Warm Winter Nights

Like some of you may already know, I met a lot of SL friends in the atomic world.

True friendships have developed between some fo us and with the others there is a merry relationship with a lot of conversation and laughing whenever we meet.

The groups of  bSL (before SL) and aSL (after SL) tend to blend, mixing the two worlds in a wonderful and unexpected way.

Yesterday I went to the airport with two friends to pick up a SL friend who is coming over for a short holiday. She came from the UK and it was “love at first sight”. The wonderful lady I met in SL was even more wonderful in person.

We went for a drink by the river, under the beautiful Lisbon sun, and we sat there talking about everything and nothing, from politics, to history, music, SL (of course) and we totally lost track of time. The sun was already low when we left with a warm feeling inside.

Later at home I couldn’t stop thinking how wonderful it is to be able to meet beautiful people and share a bit of eachother’s lives, may be even make a difference.

Afterall friendship has no country and it speaks its own universal language. Does it really matter where it begins?

Yesterday was my second rezzday and being busy preparing Owl’s participation in a RL event and the SL events on the island for this week, barely had the time to realise it… if it weren’t for my friends to remind me – in fact they were doing that for almost a month DAILY!

I entered SL two years ago dragged by my best friend at that time, and it was really dragged cause I didn’t like online games (still don’t lol) and wasn’t really willing to try it.

Glad I did though. Lots of things changed in my life in these 2 years. Cried a lot, laughed a lot, discovered wonderful people, lost some friends along the way, discovered things about myself that were hidden deep and skills I never thought I could have, but above all I met a lot of marvelous, awesome, amazing people.

I have to thank you all for:

- Making me a better person

- Kicking my ass when I need to be kicked

- Cuddling me and drying my stubborn tears in times of distress

- Laughing with me (and at me grrr *winks)

- Showing me paths I never thought possible to cross

- Believing in me more than I do, always pushing me further

You are the reason I still am in Second Life, the reason I get back every night. Not the tasks, not the shopping, not the photography, not the parties. YOU are all that matters and without you Second Life would just be a beautiful empty place and RL would be poorer.

Thank you for all your love and care, for the wonderful surprises you made me yesterday. You are all in my heart and I am here for you whenever and wherever you need me. You make both my lifes warmer and richer each day.

Yesterday was the Graduation party of new Mentors. Being one of the photographers on duty I was there for a couple of hours dancing at Oliver’s rhythms (great job Oliver!) and shooting my camera around.

Most of us had over 4 hours of mentoring and really needed a break. This weekend the Help Islands (which replaced the Orientation islands for some time now) were filled with new residents who were driven by news of a divorce in England caused, or so they say, by a Second Life affair. Result?

Sex calls people and from what I saw over 2 thousand new residents must have arrived just yesterday. Of course the questions were “How can I have sex?”; “Do you want to have sex with me?” “I want to marry you and have children”. There were a couple of guys that even gave phone numbers and skype contacts in open chat as well as other RL information.

As mentors our job is to teach people how to use SL and to give assistance in technical or other issues. How do you teach someone that just asks the above questions? I don’t know about the others, but I see it as a chance to explain how to move, how to use search, speak about the social environment SL is (not only for sex) and how to interact with people and objects.

Most of them left for welcome areas (which were also crowded, The Shelter, for instance, was full) and off they went searching for someone to have sex with. Others started asking more questions which allowed me to explain what SL can offer.

It was a busy day. It was tiring but in the end it was quite gratifying.

My friend Aggio was recently father of two lovely twins whom he and Katie named Sol (sun) and Lua (moon).

Take a look and see how cute they are and the father drooling *winks

Congratulations Aggio and Katie. You have the most beautiful babies in the whole SL.

In Second Life like iRL things sometimes don’t go as we wished they would.

After more than one year in Portucalis building dreams, mine and others, together with a wonderful group of friends, I see myself forced to leave.

Lots of things have been happening iRL that have unfortunately reflected in my second life.

Again the relationships between people are the issue. I have seen it before and even helped (or tried to) some friends getting over it, but never thought that my best friend in no matter what world would put me against a wall and tried to force me to choose between her and another of my friends.

How can someone just erase feelings? Impossible! At least for me. So I maintained my position of not choosing which led to my best friend’s backing up and putting an end to our long lasting friendship in a stubborn position if “you are not with me, you are against me”.

Both lives have been affected. My RL is poorer now, in spite of all the very very good friends I have. Loosing someone always hurts. My SL was also affected and what was once a place I called home, has become some where I feel I’m persona non grata. Besides, the business partnership ended and all of a sudden I see myself with monthly tiers I just can’t afford. I tried during the past months to search for ways to keep my little corner in Portucalis, even thought of getting some of the abandoned land for myself, but I realised that would affect badly my RL (thanks God for the holidays that put my mind back on track) and just had to put an end to those crazy thoughts. No way a place that should be my playground is going to affect my daily survival in the atomic world.

