The Libertarian – May 2021

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No.	Article	Section	Author
0	Team Leader Introduction	Introduction	lauraemilyy
1	The White Knights	Exclusive	idolayainerz
2	Secret Garden Party	Office Spotlight	Merilon
3	Seat of Luxury	Interview	lauraemilyy
4	Glass and Berries	Recipe	idolayainerz
5	Burning Man	Special	krizzycatt
6	Libertarian Game	Game	idolayainerz
7	EASTER EVENT	Exclusive	Aneha
8	Crab Rave	Creative Writing	chiari.cord
9	The Greatest Show on Earth	Review	-PhoenixHyper.
10	La Victoria	Recipe	Yodar
11	Meet & Greet	Interview	Merilon
12	Splendor in the Grass	Creative Writing	chiari.cord

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Team Leader Introduction

By lauraemilyy

Welcome to the May edition of The Libertarian! As summer is fast approaching, so is festival season! And so… We have decided to kick off the festival vibes in this month’s Libertarian! 

Personally, I spend all year looking forward to Leeds Festival, a music festival in the UK. Its dates always fall on my birthday weekend, so because of that and my love for music, it always feels quite special. We’ve not only covered music festivals in this issue, but we’ve also explored festivals of different cultures, some important USDF topics, and even a couple recipes! 

At the start of this month, I was quite nervous as this is the second time I’ve worked on the Libertarian and first time being Team Leader. I’ve learnt a lot and grown along the way, and my team has made every aspect of this opportunity an absolute pleasure. I’d like to thank the entire May Libertarian team for all their hard work throughout this month and on behalf of us all, we hope you thoroughly enjoy reading this issue.

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The White Knights

By idolayainerz

A year has passed since the coronavirus had spread throughout the globe, saying that the pandemic has ruined our sleep schedule and our daily activities is definitely an overstatement. Some of us, including myself, found solace in returning back to USDF as a means of escaping reality. An important aspect of working in this military establishment is the ability to balance real-life commitments and USDF workload. Personally, I had my fair share of days when I had to sacrifice one for the other, leaving me frustrated and exhausted. So despite these multiple commitments, how do we organize our time wisely to have a healthy lifestyle and career in both real life and USDF? 

The first thing to do is know your priorities. Knowing your priorities will guide you in making decisions and will keep you on track with your tasks. As a university student attending online classes from Monday to Saturday, it can be pretty tiring to continue playing without having a sense of direction. Thus, you need to recognize what to prioritize first so that you are still able to have fun playing Habbo. In my experience, I first try to complete my academic work before diving into USDF, making it my leisure time as much as possible. Furthermore, figuring out your priorities is the backbone of determining your daily activities, which in turn, will lead us to productivity. 

The second thing to do is to set your goals – be it for the day only or the long-term. It is known that there are plenty of advantages in goal setting. It helps in triggering new behaviors that will eventually turn into creating consistent routines. Goal setting sustains the momentum and focuses on doing things, which will promote a sense of self-mastery. Relating this to USDF, setting your goals in a SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely) manner will benefit you in USDF and may reduce the feelings of demotivation and burnout by having a direction. For example, ask yourself what you can offer to USDF within the next 2 months while taking into consideration your real-life commitments. You can aim for reaching a certain rank, and plan on how to do it: working hard in your office, staying active in HQ, or joining more programs like the Council and Problem Solvers Caucus. Perhaps you can have a to-do list to jot down your goals to look back at them whenever you need to. From there, allocate the time you will dedicate to USDF and time for your real-life stuff. This will ensure you have something to look forward to within your tenure at USDF without feeling pressured.

Lastly, learn when to take breaks. With the amount of stress and sleepless nights we’re experiencing in this pandemic, it is okay to take days off both at work and in USDF. Your personal and digital health and well-being are important! Digital well-being refers to understanding and identifying the positive and negative impacts of engaging in digital activities and being aware of ways to manage and control these to improve well-being. Some ways of taking care of your well-being include allowing yourself to switch off from things around you. This means turning off notifications, limiting non-essential communications, and focusing on well-being content for example; yoga, fitness, or meditation classes.

In USDF, don’t hesitate to contact your Chain of Command and explain what you’re feeling or utilize the Reach Out Program if you’re feeling demotivated. Filing a leave is also a good option, along with considering other reserve duty types. Everyone needs a break from time to time and your office command will do everything they can to support you on your leave. We cannot stress enough that your physical, emotional, and mental health is the most important. It is important to mentally detach from work on days off to ensure that you are actually rested when returning to work. 

