Changing Tides

Life is full of changes. I end up undergoing a few even if I claim not to enjoy change that much. In the past weeks… well, two months almost since my last post, many changes took place, small or not so small, who can tell? I’d been eager to write but failed to find time or inspiration to do so, so… this will end up short but at least it will come out, as a smoke sign that this blog is still kicking… or at least dragging itself

Anyway, I went to watch Carmina Burana a few weeks ago. It was nice and a differente evening. You can hear the full concert (from another orquestra & choir & location) below.

- Lyrics here -

Besides that… well… life takes its turns, that’s for sure. Some we have no power over them, other we do. After over 13 months working at Sweethearts Jazz Club in SL I gave up my job as a host there (I was one of the oldest ones still working there). It was kind of sad and I’d been dragging that decision over and over… but eventually it was the right thing to do. It no longer felt like fun and only as work for me lately. I didn’t like that. When I first started there, the money was much less and I worked much longer hours… but it ended up being more rewarding. This of course is also due to my own personality I guess, ‘cuz I tend to prefer small intimate places other then large big and crowded venues. Plus, my RL work was cramping me free time and it was a constant struggle to get home and spend two hours there when I had so much else to do.

*Sigh*

Anyway… I’ve met lots of interesting people working there at Sweethearts. Made a few friends. Learned a few things. About me… about others. It was a worthwhile experience… and looking back, I feel much more relieved having left it. I wasn’t doing a great job anymore, just punching the card and the keyboard… new blood will surely do a better job then I was doing in these final months I worked there.

Aside from that FreeLife Magazine has been on a way extended hiatus for… pfff…. way too long. Not that I would have much time to write from them though Yet, I miss writing for them. It was such a cool experience… oh well, like the opening from Carmina Burana says… “O Fortuna, like the moon, you are changeable, ever waxing and waning;” Such is one’s life, new things arriving, old ones vanishing… eh…

Hmmm…. anyway talking about RL, a few twists and turns happen there too.

I got my own car now Its neat. Still getting used to the idea though. My personal life is also taking unexpected steps forward… never thought I’d be where I am right now an year ago. Eh… an year ago. Time’s funny. How all the dates, celebrations and events seem to blend in to a collective memory, distorting time and our perception of it… Summer’s here. That’s for sure. Where we’ll we been in one year’s time? Pfff…. I can’t even begin to guess…

Such is life… one day at a time and each day seems shorter and shorter. Can’t get enough time to do all I wanted to do. Maybe I just need to organize myself a little better. Grow up a little more perhaps. Live a little more… eh… many things have happen, I just didn’t wrote them…

Anyway… Hope I can get back in to a more regular posting scheme

Cheers

Just another year?

The year was 2008, the person… me.

I have to be honest and state that it didn’t had the most pleasant start of them all… I did spend the evening with friends, we were enjoying ourselves, watching a video together, food was abound, it was warm, blankets on the floor for people to sit and play cardboard group games and the mood was generally up and cozy. My stomach just wasn’t enjoying it all. Eh, too bad for me I guess. I ended up leaving early… or late in the night, depends on how you put it.

Eh… it was an odd year. Maybe it was because it was a leap year, I dunno. Not odd in a negative way, just felt like a cleavage point in my life. Allow to elaborate (if you haven’t fallen asleep yet):

On 2007 I started working, in the true sense of the word (ie: with a paycheck and a contract). When 2008 kicked in, I was still doing some work, but no money was purring in anymore… That said, obviously I had been looking for other jobs (the paying kind ones) for a bit. More on that.

On 2006 I stopped dreaming about an illusion I had in my mind. Many interesting things come from that … ahem… inspiration, but in the end I get that bitter taste in my mouth wondering: “was it worth it?” I dunno. On 2007 I pretty much forget that whole dreaming idea and just carried on doing my job… This year of 2008… it all sparked out unsuspecting. More on that too.

Now I stand on the verge of 2009 and I wonder what will the future bring me… alas… I dunno. But I’ve grown a bit this year. Learned lots of things. Did new things. Met new people. Met new ideas. Met new ideologies. And moved on.

