Friday 26 June 2009

Dreams: 26.06.2009

Right-O!
Nicotine patch nightmare/vivid dreams theory is right.
It's over 2 weeks on now since I quit smoking and on nic patches that I grow more love than smoking now because of this dream effect.
Not sure though if this is something to do with the fact I am deadly tired and sleepy at work (this being my work at desk with papers/phones,..boring) for the past whole month. Or am I just getting old? Surely I should have more energy now than smoking days. My skin is getting better again except the aging thing I can't quite avoid(!)
I'm eating healthy, lots of vegetables, fruits, water, fish in my main diet with vitamine/minerals supplements.
Anyhow! I was talking about dreams.. yet here again before I forget.
I have a way of "recording dreams" in my own way, I shall write about that soon too since lots of people can't and forget it when they wake.

Dream I had this morning was so funny, I'm sure I was laughing in my sleep, this rarely ever happen to me because my dreams are always scary and uneasy.

I was living in a top floor apartment of 3 storey-building with some friends.
Maria (from Sweden that was really visiting me very recently) was visiting me and Wojtek was around visiting too. I ask Maria what she wants to drink "Just water is fine" "Are you sure, we have tons of drinks in the kitchen" "yes really, just water for me" Maria replies.
Me and Wojtek go to the kitchen through a narrow corridor stairs where Wojtek parked his bicycle with other bikes there making it narrower for us to pass. A green chunky second-hand bicycle it was.
We came to the kitchen and I grab 2 glasses and start making 2 gin and tonics while Wojtek take some beer cans.
There's a huge party going on downstairs, so we go down to peek.
Many people are there as if it was a night club with banging rock music. Some are already very drunk.
As we make our way back to my apartment, a girl in blue dress who looks a little like Pixie Geldof comes to me and asks me if there is anotehr party upstairs.
I don't want her coming to my party (room), so I say "no, we're just having drinks before going to bed" but she follows us to the stairs.
There's a second floor apartment, and we find people there are preparing for a party there with 2 big DJ decks and lightings. I tried to get her attention there and say "Look, they're having party soon too, it looks cool" but she didn't seem interested in but still follows us to the top apartment.
We kind of ignore her and keep going upstairs but when she's really trying to sneak into my apartment, I stop at one corner stairs so she can't follow and get my gesture 'you are not welcome'.

Changes over to another dream (funny one):
Somewhere, someone's house? Manjeev comes with his friend chasing me in a friendly jokey way. He is tickling me and trying to find out if I touch my belly button like they do too. I run around to avoid the tickling. They conclude that I don't since I'm covered in shirts and jeans(?!).
I say "Why don't you just play with your own belly button fluffs?!"
With this, Katy who was there sharply pointed out that she has something to show us all.
There's Bradly with her too. She brought forward a piece she made.., a small image of some hand-made fabric portraying monkey or some sort.
As we look closer, you can see the face of a monkey is made out from a big chunk of belly buttom fluff that Katy must have collected into a big ball off Brad's.
The image moves into a short video clips and it was so funny we laugh our heads off.
It was funny both that she made all this effort with belly button fluff and the video image of this mini monkey moving around.
I woke up from laughing..

I know it's not funny reading this.
I'm wondering whether or not to tell this to any of the people came into my dreams today, they may think I'm a weirdo.

Wednesday 24 June 2009

Dreams: 24.06.2009

I had another dream of someone trying to break into our house (in Japan) this morning..
I have recently noticed that I have this recurring dreams of similar sorts: either I'm hiding inside the house not to be seen from any windows, locking all the doors and windows, or trying to get help (police I guess) for intruders/burglars.
And 80% of my dreams are set in my home in Japan or nearby neighbourhood.

In this dream,
I was on my own in the house, just came back but am going out for a little shopping, I have a eco bag on my shoulder and ready to leave, when I just left the door into the garden, I witness a car accident whereby 2 bikes and a car are involved. I see the moment when a biker fell on the ground.
A car door in the middle of 2 bikes opens and there're 3 guys in it. 2 of them come out and ask me what I've seen, I think they need an eye witness so I say what I saw, "I just saw the biker fell on the ground but couldn't see anything else"
For some reason, I have a bad air form these guys and the whole thing, so I try not to talk anymore, and I remember to lock all the doors of the house, the back door wasn't locked.
As I tried to go back to the house to lock the door, one of the guys asked me if I have some pain killers, "yes, no problem, I have ibuprofen, I'll bring some, can you wait around here?" I say.
But on the contrary to my intention of trying to get them away from me and the house, they follow me to the front door. I shut the door as I walk in to get the pain killers which I actually had in my bag but pretended I have in the house so I can go back and lock the door.
I walk in and lock the front door where they wait. I dashed to the back door and lock it too, then go back to the front door just to slip 2 tablets out to them before I shut again to lock it.