This pandemic has greatly impacted each and every one of us. With this, we must still ensure to keep our health in check. Always remember that taking a break is never a bad thing and to always seek out fun. USDF will always be a safe haven that we can go to despite everything. The USDF community will always be here for you!

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Secret Garden Party

By Merilon

In this exclusive office spotlight interview, we will be talking to one of the most prestigious offices in USDF – the Office of Joint Staff Inspector General. They are known for being the military establishment’s military police, and it’s likely that at some point in time, you’ve found yourself intimidated by these red beret personnel. Let us get started in exploring OJSIG a little more to break the ice!

Question 1: The OJSIG was chosen as Office in the spotlight, how do you feel about that?

I think that OJSIG deserves the spotlight because these bigger offices are commonly well known, unlike OJSIG. It is seen as an office that personnel are afraid of, and is often seen as “scary’’. We are actually just doing our jobs, we aren’t scary at all – we are here to correct misbehaviour but also ensure everyone is contributing to a safe and supportive environment! We are also committed to teaching, mentoring, and supporting personnel through various situations. Our job is very essential for the USDF, and I hope that this spotlight helps personnel understand a little more about what we do.
~ Col Anion

It cannot be imagined or explained how it feels when OJSIG gets this kind of recognition. Our line of work is often linked with trolls, disciplinary action, and so on. This means that not all personnel, including some civilians, like us as much. Having OJSIG in the spotlight feels like a great honor, to be completely honest.
~ Lt Navita

I think it benefits anyone that is interested in OJSIG or someone that would like extra insight into the office. These interviews are also a great way to provide insight to those who are interested!
~ Lt Col HowBizarr

Question 2: How long have you been in OJSIG and how’s the experience so far?

I have been in OJSIG for almost a year now, and it’s been an absolute pleasure serving within this office. I experienced it as a family where we care and learn about each other. Before joining OJSIG, I have been in bigger offices such as OSEAC and OJFD. OJSIG was my very first smaller office! My experience has been great so far, I learned so much more about USDF and myself. You can really grow here into a different person, so it’s been spectacular.
~ Col Anion

I joined OJSIG on the 24th of December, making it 3.5 months ago. I must say, that I have never experienced an office like OJSIG before! I wanted to gain more responsibilities and this office gave me just that, working together with an outstanding team to ensure our military remains a safe place for everyone.
~ Lt Navita

I have been in OJSIG for 5.5 months now and I absolutely love it! My favorite aspect is how close of a family we are. It’s a bond that is very neat within our office, we are always here for each other.
~ Lt Col HowBizzar

Question 3: So, aside from all seriousness and all the hard work – do you have any memorable or funny stories or screenshots to share?

Yes, I have a couple of screenshots to share. In this one, one of our members was waiting to get commissioned and he ended up stepping on the stage during the ceremony. 
~ Col Anion

Outside of our office duties, we are just a giant meme if anything. We are one big happy family! 
~ Lt Navita

One of my favorite memories with OJSIG are our “family pictures’’ that we do! When we have an office gathering we are always sure to make one. Sometimes we have very tired members and they idle when the picture is taken!
~ Lt Col HowBizarr

We now have managed to get to know our military police a little better, OJSIG is not as intimidating as we thought it would be! Definitely, huge amount of respect and gratitude are towards OJSIG as they make the USDF environment a safer space for everyone.

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Seat of Luxury

By lauraemilyy

The work we do in HQ is essential to the running of USDF, it’s also where a lot of us gather almost daily, the playground of USDF if you will. There’s quite a number of HQ positions with vastly different jobs attached to them, each allowing personnel to showcase and develop a range of skills. Usually once you bounce around the positions and spend a little time manning each, you will begin to gravitate towards a particular position, maybe the one you feel most comfortable in, or even the one which challenges you the most. On the other hand, perhaps you’ve never manned a certain position before and you’re scared to do so. I’ve been in that position myself and all it took was a little encouragement from a friend to make my most feared position turn into my favourite. Let’s hear what our personnel have to say! 

Question 1: What is your favourite HQ position and why?