As I said I started they year working but working pro-bono… not very inspiring, I must tell you. I went to a couple of job interviews, sent dozens of CV’s and the two most significant ones were: the one that made me travel half the country away (twice) for the said interview (where I was later on not accepted); and my short incursion to the Air Force, where they decided I had an unstable personality… (they did advise me to return next year and try again… to which I asked how could my ‘unstable’ personality change over an year?… to which they smirked and pretended not to understand the question) Assholes… fact is: I have a mind of my own and I don’t fit in their desired profile of an officer (ie: someone that as ideas and can think for himself) (( which is not always good, I’ll give them that))

Anyway, by June I was hired and started working, back to scientific research despite my efforts of making a run in a different direction. Guess destiny pulled some strings again. Eheh, in the end I have to say I’m quite happy with my job and research project right now. My boss is very cool and easy going, my lab partners are all very friendly and all with a great sense of humor. Work hours are odd sometimes, but we have enough freedom to coordinate our lives around it, so that’s pretty good too. Further more, one major article on sight soon, and … who knows, I might apply for a Ph.D. *shivers* let’s see what 2009 has to say about that…

On a more personal note, I ended up re-logging in to my old account in Second Life and revived a still noobie-looking Petros Miklos by late February. And the amazing thing was… I discovered my Second Life ! (after three account and nearly one year after my first trial of the program).

Needless to say, since most of this blog is dedicated to what I do online in Second Life… I did spent some time online navigating in that metaverse. I got a job working at Sweethearts (where I still hold a shift per week), I rented a skybox (a small floating flat), I updated my look reflecting more and more my real self, and expanded my horizonds regarding fashion. I met lots of people. Some went away, with others we diverged paths at some point… others stood around and still are for the long haul. Meanwhile I got a second job in SecondLife, working for a SL magazine named “FreeLife” where I was able to write about some of the hidden jewels I kept finding here and there on this wondrous metaverse of ours.

I had my first online romance, with Adora. It was unexpected and it open my eyes to things I didn’t not know much about it (to avoid saying nothing). It was short-lived in the end, but was intense never the less… and I promissed myself that I wouldn’t get in to another online romance.

Then destiny itself, or some other prankster (still trying to figure out whom) decided my lonesome days would be short lived as well and Summer, my current partner, my friend, my lover, my confident, my inspiration and company for the past 5 months, come in to my life. It was, again, unexpected. But here we are, still together, sharing dreams and ideas, thoughts and emotions… and I’m glad we are

With all this, and as Summer kept stating, my life soon started to merge with my Second life. At some point it becomes just an extension of who you are, just another facet on our life. I created this blog, and wrote about some of the experiences I had in SL. I had much more to tell, but, alas, I don’t write it all in here.

The thing is… My life changed… even if just a bit. Second Life provided a whole new World to explore and still be able to maintain a regular ‘normal’ life alongside with it. Allowed me to meet new friends abroad. Allowed me to experience things I would never be able to do if I was to keep myself in my home->work->home routine.

Eh, don’t get me wrong. I did quite a few things beside working and being online on Second Life. I started conducting a chorus since April (something I have little to no experience doing, but I’m winging it as it goes). I sung in the chorus that participated in the worldwide event from our church that took place here this time, which kept us singing for a couple of months non-stop with intensive rehearsals. Along that, we had some other minor events in our city with similar activities (just on a much smaller scale). I went to visit Expo2008, spent time with family, spent time with friends, met new ones, made some interesting developments at work, got a fresh new view on my own personality, learned a lot about people this year too… still much more to learn about that though, and even more about myself too…

hmmm…

Quite a busy year actually…

Odd… I started writing this and I had this idea that it would be a quite short resume of the year … and now… now I look back at this and I see so many details in these few lines that have so much more to explain and tell, that if I did so… well, I’d probably still be writing by the time the clock marked 12 o’clock midnight on 31st of December…

Summing it up… it was an unexpected year. Little of what happen I expected it to happen. In fact, I didn’t saw most of it coming my way until they hit me in the face !! eh… go figure.

Time seems to have an incredible timing for certain things… other times… well, we’re just impatient.

Predictions to 2009? eh, no clue whatsoever…

See ya all there

My big sis, Katerina’s Rez Party

Its been a week already since my SL sis first rez day party, but it’s still a memorable event to write about, especially taking in to account the great gal she is.

Katerina Manamiko, my SL sis, my great dear friend, also known as Kat, or the General Manager of the club we work at, Sweethearts, first rezzed on the 11th of November of 2007.

Through countless perils we come to meet each other at Sweethearts where we both started working around the same time there, when Sweethearts was just a brewing idea on the minds of Charity & Dilbert. We’ve been there from the early beginning, and despite not talking every day with each other, when we do talk, we tend to share deep emotions between each other.