Right, it's been 2 days and I already forgot the rest of the story.
It was uneasy feeling..
My reading is that I have some unfinished business and worries in my house back in Japan.
Mostly about my parents I worry as they get older and I still find it hard to grasp that I am not a little girl raised, supported, loved, taught etc anymore and should be supporting my parents in return from now on..

Tuesday 16 June 2009

YO LA TENGO: My Favourite band




Thanks to mister James McNew (Bass) who always arranges guestlist for me and my friend Dale. We went to see them last night play as a part of Ornette Coleman's Meltdown festival at Southbabk.

We last saw them do a "Sound of the sound of Science" (soundtracks to an old documentary of undersea creatures made by Jean Painleve (french Avan-garde film maker) at the festival hall in 2007.
James got us aftershow passes so we were excited to meet and chat to say thanks! but despite the fact passes which clearly written "aftershow" and "AAA" (All Access Area), there wasn't any party... though we asked several people and they all said the different places to go and some took us backstage area to find the party..
It was reminiscent to that for being the same Southbank, but this time there WAS an aftershow and we could have a good chat with James, though I again.. failed to say hi to Ira and Georgia who were right next to us... I'm shy..

 
This is where the party was held (before) it had this David Lynch air and loved it!

The show was intimate one with Q&A style with random audience questions and they answer and play songs (from simplified set of one acoustic guitar, bass, and drums, them sitting down) .
I was little disappointed first when I saw the set, for I love their electric set where Ira goes mental with his guitar like a little guitar kid. but it was really interacting cosy evening with YLT and they were funny and friendly. I personally loved the acoustic version of "Tom Couteney" and "Sugar Cubes", "Nowhere near", they also did covers for The Velvet Underground and The Fugs.

They are back in Novermber after the new album out in September (Matador).
James saud they'll be playing one day in London's Roundhouse in the beginning of November followed by 7-8 European countries.
I saw them (one of the best YLT show!!! I was dancing) in Spain at Primavera Sound Festival in end May, the last night, and I get to see them again this year, only makes my year happier :)))
I and Dale (who is also a great artist and musician) are thinking of (was my never-talked-about dream) putting a show for James to play a small solo show as Dump as his project as Dump is one of my favourite music around for a long time for me but he's never played shows as dump in UK (except one brief occasion in Glasgow with The Pastels 1998).
If this happens, it's be my day....
He seems to be into underground Japanese music and Dale is a friends with Tenniscoats etc and ahs a good network in Japanese music scene, and the perfect venue for this would be our friends' venue lovely Cafe Oto!

I'll keep posted if anything new happens.. but I just wanted to show some lovely images here and say thanks to the world's sweetest band Yo La Tengo again :)




Monday 15 June 2009

Dreams: 15.06.2009

Another epic drama dreams this morning (I started loving this nicotine patch effect I will be more addictive!)
This one was me being behind the drama..
There're 2 types of dreams, one is where you are yourself and actively in the dreams, and the other is like "watching" a film/TV youre not really in it but sometimes your role is someone else..
This was the latter one, I was a middle aged Japanese male (who looked/seemed like our family friend in Brazil or the main charactor in my recent read book-Japanese SF-"Pigs of Cadara")

(SHORT VERSION now since I forgot ..)
I (middle aged male) am in mission of finding a lost wife and the kids in ancient Greek lookalike places where all warriors are fighting in heavy iron cast armours and speak unknown languages.
As many as few hundreds musculine men are cultivating a new found land chanting pulling tons of heavy stones and they look scary but I ask one of them where I could find my wife and kids. A guy spoke in ancient language someone around me translated. He looked angry for purely being strong and keen at work, he showed me his one hand which only had 4 fingers. I asked what happened to his lost finger and he laughed loud and said "I lost it over there" pointing to the deep cliff behind us.
Suddenly soft earth starts colapsing and many men fell into the cliff (nothing to do with this guy with 4 fingers) like a sudden earthquake.
I somehow struggle to cling to the earth and managed to climb up and up and up until I have no sense in my bofy anymore.
I find myself in a shack so quiet and somewhat peaceful.
I know now that my wife and kids are safely looked after here. 2 girls aged about 4 and 6 and thre is one girl aged under 2 who is a daughter of mine but I had not seen for being part before she was born.
I don't say a word but take out some dishes I brought all the way to give to them in front of them. some berry jellycake for the eldest and smaller cakes to the other 2 on plates were kept as they were in my rucksack surprisingly in the chaos I had to go through.
My wife recognizes me but stays cool and quiet for the kids to recognize me first naturally.
We have this amazing bonding reunion including this never-met my new daughter around us and happy ending (well I woke up)...........

Thursday 11 June 2009

Dreams: 11.06.2009

Nicotine patch affect? (I'm on quiting smoking second time since a few days)
I am enjoying the ever so vivid and weird dreams recently and thought I have to make a record of it sicne my dream diary notebook has been neglected for awhile now..
I was told I'd have nightmaes by a nurse if I'm on 24 hour patch which I was very excited about, I love nightmares, the kind of zombies, the end of the world, cliff, running, etc not the kind like work, numbers..