My favorite HQ positions was the Sentry Assist because it is basically a background assistant for the sentries and I absolutely LOVE working in the background 😉
~ CWO5 AresK2

Definitely DDO! It’s always an experience manning the station. I get to talk to people, making sure they are enjoying their time on the floor. Not only can I pass down what I’ve learned throughout my USDF journey but I get to learn something new every day as well! It also shapes me as an individual — pay attention to details and problem-solving.
~ CWO5 kimchipapi

My favourite HQ position just has to be Duty Desk Operator! At first when I became eligible, I was slightly nervous to begin filling DOO. However, as time progressed I became more familiar with DDO operations and it became an opportunity for me to flourish and develop my leadership skills as an individual. Filling the DDO gave me the opportunity to be filling the position I am today – as the Senior Warrant Officer Advisor of the Army.
~ CW3 ChanelPuccia

Question 2: Have a think back to your first ever shift in that position, was your opinion on it any different back then?

My first ever position was in sentry, I remember my trainer from FEAT {S} trying to correct all my mistakes and talk to all the people I accidentally let in. I thought manning the sentry was the most difficult task to do in USDF then, but now obviously things have changed.
~ CWO5 AresK2

I was scared, honestly. I’ve always told my circle of friends that I will never; emphasize on the never, man the DDO but look at me now! You’ll see me every other day sitting in that little area, engaging with fellow personnel and guests, ensuring HQ is operating smoothly, simply just having an amazing time throughout.
~ CWO5 kimchipapi

My opinion was most definitely different back then. I had a completely different sense of the military as well as how to operate the Duty Desk. Our means of operation are morphed not only from the FEAT itself but also how we have interpreted operation from other DDOs. We’re heavily influenced by those who surround us. You really only ever develop your own sense of operation once you’re in the seat yourself and have completely multiple shifts. For example, initially I’d push for a second sentry if there were four people at the front row. Now, I have learned that if the HQ needs a second sentry and if there’s enough people you’d request for somebody to fill it otherwise you’re filling a position which HQ does not actually require. You read the HQ and you make decisions from your own interpretation. There isn’t always Do’s and Dont’s.  It’s open to interpretation and it’s completely up to you if you want to put your own unique twang on things.
~ CW3 ChanelPuccia

Question 3: While manning that position, you play a very specific and integral role in the running of USDF. How does being a part of USDF make you feel and what are your favourite parts about it? 

Being a part of USDF is a blessing in disguise. I wasn’t expecting anything when my cousin tricked me into joining. Months after, I made memories and friends that I truly cherish and appreciate. I would say that’s my favorite part of all. USDF is a place where you can grow and build character. Of course, there will be a few bumps in the road, but that is a part of the lifelong learning process which then becomes a fruitful experience. 
~ CWO5 kimchipapi

CWO5 kimchipapi really took the words out of my mouth with her last answer. For a while now, USDF has been my virtual second home and through it I’ve developed and also learned a range of skills, and met some incredible people along the way; generally just creating invaluable memories. I’ll forever be thankful for the opportunities I’ve had and the people who have made every second of my journey so far incredible. The community we have here is so unique and truly special, I sincerely hope you’re all able to make the most of that and have an experience as positive as mine and many others’.

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Glass and Berries

By idolayainerz

Some festivities can’t be completed without refreshing drinks! Especially since summer is just around the corner, we have two mocktail (a non alcoholic beverage) recipes for you to try out at home. 

The first drink would be the Honey Blackberry Mint Mocktail. This is a best pick for a cool beverage, especially if you’re on a paleo diet (meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit, excluding dairy products). This is only sweetened with honey and blackberries, which gives off a wholesome, healthy experience! Here’s what you need to know:

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Serving: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 8 blackberries
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2-3 mint leaves
• 1 cup of lemon juice
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 cups of seltzer
• 5-6 ice cubes
• 2-3 fancy glasses

Procedure:

1. Using a cocktail shaker, mix together the blackberries, honey, and mint until very well blended. You can also use a normal container. 
2. Add the lemon juice and water to the container, and shake to mix.
3. Strain the mixture into two glasses with ice.
4. Top each of your fancy glasses with 1 cup of seltzer.
5. You may garnish your drink with extra blackberries and mint leaves.

The second drink that we’d like to present would be a Kiwi Mojito Mocktail. This is a cool and perfect beverage to quench your thirst during the summer heat. If you’re not a fan of berries, this one’s for you! Here’s what you need to know:

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

• Preparation: 10 minutes
• Cooking: 10 minutes

Serving: 2-3 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 chopped kiwis
• 1 big lemon
• 2-3 mint leaves
• 2-3 tablespoons of honey
• 300 mL of soda water
• 4-5 ice cubes
• 2-3 mason jars or other glass

Procedures:

1. Cut the lemon into half, then thinly slice.
2. Using a mortar and pestle or in a cocktail tumbler, add 1 chopped kiwi, ½ of the lemon slices, and a few mint leaves. Crush the ingredients all together to release the flavours.
3. Transfer the crushed ingredients to the mason jars. Add honey, soda water, and some ice cubes. 
4. Mix well and serve with some more kiwi pieces, lemon slices and mint leaves. 