Moments have come, hard to undertake all on your own, where we have counted on each other to wind out and spill out what was trapped inside us. I thank her for that, for being there when I needed her shoulder… I only try to be there for her as well when she needs it too…

Hmmm… well, what I mean to say is that I’m really happy to have met you Kat. Getting to know you has a person as been a amazing experiment and I hope you can keep shining your light with all of us for many many more years to come. You’re a kind, giving, selfless person, always putting other before your own interests. Sometimes people don’t understand you (way to many more then I wished for you) and fail to see what a shining star you are. My only wish is that you may find you path to happiness soon and that life will ease up the burden you often carry all by yourself…

Love ya sis

On the meanwhile, here’s some pics of the party Sweethearts setup for our beloved Katerina on her Rez Day. Me and Summer were there and hope we spiced up the party a little bit, making it a memorable day for you Kat.

*big hugs*

Katerina Manamiko

Me & Summer @ Kats Rez Party

there was CAKE!!!!

View of the party

Paranoia

I work at Sweethearts Jazz Lounge Club as an host. And I love that job! I’ve been working with them for over 5 months now, having started when the club was just starting out. Back then things were very different then they are now, there is still the same spirit around, but the place as changed and grown a lot, people have come and gone and its popularity spiked to the top in time.

Yesterday, another shift. Two hours of finger bliss, typing like a mad man greeting every avatar that enters the club, smiling and helping out any question that may arise from any of the guest and hopefully inducing some good mood to those around you. Its a nice job, you get to talk to lots of people, even if it’s not as easy as it used to be when the club was just an embryo of the club it is today, but even so you do get to meet interesting people among the crowds flooding in.

Yesterday it was no exception, the shift went quite smoothly for the first 90min. People were nice, tips were good, IM were kind and interesting and there was time to breath and be a bit more innovative in each greeting then just mass greeting everyone… then the last 30min got really crazy.

Tons of IM going on, lots of people coming in, some avatars pushing the envelop when it come to abiding to the PG rules… and then, after being attacked a few times (the sim) by griefers and knowing that many alts walk among us, one starts to get paranoid at some point just wondering if those strange people talking to you are really someone else you have a gut feeling they are… or maybe it’s just you.

So you keep smiling, keep hosting as friendly as you can, but you can’t help but wonder: “Is it really?…”

I guess being an somewhat experience resident gives you some knowledge how certain things can happen. Not that I am *that* experienced, but I’ve had my share of experiences…

There are people behind every avatar and that’s a strange little thing… very strange indeed. There’s even one behind my own !!

So in the middle of all the relationships going on, good or bad, in the mist of all the words spoken and all the words unspoken, one starts to develop a uncanny affinity to read words where there aren’t any and extrapolate feelings from within hundreds of raw words… its a bit of a paranoia going on your mind to think about it all.

You can just smile and be blissful happy and pretend (or not) that nothing matters…. or you can take it all personally and be truthful in every action and every word you say… and then you have to be aware you are bend on getting hurt sooner or later; thus are the tenets of being true in this imaginary world. But is there any other way to really enjoy it?

A toast for love

So, last night was fun.

Apart from the fact that my RL avie went to bed really late, all was good and fun and memorable.

Dilbert and Charity, my bosses at Sweethearts, where I work as an host, share quite an unique and wonderful story on SL, and yesterday we celebrated their 1 year anniversary of meeting in RL for the very first time, after striking a romance in SL before hand. They are now married in RL and keep spreading their love and vision with all residents in SL.

So the place was crowded (nothing new there) but it was quite nice, lots of the current staff members managed to show up to show their support, many regulars of sweethearts were also there and some old friends of the lovely couple were also there.

We had three very touching and inspired speeches presented by Richh, Katerina and Titzalina, which I’ll transcript in here:

Richh Devin:

Thanks everyone for having me here and giving me this opportunity to MC this very special occasion.

Like so many other citizens of sl, Sweethearts Jazz was one of the very first establishments that I experienced here in sl.

It has always remained my favorite place to visit and I am very proud to come here regularly and to support the efforts of Dilbert and Charity.

In their own words “Sweethearts is a romantic venue dedicated to love and happiness.”

This club, founded on the principles of romance and love, continues to nurture new relationships, many of which blossom into true and lasting love.

The shining lights and the inspirations for all of this are Dilbert and Charity themselves.

Today they celebrate a very special occasion. One year ago, these two wonderful people took a huge step beyond the love that they had found in sl.

Building on the love that they had found here these two brave souls met for the first time outside of their beautiful avatar skins. I can only imagine what it was like to look into each others eyes for the first time that day.

Needless to say, what they saw was love looking back. The kind of love that is magical and that which is based on mutual trust, honesty, and integrity. The kind of love that is born in heaven and that is surely guarded and nurtured by the angels themselves.

