Oneironautic Escapades

Filipino Journey

I have just arrived in the Philippines with a few friends
As we get checked in there is a guy who gives us all of our paperwork/visas
They are printed on transparent acetate cards that are oversized which fit into my loose pants pocket only barely without falling out
We are in an area similar to a large cafeteria almost, partly looks like an abandoned k-mart with bare walls and busted fluorescent lights
There seems to be food waste all over the floor with some kind of brownish orange sticky sauce smeared all over the place like someone was mopping with oriental sauce
The floor is very sticky and I'm trying not to walk on it as I explore where we are
I'm just kind of amazed that I'm in a new place
My friends are moving very fast and not really taking things in, they are also boisterous and I worry we may be drawing too much attention to ourselves
We adventure around the inside here, I notice children scattered playing in the corners, and people generally waiting around like a train station of sorts, though I am surprised at how dingy and worn down everything is
We go through a doorway to another room and I notice a giant block of butter maybe 3 feet high on the other side, I take up a chunk and eat it
My friends all laugh, I notice there are businessmen and other random people coming in and out of this concourse
One guy in a suit coming through the doorway sees me eat it and laughs too but it's all jovial and lighthearted

When we finally leave the area we are in a very busy marketplace-type bazaar roadway that seems like a back alley connected to other streets
It is very busy with people coming in both directions, vendors shouting and even the odd motorbike whizzing past, it seems very populated
I tell my friends we should probably find someplace safe because I know not everywhere around here is safe to be as a tourist
We are dodging in and out of alleyways eventually meeting a friendly looking american

He leads us to his permaculture farm which seems very interesting
I notice there are other americans living there in a commune-type setting
G is with me now, it seems my friends have gone in a different direction
As we're walking through this permaculture farm I notice that it's nestled around/built into a wooden framed house, going through the different rooms I realize that we accidentally just walked into their home
I see the main guy who owns the place in his bedroom
He is a farmer and also a chef, he is very friendly and incredibly kind, a relaxed soul
We apologize that we're in the bedroom and he walks us back out giving us a little tour of the permaculture farm along the way and the little community center where everyone is hanging out
I notice there are a lot of very earthian healthy looking people but they all seem like-minded and hospitable
It is picturesque and comfortable here

He's describing a dish they're putting together, it's very similar to falafel
He asks if we know how to form them with a wood dowel concave mold he is holding and if we would mind helping them prepare a large batch for the community
We agree, I'm very happy to learn about a new dish in a new place, I am amazed to be in a new country and that there are so many like-minded souls here
I notice that I’m wearing these very shiny brown leather shoes and the floors are very smooth terracotta tile
I slide over the tiles very easily as if there is a layer of oil on the floor
To the point where I don't even have to walk or lift my feet to move around
It sort of feels like I'm ice skating and I tell them how weird it feels to be able to move around They watch me and chuckle as I kind of slide around the room without really moving my feet much
We walk outside together and I ask him if there are many permaculture farms around here
He says no, I respond that I'm really surprised I thought that there will be more permaculture farms like this in the Philippines
He says there's a couple but it's not very popular with the locals

As we're walking I notice practically across the street from the farm there are many other similar types of people wearing tan leather-bound medieval armor and some of them are riding horses
There's some kind of grand activity going on that seems like a medieval game of sorts
I'm just amazed at everyone’s coordination and the varying outfits
They're very excited to be involved in the activity, and everyone besides me seems to know what's going on
I talked to a random girl with black hair as I am walking into the group
I now have leather armor on my shoulders
I'm watching the horses ride and do stunts as they're also manipulating different weapons and staffs in a LARP fashion, it reminds me of a renaissance festival
G is with me now so we walk in the other direction away from the permaculture farm and notice that we're very close to the beach now

The ocean is to my left
I am in a video call on my phone with the main chef guy from the farm
Describing what I'm seeing, the beach is very close to the road so I walk over
Excited because I've never been in this ocean before, I stand with just half of my feet in the water
I see the waves gently crashing, the sand is incredibly white, almost pearlescent
Though the shore is only two or three feet deep along the side of the road which is very close to the water
The water is turbulent, not really wavy but I can see peaks
The water is also darker than I expected, it looks different than other seas or oceans I've been in
I'm very excitedly explaining on the phone what I'm seeing and I'm so happy to be in a new place with G

As I'm looking around more I see almost what look like high-end villa sort of enclosures
They all seem like streamlined verandas of organic shapes terraced multiple levels high and built into the hillside all facing the ocean
There are random pieces of furniture scattered about and little curtains hanging around doorways
I'm wondering if maybe these are timeshares or if people live here
I don't see any place for beds or anything so I'm really confused as to the layout
We're just kind of adventuring around different passageways
I seem to go inward too deep and through a curtain there's an older woman wearing flowing clothes who is obviously staying here, she comes out to meet us but doesn't say anything
Apologize turning around we walk back out towards the sea

I am walking down the road by myself now
I seem to be wearing some traditional garb that fits loosely, like multiple layers with the outer layer covered in decorations and a vibrant blue color
As I'm walking I notice a group of people almost like a religious gathering in the street
They are walking towards me slowly like a meditative walk
As I get closer I see it's mostly younger children with maybe a half dozen adults in the center
They are all wearing matching garb of blues and reds, which also match my outfit
They're playing chimes and flutes while walking in a very specific way almost like a dance
So I step to the side to let them pass but one of the men in the group sees the way I'm acting and shouts “Continue walking!”
Saying over and over again “Just walk straight ahead with your hands at your side, just walk straight ahead with your hands down, just walk straight ahead don't stop!”
I gather I have done something culturally improper and he is correcting me
So I continue to walk forward just looking straight ahead and walking through them as they pass through around me
I see now they all have ornate decorations all over their shoulders and down the front
They all have hats on which almost look oriental, flared up on the sides with a round top with colors that match the rest of their outfits
The feeling as they pass me is almost mystical as I purposely attempt to not look directly at any of them

I am in my parents' house now and I understand this is before we left for the Philippines
Getting ready to go pack up and I’m told someone is at the front door for me
It's not the person I'm expecting as I glance down the stairwell from the second floor looking out the front door I only see a pair of very tan very long legs
Coming down the stairs closer I notice it's a woman in a red dress with blonde shoulder-length hair and bright blue eyes
I recognize her immediately as Tricia Helfer from battlestar
Stepping out to meet her I remember when winning the trip to the Philippines I randomly messaged her inviting her to come on the trip with us, even though I knew it would be a long shot, there was no way they would respond but here they were on my front door to go on this trip with us, she seemed excited too
Complimented her on how good she was in battlestar and told her that I loved everything she brought to the character and how impressive it was that was her first acting gig
Also that I understood why she hasn't wanted to try to revisit the role or just try much more in Hollywood since then because it was so popular, she tells me about how she wrote a film called Invertigo but it never got made
The dream fades as we’re laughing and just generally chit-chatting on the front porch

Fragment

I am in a music store that seems to be having some special release party
It’s locked to the general public and we’re all vibing inside
There are maybe a dozen people and I only recognize a couple
Christina Ricci is sitting in the corner with some friends
The dream fades with the general murmur of layered small talk and chill music playing