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Burning Man

By krizzycatt

Imagine you are a car driving down a long road. You are running out of fuel. You feel the car slow down but you are nowhere near a gas station. You feel like giving up, and it feels like this is the end of your journey. Now, think of that road as your USDF journey. The car you are in is your motivation, it takes you to places you want to go along that stretch of road and you’re driving along. At this point of time, your car is running out of fuel, and you are about to give up on your USDF Journey. Now, what is the fuel that makes your “motivation car” move? If your answer to the above question is “I don’t know?”, let me give you some suggestions or ideas on what it could be. To me, there are 5 different sources where you can obtain your motivation from – Positions (Including OCS), Training, Events, Duties (Office + HQ), and Friends. 

Firstly, positions! I know some of you must be thinking, “of course positions are motivating!” However, the truth is, how many of you have actually considered applying for positions or OCS? How many of you have worked hard in putting that extra effort towards progress? Positions are honestly an amazing way to enrich your experience within USDF. Being in command is like the door to a brand new job, a world remains hidden to those who do not seek it. It would help you to grow as a leader, and of course, impact the people around you while focusing on your own progression. Getting the command position in itself is already a kind of fuel to motivation as it signifies that your hard work has been noticed by your command member and you have been selected to lead your peers! As you progress on your tenure as command, you also notice that the work that you do is very rewarding. You are helping lead a whole office and contribute to new changes and ideas.

Next, training! This segment is more focused on the process of receiving training, rather than giving out the training, although the latter could fit the criteria of motivating others. Do you remember the last time you attended a FEAT/PTP/Office Training Session with a super “cool” trainer? I remember once, I refreshed my PT with a group of friends. It was truly amazing, bonding with my friends through this. It made me feel so motivated, especially as it was during the time I was constantly rejected from positions and was upset. Sometimes it’s pretty cool seeing your PTS and having been trained by trainers who also go far in USDF. It feels like your part of a legacy. Indeed, training is a novel event which most definitely piques one’s interests in USDF and is an interesting motivator. 

Moving on to events! So, how does that work? Did you know events are a great space for you to meet new people? When attending an event, consider mingling with others. Get to know people from different offices or ranks, or include others, instead of solely sticking to your group. Not only would this be much easier for OPA to group people (winks), it would also be easier for you to make more friends! It is like killing two birds with one stone. The main point of USDF and Habbo is fun, and games! Habbo is a game after all, not solely an “unpaid job” as what others call it at times. OPA members do spend a considerable amount of time planning and organising these events so that all sorts of people can come together. We hope that you enjoy what has been created for you.

Fourthly, let us talk about duties in general. You might be thinking “How ironic, these are making me unmotivated because I have been doing the same thing for a year”. Then let me suggest a change, literally, change your office. There might come a point in time when you think, “Hey, this is quite boring after a while, isn’t it?”. You might want to stay, because of friends, expectations from your superiors, feeling bad if you had to leave. However, you cannot possibly sit there and let your demotivation burn all of your fuel. It will take a toll on your mental health, very honestly speaking. Choose to take part in different offices and enjoy the process within. I understand how difficult it is to leave your dear office because of the people or because it’s familiar, however, this could be a first step towards a new motivated you. You could also rejoin that office in the future, when the duties seem more appealing to you again. Regarding HQ duties, I would also like to recommend that you seek to try different HQ positions. Maybe, instead of manning sentry 24/7, try a new position, like the Welcome Desk. You might think that it seems boring, or unlike your personality in the beginning. However, I can very safely assure you that by experimenting with these positions, you might find unexpected positions or duties that you adore.

Lastly, and probably the most important thing, friends! You would be surprised by how many friends you make here in USDF and in such odd ways! This is probably one of the biggest motivators that keeps everyone coming back and sticking out the good fight.  When you are feeling down, you turn to your friends for emotional support. When you need help, you turn to your friends for help. When you are happy, you turn to your friends to share your joy! For those of you who are particularly shy, I understand the pain of taking the first step to socialise. However, it is definitely worthwhile when you start to get more friends. Take the time to really interact and know people. You can do so by participating in events – office wide, branch wide, USDF wide – all of these are great for socialising. You could also be more active in Headquarters and in your branch or office chats on discord as well as meetings! Not only can you attempt to make friends here, you stand a higher chance of being noticed and recognised by your superiors as well through your interactions and networking! 

