Second Life (SL) is full of entertainment – actually most of SL is about entertainment. One of the more popular ways of killing time is going out. Mainly to clubs and bars where real life (RL) DJ’s are pushing the music. Some clubs combine the dancing with smaller or larger competitions, where guests for a ridiculously low fare can enter to win a larger sum.
The “business” of driving a club in SL is tough. Several good looking clubs with serious and ambitious owners are closed due to lack of guests. Only the creative and persistant survives.
On my way from the Acropolis Gardens (one of the most beautiful places in SL) yesterday I passed by a church. I have no idea why it caught my interest – but it did. Inside were no pater or preacher, but a couple of dancing guys and a band of girls dressed out as neko’s (wearing cats ears and tails). The church were a disco!
Paradise Lost is a regular and plain dancehall with cool lights and decorations. At first sight nothing above average. But the obviously happy guests turned out to be regulars – almost like nextdoor neighbours or best friends. And this is where it got interesting to me.
People wants to meet people – in RL and in SL. And the great thing about SL-clubbing is, that you can actually meet and talk to friends and crushes through the loud music. A common and annoying problem in RL. A nicely designed club will not suffice in itself. Just like RL you need to nurse steady and faithful costumers. People create the central part of atmosphere, and they need to have fun to return again and again. The atmosphere they bring along attracts more people, and there you go.
An ace at that is Helena Kirkorian, who runs the club. She is 24 years old, from Bruxelles, Belgium, and has more than 350 friends on her friendslist. It doesn’t take and Einstein to figure out, where she picks up so many guests for her club.
(Paradise Lost – http://paradiselost.myfreeforum.org)
(The clubowner Helena Kirkorian shows me how to dance the salsa)
Even as a newbie at the club she imidiately spots me through the crowd, and welcomes me by inviting me to a dance of salsa – yeah why not 
And within half an hour I’m her friend no. 351 and member of the club. I’m always impressed by people with a well developed and honest sense of business. And this girl is a true natural.
Besides the club, she does avatar-designing and she eagerly tells me what a thrill it was to make avatars for IBM and Saxo Bank amongst others.
Now how Helena spends her RL-time, I don’t know. But I sincerely hope she does just as good.