First I remember..
I was waiting for a friend (old friend I haven't seen for 10 years) who was going on a trip with me and some others in a station-like place, I was holding coffee and cup of water and struggling to hold all and text/call her to check where she is, the departure time is approaching and need to board.
The time came so I departed without her but later found her with my other friends in the big stadium (concert of ancient building?) and she came to greet me kissing on cheeks and apologized for her lateness and benig unable to be contacted. She says she "in in a deep shit something relating with some guys and a pistol"
I get pissed off and frustrated because I was worried for her arrival and trying to make sure the trip goes ok for us all but I was the last person to see her and others already appeared to know the situation about her.
I think, "Ok she's been chased by mafia guys and is on the run."
We arrive at a stunningly beautiful shore, a tropical island, clean blue water and lots of beautiful fish amaze me (one jellyfish meets prawn like creature in the shallow water and some colourful fish).

Second part..
I am at home in Japan with mom and brother. I need to go to the toilet, so I go there but find out whole toilet or the house is filled with water, so I can't flush the loo but it mixes with the water inside. I feel floating in it.
When I come out I see 2 guys are trying to break into out house, mom's gone somewhere, I hid myself by the door (wooden big one with glass window by it-in real life too-) and check the chain is down on the door. I gesture my brother that they're burglers. they're now by the other side of the door talking and checking how to break in.
I think about calling the police immediately, my brother comes on the other side of the door from me to hide, he brings a gun (toy gun but can be fatal..with wooden bullets) and aims at them through the door. I panic.
And as he shoots them, I run amock and grab a phone (cordless luckily!) and run into the next door neighbour's garden as I dial 199 (not sure why 199, not 999) and the line reaches a woman in (police officer) a too relaxed tone. I tell her the address and ask for an amburance and police right now. She asks about the situation and I get frustrated for her slow tone. I want to hide until the police comes in case I get killed before but worry about my brother and feel coward for running off.
I can't seem to find a perfect place to hide and wait, so I go as far as to the medic centre (200m away) and as I make my way back to the house to check what's going on now and bump into the 2 burglers who are looking sheepish both in bandaged arms (they were shot by my brother with wooden bullets) and almost apologize me for coming back to our house to burgle (they burgled before!), and my brother defends them. I am still angry, so I try to remember their stupid faces so I can sue them.

Third part.. complete crystal crisp beauty dream
Our home in Japan moved to some urban house, only in a very high altitude place, almost like heaven, things are white, clean, floating feeling..
We are having a dinner party, my mom cooked so beautiful, refined food, there are several guests all around the garden. I want to take some good photos of the food and the party, already imagining the images of it as pictures in my head and I run to the old house to grab my camera kit.
I have to walk through small town, all this place is such a transparent, clean, crisp, afresh, white world (as I imagine heaven would be) the old house is on the top of a building (open plan roof top apartment) and some guys are working to repair a lift, for a minute I panic thinking I can't reach there without it, but soon I find out I could use the staircase. I run up to the top and find my camera bag. I see some people are hanging about but I know the stuff we left in the old house is safe somehow.. I see Alfonso there noticing me but I have no time so go back to the new house.
The journey is lovely, this is a crisp crystal frozen world and as I walk, I took some frozen leaves off the road, little triangle-ish pale purple leaves coated in thin ice snaps in my hands (still remember this feel now!) almost like a mini electric shock and I enjoy this.
I see frozen water reed/grass growing from a pond I pass by. Beautiful pale green with round pointy frozen ice on top of each grass.
Place changes, and I am on the way to somewhere I have to go. It's like Alps here, beautiful huge mountains, very BIG and clear air. There is a big cable car going between mountains surprisingly so many people like a commuting train. I try to get on with a woman who is also on her way hurriedly. I find my space on the very back of the car, it's full of people, about 40-50 of them.


I don't remember the rest...

I do my own analysist on my dreams and I often see the fragment of reality parts which happened to me recently or things I saw/thought.. but I don't believe in connecting too general keywords in trying to read the meaning, in fact, I don't quite believe in having meanings in dreams.
For this dream,
I was holding drinks and struggling: maybe because I had a nice dinner with a friend the night before and our table was full, and one point I was worried about empty glasses staying by the edge of the table.
being frustrated: I had been sometime recently for having to organize schedules with lots of people but some didn't go so smooth and I got very tired.
Tropical island: my recent trip to Spain? fish: my recent fish eating in Spain?
leaves/grass: maybe I had to sit on the grass by a tree for a bit the night before for being a bit ill?
cable car: maybe a reflection of London tube strike happening right now, for having to change my route to work. (but greatly enjoying this different journey to my usual :)

Who knows?
I love dreaming, dreaming is like being in a cinema, dreaming is like letting all my soul free and watch some stories, dreams are like finding my little pieces that is stored in my millions of mind drawers, I cherish every one of them.

x
shoko