To end off my article, I would like to encourage all of you to consider leaves and reserves instead of resigning when you “run out of fuel”. Sometimes, you just need to recharge your fuel tank and resigning is an option only to be considered when you are really unable to remain in USDF. Actively seek out methods to help yourself stay motivated and take care of your physical and mental health.

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Libertarian GAME!

Upload your screenshots to an imgur album and submit the imgur link following the prompts on the Libertarian Mailbox found below.

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USDF & HabboQuests Easter Badge Event

A Team Review

By Aneha

The Easter Badge Event was the result of a new partnership between USDF and HabboQuests. This partnership was formed on a positive foundation as both entities have strong morals and values that align with the other and focus on emphasizing the importance of an inclusive, safe, supportive and fun environment.

Although USDF is a military, we have the ability to be so much more than just that. USDF looks for opportunities to not only expand our reach but try out something new, give back to the community that has given so much to us. USDF has a wealth of incredibly talented individuals who specialize in all sorts of areas, and we try our best to provide them the opportunity to shine.

Being a part of this event, from choosing people to work with, collaborating with individuals outside of USDF and building room designs and games, has definitely been an incredible experience. It allowed us to show people outside of USDF what we are capable of and we were able to further introduce ourselves to the wider Habbo community who might not know about USDF. It’s always a great feeling being a part of something greater, or achieving something that everyone can enjoy, and this was one of those moments.

There were a few highlights of the event. It was great to see how hardworking and skilled HabboQuests individuals are, and how much effort they put into the event. They were very supportive towards us, and had open communication to aid in our collaboration. But the best part of the event, was seeing everyone having fun and enjoy the different games and rooms whilst trying to gain the badges. I was also surprised at how positive the experience was, I didn’t run into any trolls or people trying to kick up a fuss. It was especially great seeing how many USDF personnel came to support the event which we are very thankful for.

This badge event marks the start of something wonderful, and we can’t wait to see what doors it opens for us in the future.

By xStarlight11

This is one of our newest challenges yet, working with another leading fansite in a collaboration to produce an event for the entirety of Habbo. We’ve done 2 campaigns before, but only one with HabboQuests which is new for us all. I feel that these events bring people together to have fun and enjoy their time going after a badge in groups. I have a lot of badges and I’ve definitely done that with my friends. Right now, I’m excited for what the future holds for us in this avenue!

By loozone

Earlier this month, I was approached by the ASD PA Ms. Aneha to help her with a task. I was thrilled to find out that I was invited to take part in a collaborative project between USDF and HabboQuests! The project was a public badge event and it would be the second one that I would be involved in helping USDF with. This time, though, we would be working with HabboQuests so it would be a little different. I felt excited to be working with a big fansite, I’m sure we all were.

We were all tasked with building different rooms. USDF built a total of four rooms for this badge event. I was tasked with creating a room and a design for the badge that we were going to give out. I was assigned the “Chicken Run” game room. The game was about chasing chickens back to their coops. The room took quite a bit of thinking, planning, and problem solving to finish. I think the room turned out amazing, I didn’t even know I was capable of building something that pretty. I would say that was the easier part of my assignments. The badge took even more brain power as I had to come up with a cool design. Thankfully, my team was able to help me by giving me feedback and suggestions on the badge. When I sent it to HabboQuests, they all said it was very cute and I felt very accomplished and satisfied with their positive feedback.

Of course, just like every other project, there were setbacks. Just a few days before opening, I was assigned another room due to an emergency. I will have to admit, it wasn’t easy to build and wire a room on such short notice. Just two days before opening, I started building the “Easter Factory” room. If you attended the badge event, it was the room with the dark lighting and the troublesome roller game. I built all night just to make sure I met the deadline. The next day, I went to the room to do a final check and found out that there were several problems with the wired. It took us a good few hours to troubleshoot and test run the game until it was good to go. Once that room was settled, we had to triple check every USDF-owned room to ensure that they had the correct settings and met expectations for the event.

All the work that my team and I put into this badge event was totally worth it. People from all over Habbo loved the event and the badge. I think I went through the entire maze four times. It is honestly heart warming to see people saying how pretty, nice, or challenging this event was. Although it was a tough couple of weeks, I am so happy that I took part in building this badge event. I am glad that USDF is working with HabboQuests in creating public events, it is nice to see this partnership get off to a great start. I really hope that we can work together again!

