them, and then I don’t know whether I should listen to my heart and run off with this second hot alien, or stay and honor the beautiful life I built with the first alien?

What then? I need serious help here! Anyone?

"Wie einst Lili Marleen"

 

"You are standing there, like Lili Marleen." 

He said when he saw me. If you are not familiar with Lili Marleen it came from a poem and later a song that was made famous by Marlene Dietrich.

The words were written in 1915 as a poem of three verses by Hans Leip (1893–1983), a school teacher from Hamburg who had been conscripted into the Imperial German Army. Leip reportedly combined the nickname of his friend's girlfriend, Lili, with the name of another friend, Marleen, who was a nurse. The poem was later published in 1937 as "Das Lied eines jungen Soldaten auf der Wacht" ("The Song of a Young Soldier on Watch"), with two further verses added.

It was set to music by Norbert Schultze in 1938 and recorded by Lale Andersen for the first time in 1939. In early 1942 she recorded the song in English, the lyrics translated by Norman Baillie-Stewart, a turncoat former British army officer working for German propaganda. 

Ocho Tango is a land dedicated to tango, with a milonga for dancing and live concerts. It has become a point of reference for all lovers of Tango Argentino.

If you never been here, you should go and take a look. Besides the beautiful Latin nostalgic music, you can dance, take pictures, and admire the art.

My favorite is to dance in the high grass while hearing the music play. In the background the train ready to leave to some faraway destination.