Second Life: Creation of minds

This video I created quite some time ago, but it still stands and Second Life is still a beautiful creation.

I am not sure why we call it second life here in this beautiful world of creation.

Every life here every avatar is connected to our real lives in many ways. It is a learning process of discovering the beauty of our minds creating visions of happiness and sometimes even sadness, yet we are drawn here together like a magnet that has a hold on us. We can connect our visions with others or spend it in solitude, but I sense we all seek that connection to some great mind that spins on the same frequency as ours. Adventures here are endless and they do not limit us, because here we are free in a sense for as long as we need to be. I have seen many things our minds have created and here we admire this work and we never judge the physical human behind it all. Real Life should be like this! Where race, religion, gender, age, or disabilities don’t matter, but love for creating joy does.

Autumn or Fall?

The names autumn and fall are both commonly used. Autumn is thought to be slightly older, appearing in the 1300s, with the word fall first appearing around the 1500s in reference to leaves falling off trees. An even earlier name for the season is harvest. Whatever you may want to call it, it is my favorite season of the year. I love the colors, the smells, and the cooler weather, and not to forget Halloween.

The term autumn is more used in European countries such as the United Kingdom and the term Fall is more American. This season is the only season with two names, so pick your favorite way of saying it. You could always use the term Harvest which comes from the German side which is "Herbst".

Where I live in real life Fall looks like Summer to some regions, so I appreciate the idea that I could have Fall all year round in Second Life. It brings back many childhood memories

Sing to me, Autumn, with the rustle of your leaves.
Breathe on me your spicy scents that flow within your breeze.

Dance with me, Autumn, your waltz that bends the boughs of trees.
Now tell me all the secrets you've whispered to the seas.

Sleep with me, Autumn, beneath your starlit skies.
Let your yellow harvest moon shimmer in our eyes.

Kiss me, Autumn, with your enchanting spellbound ways
That changes all you touch into crimson golden days.

Love me, Autumn, and behold this love so true
That I'll be waiting faithfully each year to be with you.

So, celebrate the seasons to the fullest, each one has its own beauty and charm, and no matter where you live you can have them all right here in Second Life.

Happy Fall!!! Willkommen Herbst! Here are some other languages: otoño, jesień, l’automne, arbores autumnales.

Which is your favorite season?

And a Sim falls into a hole

We were all having a good time enjoying the music DJ Dulce was providing for us at the Basement Club until it all stopped. It started with chat lag and then we all froze. I could still hear the music and before you could say what happened, I was disconnected from Second Life. I believe everybody else was teleported somewhere. 

The entire Region of "Monty" fell into a deep hole and was gone. Even the road stopped midway.

I logged back on and because my home is in that region, my first attempt failed and I had to try again. I tried again and I appeared at some weird place and tried to get to Monty but that failed. I then looked on the map and tried to land in the next region and that worked. And there I saw it, the hole.

I immediately checked the grid statues to see if there were some issues in Second Life, because that can happen from time to time. Nothing!

My next step was to let Second Life know, just in case they don't realize I need to get home.

After an hour I was chatting with "Boxy

5000" an apparent AI working for Second Life. Boxy seemed pleasant and tried to understand my question about Monty being down.

Boxy 5000: Could you tell me the region again?

Anjelikka : Monty

And then just then like a miracle the glorious region of Monty was back on the map. The hole was filled with all the buildings, the road, and the fabulous gacha items I have all over the Retreat and Basement Club are back as new and maybe even better. Make sure you check it all out.

 

How to wear a Dirndl?

First things first, what is a dirndl dress? It is a folk-style dress worn in Germany, but also Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.

A dirndl skirt is a traditional German and Austrian folk dress that is worn by all types of women in Germany, Austria, and the Alps region. A dirndl (pronounced "dirndel") skirt or dress is derived from the word dirndl, which means a young woman or girl. When you hear somebody mentioning dirndl, he or she either refers to the girl or to the dress.

A dirndl consists of a full tight bodice, an integrated blouse that has a very low neckline, short, 3/4, or long sleeves, and a skirt. An apron is attached to the skirt which can either be short or long. You will see this type of dress during Oktoberfest and other traditional festivals. It is not a good idea to wear this type of dress for Halloween.

How you tie the apron has certain meanings, so if you wear a dirndl make sure you know how to tie that apron. 

Wearing the bow to the left means the woman is single and you can approach her. Wearing the bow on the right means she is either married or taken, so stay away. 

The bow on the front means she is a virgin and wearing the bow on the back means she is a widow. Children also wear the bow towards the back.