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Crab Rave

By chiari.cord

The diary of a new USDF member…

Day one at USDF: I’ve enlisted at USDF today, feeling nervous, not gonna lie. People here seem nice, they helped me get into uniform, as well as joining the badge because I was just so lost with that! As I made my way through my Initial Training, I wondered where I was going to go with this, how far I was gonna reach. But apart from all of that, I asked myself if I was going to be able to make friends. That is always a big problem for me, since just the thought of approaching someone new makes me get goosebumps. Members looked friendly here though, so maybe it won’t be as big of a problem as I imagine. I’ll just have to wait and see!

Day five at USDF: I’ve been all over the place when it comes to completing FEATs, and I’ve gotten some promotions already. You are now reading a diary written by nothing more and nothing less than an E4! After some days, I got all the requirements, so here I am! As of right now, I am still getting used to everything, so I haven’t had much time to make friends. I’ve been observing people though, and I can already identify certain defined groups. Must be nice, maybe I will get to have one of my own as well.

Day twenty at USDF: I’ve already settled down, I’ve made my way into an Office, interacted with some members there, and overall good experience! I have found some people along the way who I enjoy talking to when they reach out to me. I am still not completely outgoing, and it seems more and more difficult each time, but I might just start… going for it. Maybe that’s the best way to meet people, by actually talking to them, and not staying inside my own little world.

Day sixty at USDF: I think I did it. I met someone who wants to talk to me more than just occasionally. They seem nice, and funny. I got to know them at an event, which was the last place I wanted to go. But, I remembered I had to go for it. I pushed myself into going, and I’m so glad I did. If I hadn’t, then I wouldn’t have gotten stuck at the maze, and they would have never talked to me. What did I learn today? Be the worst at a game, and people will come to you and lend a helping hand!

Day a hundred and fifty seven at USDF: Perhaps one of the best decisions I’ve made over the last few months was going to that damn event. I cannot express how much better I feel now that I found people who I can relate to. I even have my group! Me, I have a GROUP! The gig goers! They are the best people I could have ever asked for. I have to admit I feel like I’ve let my truer self out, and it’s amazing to feel like they want me for what I really am. We can be on the same team for events and we can even do mazes and badge events! Finding friends was easier than I expected, just took a bit of pushing myself our of my comfort zone, but it was really worth it.

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The Greatest Show on Earth

By -PhoenixHyper.

Festivals have been around for a vey long time, wherever people came together to celebrate something, a festival would form. Festivals are celebrated all over the world, mostly annually with many coinciding with religious holidays or harvest periods for example. While a loose definition of festivals has been going on for many years, large-scale music festivals for instance have only been promoted since the 1960s.

Music Festival: One of the biggest types of festivals are music festivals, they are as universal as the music itself is, taking place everywhere around the world. They regularly take place outdoors and are a place to come together as a community in celebration for music concerts being played by a wide range of people, in a wide range of genres.

Carnival: A carnival is an annual festival that has roots in religious celebration and occurs in the weeks before Lent – the six-week period that ends on Easter. The first modern carnival took place back in 1823.

Comedy Festival: A comedy festival is one that exists to celebrate humor, whimsey, and skills alike. They often have a large range of performances, themes, and genres hosted in a short period of time. 

Food Festival: There are food festivals that celebrate different forms of food from all manner of cultures and countries. They have been known to unite communities in the past via the means of celebration for being grateful for a plentiful harvest. Similarly, there are festivals that celebrate exclusively the harvesting of the crops and are a way of thanking a healthy harvest.

As you can see, there are many different reasons people come together to start a festival and to celebrate something in their life. Here are some of the most notable festivals that are hosted around the world.

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is one of the biggest festivals. It is staged annually in Indio, California, and has grown substantially since its first year in 1999. It is a massive festival that plays across five main stages: The Coachella Stage, Outdoor Theater, Gobi Tent, Mojave Tent, and the Sahara Tent.

A particularly interesting festival is the Oktoberfest Festival, which takes place in Munich, Germany – and has done so every year since 1810. Oktoberfest is a beer festival that millions of people attend and consume on average 6.9 million liters of beer! Geez, that’s a lot!

One of the most renowned religious festivals is the Navaratri Hindu Festival. It takes place in the autumn in Bengal. It is a festival to celebrate the triumph of good over evil and spans 10 days and 9 nights.