Since that day, one year ago, these two remarkable people have dedicated themselves to each other. At the same time they have dedicated themselves to all of us. Sweethearts is the result of that dedication.

As a patron, and on behalf of all the citizens of sl, and on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of patrons who come here to Sweethearts from every corner of the world, Charity and Dilbert, I thank you.

Please let it be know to you that all of your effort, all of your hard work and the frustration that you must surely feel in the effort of this place does not go unnoticed.

On behalf of all the customers of this place, I would like to present you with this plaque. It is a simple welcome sign written in many languages and it represents the seed of opportunity for anyone that passes by it to find that same kind of love.

I would now Like to turn the podium over to Katerina Manamiko, the General Manager of Sweethearts, to say a few words on behalf of the family that is always there to greet us with their kindness and who bring the magic here for all of us to enjoy.

Katerina Manamiko:

Dearest Charity and Dilbert,

When we think of two people in love, it’s the two of you who come first to mind. You are an inspiration to all of us. The love shared between you shines through in all you do and create. You have created this paradise we know as Sweethearts Jazz Lounge and then honored us by making us your staff and by extension, your family.

We want you to know we think the world of you and are thankful you’ve opened your hearts and lives to us. We feel a part of your beautiful love story–one of the greatest ones every told. We are honored and priviledged to be here… your Sweetheart family.

We thank you for all you do and give. Your hearts are warm and kind. We love you so much. And we celebrate today with you as you remember back to the time when your true love became REAL. Congratulations to two people we love and admire. May there only be the brightest and most joyous of years ahead of you!

Your Devoted Sweethearts Staff:
Kerena, Kasady, Bobbi, Stan, Aster, Zenia, Summer, Majella, Tallie, Jezabel, Tamrra, Hallie, Alexxis, Sapphire, Tiyuk, Lotti, Leonie, Blossom, Viviana, Petros, and Katerina

Richh Devin:

Thank you Katerina, Charity and Dilbert you must be extremely pleased with your Wonderful staff here at Sweethearts. Once again thank you to all of the fantastic men and women who make this place one that is so special.

Finally Charity and Dilbert, I would like to invite Titzalina Nieder to speak to you on behalf of your closest friends.

Titzalina Nieder:

When Katerina asked me to write something about Charity and Dil, I had to shorten my text, Had I not done so, we would be here until Christmas. There is so much I want to say about these 2 lovely people.

So I decided to write from the heart, because this would be what all their friends would want me to do on their behalf. Morphy and I met these 2 wonderful people nearly 2 years ago. Boy, 2 years !! We have ALL come a long way since the Hotlicks days….LOL.

So much has happened in that time, but despite it all, the love Charity and Dil have for each other has weathered the storms and now they are together in RL. Happier than ever. When they opened Phat Cats, the love and dedication they both put into that club was endless. Every time we signed into SL, one or both of them was there. Then the decision was made to sell their beloved club to realise their RL dream. No-one could be happier then us, their friends, who could see Cinderella finally having her Prince to hold forever. It was such a fairy tale, and friends were there to see this wonderful tale unfold. I am NOT going to talk about the negative times they both endured after the sale. But surfice to say, they both stayed steadfast and won the day, and no-one was more over joyed than us friends, to see them finally settle into their RL lives..at long last.

Now they have both opened another club for us to all to share the love, dreams and romance. Sweethearts is here. Sweethearts came from the heart. After all, love and romance helps the world go around. Sweethearts, the wonderful club that weaves it’s magic for us all. Dear Charity and Dil. Thank you our dear friends. Without Sweethearts like you, the world would be a very sad place. Never stop loving each other, as we, your friends LOVE you.

We love you both very Much Char and Dil

Richh Devin:

Thank you Titzalina, Charity and Dilbert it is clear that the rewards of your love for each other and the love that you inspire here at Sweethearts brings with it many wonderful rewards in the form of great friendships.

Well ladies and gentlemen, that concludes our thank you to Charity and Dilbert. Please be sure to come up here to have a piece of cake and to say a personal hello to these wonderful owners of Sweethearts.

Needless to say, both Char & Dilbert were nearly speechless and overwhelmed with all this

It was a beautiful moment. Its not easy to find true love, but when you do, it’s important to nurture it and share it, let it flow to those around you… and they did all that!

There were lots of emotions going on, simple words will not suffice to grasp them. Simply said: it was a sweet moment at sweethearts

After that we tried to get most of our staff together for a big family photo (pfff… that was tricky to say the least ). There were still a few missing, as it is always difficult to have everyone from around the World together at the same time, still we made a nice little group all together there.

It was really nice.

One of those moments that make you smile and that you will remember for times to come.