So all you Schürzenjäger (womanizers and philanderers) now know. The term says it all because Schürze means apron and jäger a hunter. Therefore someone who is hunting for aprons, in this case, those who wear the apron bow on the left.

Oktoberfest is not celebrated all over Germany, nor do all German women wear this type of dress, it is mainly a Bavarian Holiday with lots of eating and drinking and of course singing.

Whatever festival you celebrate we wish you a wonderful time. Drink responsible and do not chase all the aprons you see. Stop by the Retreat if you want to be in the German Forest or just want to hang out.

Second Life my healing tool.

I know many of you may get tired of hearing people talk about PTSD because the term is so overused, but let me tell you from my own experience it is very real. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is unique to the individual but the stages are similar. It is commonly associated with veterans who have served on active duty and those who have lived through natural disasters or massive violent events; however, it can also develop after the death of a loved one or even after a traumatic hospital stay or vehicle accident. I so can identify with this and go through it and I still get triggered.

It sometimes feels like a bunch of sheep running all over not knowing where to go.

Stage 1: The Emergency Stage is when you feel you have been hit by a freight train and you do not understand where it came from. I would often ask why is this happening and I had no label for it, I just thought it is me. This made my anxiety super high and I basically was hiding away from people. Some may run to people and want to tell everybody that some trauma happened. I used Second Life to get away and feel secure and deal with my anxiety in a calm relaxing way.

Stage 2: The Numbing Stage made me deny my many traumatic experiences from childhood to the moment I was diagnosed with PTSD after a violent attack. There was no way that my childhood was bad, but in therapy, it all came out. I am not saying that therapy is bad, but it made the severity of my condition a much bigger deal. Oh yes and I denied it, there was nothing wrong with me.

Stage 3: The Intrusive/Repetitive Stage can happen fairly quickly after the trauma or years later depending on the denial and discovery of what happened. I had flashbacks daily. Every man, every word, sometimes the music would bring it on. Second Life includes many jerks that are narcissistic and can break a person. Not all of course. To be honest I stay away from any of them now because Second Life is for me, my time, my healing and I do what makes me feel good.

Stage 4: The Transition Stage is when you finally accept that you have PTSD and it is going to be ok. Life can be normal again. There is no time when this particular stage occurs, it is different for each person. It can be weeks, months, and even years, but it will get here eventually. If I can do it, so can you.

Stage 5: In the Integration Stage when you successfully worked through your recovery program and now have tools to fight the triggers, you may be able to deal with your anxiety better. There are times when you fall back and life looks all crazy again, but these days are shorter and what you have learned along the way is much more helpful. My therapist would often tell me to find real friends and not rely on make-believe friends from Second Life. I told her those are not make-believe they are real people with real problems behind the screens. Therapists do not know everything.

Second Life has helped me many times to fight the triggers to feel the self-worth I was missing and most of all to be appreciated as a creative person. I am thankful for this. Come visit me anytime at the Retreat that was created for all people in Second Life who may have struggles, and who may need to escape until they get to Stage 5. I am here for you.

Lutz City of Templemore

I have arrived! Lutz City of Templemore.
Have you ever felt like being somebody else?

Feeling like the mirror isn't good for your health? Every day I'm tryin' not to hate myself but lately, it's not hurtin' like it did before maybe I am learning how to love me more.

Beyond the iron-wrought gates and stone sculptures that usher you past the brick archway lies Lutz City of Templemore. Templemore continues the celebration of Live Music in SL through Lutz City with its amazing ambient and nested stages.

It used to burn every insult, every word but it helped me learn (yeah).
Self-worth I had to earn. So I tried every night to sit with sorrow and eventually, it set me free. I do not care who you see and whom you with, I set myself free.

What a pity we can't be friends.

There are two kinds of pity. One, the weak and sentimental kind, which is really no more than the heart's impatience to be rid as quickly as possible of the painful emotion aroused by the sight of another's unhappiness, that pity which is not compassion, but only an instinctive desire to fortify one's own soul against the sufferings of another; and the other, the only one at counts, the unsentimental but creative kind, which knows what it is about and is determined to hold out, in patience and forbearance, to the very limit of its strength and even beyond.

Der Zug ist abgefahren und Du kannst Dein Schnattchen mitnehmen.

Eleven Years in Second Life

Yes, when I tell people in real life that I have been in the virtual world called Second Life for 11 years, they look at me like I have lost my mind. Well, maybe; but what they do not understand is that Second Life is not a game where you play level after level to achieve a goal.