Festivals are diverse in nature and have different purposes but it all boils down to one thing – having people coming together in celebration. And that, is exactly, what festivals are all about.

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La Victoria

By Yodar

Beef Enchiladas

An enchilada is a corn tortilla that is rolled around a filling and covered with a savory sauce. This is a versatile dish that can be customized to your liking as there are many different fillings and sauces that you can put on your own enchiladas. 

This dish originates from Mexico, and many different versions are served in your local Mexican restaurants around the world. If you want to learn how to cook your own Mexican dish that you can serve to your family, friends, and neighbors who enjoy Mexican food, join me as we cook one of my favorite Mexican dishes, Beef Enchiladas!

Time:

• Total: 1 hr 15 min
• Preparation: 30 min
• Cook: 45 min
• Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• One 28-ounce can enchilada or Mexican red sauce
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Meat:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Other Ingredients:

• Canola oil, for frying
• 10 to 14 corn tortillas (or flour tortillas for a tex-mex version)
• Two 4-ounce cans diced green chilies OR a diced jalapeno (OPTIONAL)
• 1 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup chopped black olives
• 3 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• Cilantro, for garnish

Directions:

1. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the canola oil and flour. Whisk together and allow to bubble for 1 minute. Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. While the sauce is simmering, brown the ground beef with the onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain the fat, add the salt and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and set aside.
3. In a small skillet over medium heat, heat some canola oil. Lightly fry the tortillas just until soft. Do not crisp. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until all the tortillas have been fried.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 177 degrees C / Gas Number 4
5. Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Next, one at a time, dip each tortilla into the sauce. Set the sauce-soaked tortilla on a plate. Place on some of the meat mixture, chilies, green onions and black olives. Top with a generous portion of grated Cheddar. Roll up the tortilla to contain the filling inside.
6. Place the tortilla seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas and pour the remaining sauce over the top. End with a generous sprinkling of cheese and any other bits of chiles, green onions or olives you have left over from the filling.
7. Bake the enchiladas for 20 minutes, or until bubbly. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the top and serve.

Additional Notes:

If you want to cook with a jalapeno, please be warned that most of the heat from the jalapeno is found to be in the seed/ribs. If you want to tone down the heat, use the flesh part and discard the seed/ribs area.

Serve your enchiladas with the following!

• Avocado Slices
• Sour Cream
• Fresh Salsa / Pico De Gallo
• Guacamole
• Black Beans
• Fried Rice

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Meet & Greet

By Merilon

We know that communication is vital for both personal and professional relationships. USDF has long established the importance of communication, even having a FEAT dedicated to this matter – FEAT {G} Good Communication Skills. Join me in this interview as we talk about the effectiveness of communication within various offices of the USDF!

Question 1: Where do you think the level of communication within your office is at the moment on a scale from 1 to 10, and why?

nick1x (OJFD): A 10, OJFD is a great office and we strive for communication among each other! There is always chatting on-going in the channels and it’s great to see everyone engaging.

91-Bravo (OISA): It is a 10, OISA is a tight-knit family and the command does everything to ensure that our new diplomats feel comfortable in the office. Whether it be communicating about their concerns, questions or simply creating friendships! This is something we prioritize and will always continue to do so.

srirachax (OOT&E): I would say about a 8, because in OOT&E, we communicate well when it comes to office duties and official matters. However, when it comes to chatting, we aren’t as engaging with each other as any other office, there isn’t many of us.

TheRealMatrix (USSOCOM): A 9 or 10, SOCOM doesn’t work without any communication between operatives and command. The way it’s shaped right now, operatives are independent but still communicate with the command on their own about a multitude of things. 

.Melioo. (OSP&C): A 10 for sure, I am very satisfied with it! OSP&C aka ‘The Regulation People’ is a very small office, so that means we communicate very often. I am joyful to say that having a really small team brings benefits such as an organized chat-log, trust, and a personal atmosphere. 

Question 2: How do you battle communication issues when they appear?

nick1x (OJFD): We reach out to our members extremely often to ensure everyone is happy with OJFD! We also engage in less formal chats in the OJFD chat to break down the awkward barrier between regular members and command.

91-Bravo (OISA): Communication is the breakfast for champions. It helps us maintain our relationships, not just with forgein entities but with those in our very own office as well. When you have an office where the members are comfortable with communicating among each other, it creates an enjoyable, efficient, and trusting environment for everyone.

srirachax (OOT&E): I believe that the office meetings OOT&E hosts, allows us to not only address our concerns there but also bond more often!

