DREAM DICTIONARY

Beksinski

So if that dream was interpreted using a dream dictionary (I used hyperdictionary.com):

The beach would mean:

“Dreaming of the beach symbolizes the meeting between your two states of mind. The sand is symbolic of the rational and mental processes while the water means the irrational, unsteady, and emotional aspects of yourself. It is a place of transition between the physical/material and the spiritual. Dreaming that you are on the beach and looking out toward the ocean indicates unknown and major changes that are occurring in your life.”

The tidal wave:

“Dreaming that you are caught in a tidal wave means the strength of your emotions, perhaps accompanied by tears that you are holding back in your waking life.”

Huge wave (thecuriousdreamer.com): “One huge wave could represent overwhelm or a challenge in your life.”

The ship:

“Seeing a ship in your dream indicates that you are exploring aspects of your emotions and unconscious mind.”

Steam (from the website thecuriousdreamer.com):

• Anger or other urgent emotion
• Energy or power
• A by-product of a process or event
• Fogginess or lack of mental clarity

The camera:

Seeing a camera in your dream means your desires to cling on and/or live in the past. Alternatively, it may represent you need to focus on a particular situation. Perhaps you need to get a clearer picture or idea.

Being underwater:

“Dreaming that you are underwater, suggests that you are feeling overcome with emotions and are in need of greater control in your life. You may be in over your head regarding some situation.”

Same wave repeated (repeat, from the website thecuriousdreamer.com):

• An emphasis or focus on whatever is repeated
• The idea of trying again or another chance

The submerged ship:

“Dreaming that a ship crashed or is sinking, suggests that some aspect of your life is out of control You are expressing some fear or uncertainly within your emotional state. You are afraid of losing something close to you because of certain difficulties.”

Alternatively a submarine:

“Seeing a submarine in your dream indicates that you are cautiously exploring your emotions and examining your unconscious feelings. You still remain guarded about certain emotional issues. Alternatively, the submarine indicates that you need to adapt a different perspective and understanding. You may need to get down to the core of some situation or problem.”

So I guess I’m focusing on some emotional issue that’s not actually real, just a toy while I go through a transitional challenge… great. And even on my second chance I focus on the steamer… Who left that toy steamer on the wave? It plagues me :o

About light and taking photos in dreams check this out, a Polish artist, who has an insane body of work, Zdzisław Beksiński said:

“I wish to paint in such a manner as if I were photographing dreams”.

“…which are being painted without what's known as naturalistic light and shadow. What I'm after is for it to be obvious at first sight that this is a painting I made”. (Wikipedia)

Get out of my brain.

Beksinski

I DREAMED A DREAM

I had a dream. And it was so well lit. Like midday, but with no shadows. It wasn’t blinding. It was just that there were no shadows, like when it’s overcast, but the sky was blue. We were all at the beach relaxing when suddenly a large glass wave (as in friendly and transparent rather the than window pane glass variety) drew itself up and rushed at us. It was about as tall as one short person, standing on a box, that sat on a kitchen bench (sorry, that's just the best way to describe it). Someone on the beach had been playing with a toy steamer, about a metre long, and the wave had sucked it up, right to the top of the wave, and it just sat up there for a moment. “Quick”, said my brother, “Take a photo”, I reached for my camera but I was too late, the foot of the wave had washed over it. I knew I only had seconds. I pulled my camera out from the water. I was still confident/hopeful, I knew that the camera was weather proof. It was then that the wave hit me. It didn’t take me. Once through to the other side I found, unnaturally, that I was still in front of the wave but the steamer was now suspend within the glassy green depths of the wave. I didn’t have time to check the focus I just aimed roughly and manage a few shots before the wave hit me for a second time. This time I woke up.

When I woke up I secretly wished the pictures were on my real life camera somehow. I never got to preview them in my dream. I was sure there would have been some amazing images if the auto focus had worked. Which made me think: Wouldn’t it be cool if we could develop that technology? (No. Not auto-focus -_-) To take images of what people were dreaming about as they dreamed.

I’m sure it’s an old sci-fi staple that I never properly noticed but still.

THE AMERICAN

Repeat after me: ALLEZ LES BLEU!

He sat in the row below ours. Directly in front of the very loud and very abrupt Frenchie who would suddenly bark out “ALLEZ LES BLEU!” seemly at random but most likely reacting at crucial points to the Esprit De Corps with a perfectly timed pause between that just begged any supporter within earshot to join him. Much to the feigned embarrassment of his girlfriend who declared to one and all that she didn’t know him. You see he was so loud that everyone in the section would turn to look every time he opened his mouth. That was how we meet the American.

Taking the full brunt, he and his girlfriend would be the first to turn. They took it in good humour though. The reason I single the American out, though, is the fact that he came across so different to your typical American; quite, fairly polite, good humoured as I said, and intimately informed in the ins and outs of rugby. He was supporting the Tongans, which I also thought was unusual. He was here on a six month working visa. The real connection was my brother’s running commentary of the game. Once he realised someone else actually knew what was going on he began comparing notes. I think this exchange was partly responsible for my brother’s split loyalties that developed halfway through the game. Yay, the French, GO TONGA! He didn’t want to alienate his listeners.

And then we all left. No goodbyes, just a late random salut to the loud Frenchie as we walked out of the stadium. But he made me think, that American. He was nothing like what I see on the TV or the standard obnoxious tourist (of which I hear more of in rumour than see in person).

The American (looking at the screen not laughing at the French)

ODE TO A WILD LOOKING MOUSE

My father and I shaped a piece of timber (some type of greenish looking wood that my dad didn’t recognise) to replace the hardboard bottom shelf of the pantry in the kitchen that belongs to my current home. My property manager referred to this crafted piece of timber as a “plank”. Quaint and also dismissive. Reason being was that some type of rodent had chewed through one of the corners and though I had pushed a bottle through the hole there was evidence of recent activity, an attempted entry.

The previous tenant had left one of those big rat traps, so I assumed the rodent was a rat, or three. That was a while ago now, but this week I started to hear noises in the cupboard under the sink. A rustling of plastic bags. My friend, foiled for a time, was back. Something was in the cupboard eating my plastic bags and leaving a mess. So I set that old trap up. I wondered if anything would happen to be honest. It’s kind of like fishing.

So I came back from work yesterday and there was a familiar rustling coming out from under the sink. I was thinking he was pretty brave making a plastic bag raid in the middle of the day as I checked under the sink. Nothing was in the trap. I closed the door and the rustling started again. Actually, I kicked the cupboard door first because I didn’t want him escaping into the house and hoped he’d get the hint. Anyway cautiously I opened the cupboard again and began to take the plastic bags out and wondered what was going on. I looked at the empty trap and saw there was the edge of a bag caught in the trap. I looked closer. It was then that I noticed the tip of a tail sticking out. The intruder had twisted himself up in a plastic bag and that was why I hadn’t seen him at first.

He started screaming when I began cutting him free. He didn’t want the food I offered him. He was so wild looking with a dark coat and feverish black eyes. I decided to let him go free. Also it was possible he was a she, and had spring babies somewhere. I blame Richard Adams. If he was a rat I would have captured him and released him near my enemy’s house by the way. He was one very freaked out and wild looking mouse. When I lifted the trap off his tail, following a short incident, he slipped down a 4mm gap at the back of the cupboard. The end…