What does one do for eleven years in this world? They often ask me that as well. I cannot even answer this in one short sentence, because there are so many things you can do here.

It is different for each person, the way they interpret virtual reality. Things here are made by the people who come here and they are real. 

You name it, you can do it here in Second Life. Fall in love, get married, get divorced, some have a family, and so on. Open a shop and sell what you made, sing or DJ. Create art or create digital art, the sky is the limit. Learn a new language from any of the residents from all over the world, make new friends, and visit old friends. Live in a fantasy, or make it as real as you like.

The Metaverse is a buzzword that is going around, but Second Life has been here for almost 20 years already, so it is nothing new. I think Covid19 got many people more involved in technology such as zoom meetings, google classrooms, and so on. Second Life has helped me to master those in no time.

So, what was I doing in Second Life for 11 years? I say I was learning about myself and others and what brings happiness that I can take to the real world. Why not experience it yourself, trust me it is better than what Meta is creating.

The Retreat in Second Life

Interesting facts Second Life send me: Anjelikka, it's your 11th Rez Day Second Life is fun, weird, and always evolving, but the magic ingredient is YOU. The vibrant worlds you build and the sense of community you provide for others is simply priceless. Here's to another year of imagination and experiencing the impossible. -The Second Life Team  Here's what you've achieved in the past year*: Your Milestones Average Resident 491 Region(s) visited 87 Regions visited 1,249 Teleport(s) 220 Teleports   47 day(s) Longest streak logged in                3 days             Longest streak logged in

Interesting facts Second Life send me: Anjelikka, it's your 11th Rez Day Second Life is fun, weird, and always evolving, but the magic ingredient is YOU. The vibrant worlds you build and the sense of community you provide for others is simply priceless. Here's to another year of imagination and experiencing the impossible. -The Second Life Team  Here's what you've achieved in the past year*: Your Milestones Average Resident 491 Region(s) visited 87 Regions visited 1,249 Teleport(s) 220 Teleports   47 day(s) Longest streak logged in                3 days             Longest streak logged in

Interesting facts Second Life send me:

Anjelikka, it's your 11th Rez Day

Second Life is fun, weird, and always evolving, but the magic ingredient is YOU. The vibrant worlds you build and the sense of community you provide for others is simply priceless. Here's to another year of imagination and experiencing the impossible.

-The Second Life Team

Here's what you've achieved in the past year*:

Your Milestones Average Resident

491 Region(s) visited 87 Regions visited

1,249 Teleport(s) 220 Teleports

47 day(s) Longest streak logged in                3 days             Longest streak logged in

Here's what you've achieved in the past year*:

 Here's what you've achieved in the past year*:

Your Milestones

Average Resident

Your Milestones

Your Milestones

Average Resident

Average Resident

491 Region(s) visited

87 Regions visited

491 Region(s) visited

491
Region(s) visited

87 Regions visited

87
Regions visited

1,249 Teleport(s)

220 Teleports

1,249 Teleport(s)

1,249
Teleport(s)

220 Teleports

220
Teleports

 

47 day(s) Longest streak logged in

3 days             Longest streak logged in

47 day(s) Longest streak logged in

47 day(s)
Longest streak logged in

3 days             Longest streak logged in

               3 days
            Longest streak logged in

No cloak of red?

October is coming fast and Carlos and I have many cool things planned for the Retreat. 

Just like every year, the Retreat will have a hunt for all residents to enjoy. This year the hunt and story is all about the Brothers Grimm.

The Forest is already there and getting ready for the dark tales. The hunt starts on October 1. In the meantime, you can visit the Retreat Gallery that has the "Little Red Riding Hood" exhibit. You can make up your own mind if the wolf was just misunderstood or if was he the villain.

He knew how to charm alright and convinced Red to give out information that she was told not to give. "Do not talk to anyone", her mother said.

The pictures in the exhibit do not actually depict the wolf as the bad guy but rather as a friend. Maybe? Or maybe Red knew just what to do to trick the wolf. You have to come and make up your own mind and look at the pictures. Please leave me any comments you have after because I would love to hear how you saw and experienced the exhibit. There is no right or wrong to it at all.

Once the hunt starts, there may be a clue in the gallery butt "shhhh", I cannot tell you all of it, not just yet. I love the idea that I can upload my art to Second Life and others can see it. How very cool. If you like what you see and want a copy of any of my art, let me know. I often get asked if I want to sell my art. We can negotiate like Red and the Wolf.

 Feel free to take pictures in your Red and Wolf attire and post them in the Retreat Flickr group. I would love to see you :)