TheRealMatrix (USSOCOM): It actually depends on  how swamped we are with work, sometimes we have our hands full so then each person is doing something. Our tasks in SOCOM heavily relies on teamwork in the command, and our operatives that work individually and independently.

.Melioo. (OSP&C): We have not had any communication issues with the team, a trait that OSP&C is looking for is organization. We are professionals in handling the innovation of the USDF and understanding the schedules of our colleagues. We have a plan for discussion and problem-solving.

Question 3: What do you and your office command do to demonstrate high levels of communication?

nick1x (OJFD): We host games regularly, because it is a great way to bring our members together to play and communicate with each other. Among Us is the most popular game in OJFD! We also regularly host office meetings where we talk about major changes, and ask the regular member’s to express their opinions and ask questions about certain topics.

91-Bravo (OISA): There is always room for improvement, in OISA Command we recognize our mistakes and learn from them as a team. It prevents the same mistakes from happening. We also speak with one another. Whether it be a casual conversation with the diplomats, or expressing a concern or even solutions within the command team. As for communicating with our allies, the expeditions, and engaging conversations on our USDF Allies server goes a long way. Communication and leadership are at the forefront of diplomacy.

srirachax (OOT&E): Our office command demonstrates high levels of communication by checking in with us while we have to complete our assignments. They also seek reasoning and help us when we are falling behind with our work so we can catch up and still complete our duties! When one of us has a concern or is unsure about a matter, they don’t hesitate to step in.

TheRealMatrix (USSOCOM): Communication among our command is important mainly because all of our systems are connected to each other in a way. There is no way to tell for example how SOCOM is doing due to secrecy in it’s duties on a daily basis. As for OJSIG, they are all a very close- knitted community and family. You will see them interacting constantly with each other, they all have been the success of the office and have shared goals in mind.

.Melioo. (OSP&C): We always take our time before making the final decision. An example can be a verdict over suggestions on our forums. We briefly analyse this idea, discuss it with our superiors and also with the Problem Solves Caucus about their opinions! In the end, the decision is made by both command and a variety of personnel to display best interest for everyone. OSP&C also requires time management and therefore you have to be flexible.

What amazing responses we have had! Communication is definitely an important skill to be mastered in wherever office in USDF you go. We hope that you have taken in some wisdom from our officers!

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Spendor in the Grass

By chiari.cord

There I was, lost in my own world, as I often am. Live music was filling my soul, and hearing a band for the first time was something that would always make my day. I had been driving for several hours, so to finally be at the festival made me relax.

I lay down alone on the grass, just me and my thoughts. The music wasn’t bad, not the best, but I knew that some of my favourite bands were coming after that one, so I didn’t care much. All I wanted at that moment was to disconnect from everyone else, clearing my mind as I watched the birds fly through the sky. I wondered how it would feel to be like them. To be able to fly away whenever you want to, and to explore the world without any problem. But it was just some silly idea.

Some hours had passed by, and music was starting to get better with each song. You could also tell there were definitely more people at the festival and it got to the point where everywhere you looked, it would be filled with lots of faces. Families, groups of friends, couples, they were all there. Even people who were by themselves, enjoyed everyone else’s company, though it was not for them.

As I was analyzing everyone around me, I saw her. Her face was hard to describe, as I had never seen anyone like that before. However, if I had to put it into words, I would say it was as beautiful as a sky full of stars, her smile as warm as the sunlight coming through the window on a cold morning, and her eyes as colorful as a rainbow that comes after a storm.

All of a sudden, I realised how birds feel. Maybe I was too tired and relaxed, but looking at her made me feel like I was floating far, far away from the ground. The music went from just songs in the background of my internal monologue, to becoming the soundtrack of this magical moment. That stranger suddenly became the only thing around me. It was now me and her, and nothing else.

But all good must come to an end. Sadly, while flying through the clouds, I must have hit a plane because something took me back to reality. She was gone. I looked all over the place trying to find her blonde curls or her nice jeans, but it all just seemed to disappear. She, who shall remain nameless in my brain, who was just a stranger, had faded away. Although she would still be on my mind years later, and I would remember her as the mysterious girl who gave me the gift of flight.

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Credits

Editors	Aneha idolayainerz lauraemilyy PearIyn
Writers	-PhoenixHyper, Aneha chiari.cord krizzycatt lauraemilyy Merilon Yodar
Designers	PearIyn (Cover) Aneha (Layout)
Artists	chiari.cord idolayainerz Jess_Jayne partyicon PearIyn