So guys I am leaving Portucalis but I am not leaving friends and feelings. It is just a piece of virtual land where I was once happy.

Time to start overwith friends all around me and a smile on my face, taking with me the good memories and leaving the bad ones behind.

Soon I will be posting about the new place and hope you stop by to say hello.

When I first logged in into Second Life I was far from knowing what this could become.

I had previous experiences in chat rooms where I found good friends that I keep until now, but never thought that this new “game” would develop this way.

It was my RL birthday last saturday. On Friday night I logged in just to finish a dispute that was going on in a club at Portucalis, warned by a friend, and was immediately caugt by siss that tried to distract me with the Sales going on at Truth (by the way… they have great bargains there, take a look if you have the chance).

I was really tired cause it had been a busy busy week at the office but I promised her I would stay until midnight for her to wish me Happy Birthday.

Siss organised this great great party in less than half an hour and all my friends who were online dropped by. You guys leave me speachless. Thank you all for the great time I had and for all your care.

Went to bed at 2 am with a smile on my face and warmth in my heart.

Saturday I had a dinner party planned with rl friends (some of which I met in SL) and I had this surprise I simply lack of words to describe.

My friends that have nothing to do with Second Life (except for knowing me hehehe) managed to get in touch with my SL friends in Portugal and abroad and gave me the BEST present I had in all my life. Something I always wanted to do (and had to also) and never could afford.

I have to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. You have done for me more than you can imagine and no words can describe how I feel happy, moved, touched for all the care and love you have shown for me. Don’t know if I deserve you, but I asure you that I’m here for you for whatever you need and you are all in my heart forever.

To all of those out there that don’t believe in friendship and in people, I just have one thing to say, when you are able to touch people’s hearts and they touch yours, the bonds that are created will not break. Friends are the best you can have in no matter what world, having met them in the flesh or not. And the present I had on saturday, the way people that never met before joined together to do what you guys did it is simply the proof of it.

It is the reason why I keep believing in people and I am the luckiest person in the whole world for having you all in my life.

From Friday to Sunday I have to say this was the Best weekend I ever had in my (already long) life.

Thank you again all of you for being there and for caring. Love you all !!!!

Lately some of my friends are considering leaving SL ’cause the psychological stress is just too much for them to handle and, what was supposed to be a playground, turned into a serious battle field.

Seeing all this just makes me think why do people mess things up even when they are given a second chance. I know we are only human with flaws, but is it living in peace just so difficult? Is it really needed to turn what can be a magic life into hell?

RL has enough problems for most of us, please don’t destroy your playground and others. If there is something you don’t like just talk to that person or back away from he/she if you think it isn’t worth talking. That is so easy to do with a click on the remove or the mute buttons.

At the end of the process friends will always be friends, taken as they are with all the qualities and flaws, and you know who you are and that you are in my heart forever, no matter in what lives we meet.

Yesterday everything was quiet in Portucalis after the last 2 crazy months and I stayed at home trying skins and outfits and whatever I could find that could help newcomers (I just don’t like the newb word hehehe) to do some Starter’s Kits to hand over.

Suddenly a request for a Portuguese Mentor to assist a Portuguese speaking person in Orientation Island nr. whatever (don’t remember… 27, I think). When I arrived there, the fellow mentor who had called for help and another avatar were there. The Portuguese speaker had already gone to do the tutorials and I hang around for a bit.

That other Avi was from November and I asked him why was he still there and didn’t go inworld to check how wonderful SL can be.

He just said that he loved to help newcomers go past all the tutorials and he didn’t want to leave. He was waiting to be “old” enough to become a Mentor like the friends he had already made there.

It is amazing how people can devote their lives – first, second, third – to help others with such a devotion. When I applied for Mentor I did want to help others, like I was helped (still am) and I try my best to do a job well done.

Those who know me, also know that I’m always helping everyone either on SL issues or others and I try my best to get all the answers even when the subject is beyond my knowledge. I love to help and stop whatever I am doing to help someone. But I would never consider to give up my SLife to “just” help others. And ’cause of that I was a little ashamed when I heard the answer of that wonderful guy.

Hope one day he gets out of the OI and he can see the wonders of Second Life and that he understands that he can also help others being in world.

After surfing around my usually daily blogs I came to this post on Tymmerie’s Blog and I just couldn’t resist doing the quiz.

Here is  the result. And me thinking they only got close ’cause of my looks *winks

Guys Like That You’re Sensitive

And not in that “cry at a drop of a hat” sort of way You just get most guys – even if you’re not trying to Guys find it is easy to confide in you and tell you their secrets No wonder you tend to get close quickly in relationships!