KAORI'S SPOON

It was amazing. I can always sense it when I am about to have an astral projection. Something tries to put me to sleep. I normally never feel ‘drowsy’ unless it is finally 6 in the morning after a long night of attempting to sleep, or if I had simply smoked too much of the infamous mystical herbs. So when there is something that suddenly makes me want to take a nap at a healthy time (last night was around 8p), I take advantage of it quickly and go to sleep. I’m not an insomniac but I just have a terrible biological clock. It takes forever to get fixed, but takes just one drunk night to screw it up all over again.
My body lifted. I first climbed over the balcony and swam in the sky it was as if I was watching Google map roll its pages under my eyes.. I was flying over to the Philippines without even knowing where I was going. It was night time during the whole dream. It took about 3 seconds to find myself over a familiar ground. I lowered down to find my village back in the Philippines but I was surely in the wrong area of land because I saw huts and fields; it was barely civilized. I glided as far as I could over the land but it was endless, taking me nowhere near places Manila-like.. But the energy of the area was very much the Philippines, I knew where I was at that point. I landed myself in one of the huts, which sort of looked like a restaurant. I was then joined by a friend, whom I assumed to be Rosie. We stepped into the small restaurant hut, and it had only one seating booth for two. I called for a waiter and asked what kind of food they served. The waiter laughed at me and told me this was a dormitory.. Then I looked over to the other side of the hut across from the booth, I realized that this hut was not a hut, it was a hut on a car! The driving wheels frightened me, and I began to think we were getting kidnapped! I told Rosie we should leave this strange hut-on-a-car as soon as possible. She laughed at me but followed me outside, reluctantly. The ‘waiter’ or the ‘dormitory parent’ continued to laugh almost viciously; he wore a cap with a long black tshirt and khaki shorts. I don’t know how I remember this so clearly, if only I could have remembered more significant parts clearer! We climbed over this hut-on-a-car to fly out again. I asked the dormitory parent which way McDonalds was because I was really hungry, he told me to head southwest. It’s interesting how he gave me an answer as if he knew what it was like to fly. Normally, Filipinos will not answer like a compass, they will give the most confusing and impossible directions. I also asked where Metro Manila was and he told me to go North. By this time, he wasn’t very nice to me anymore, seeing that we were leaving him.
I remember when climbing over to the rooftop, I told Rosie how the last time we were about to fly, I was the first one to climb over the roof and fly out. But this time, I was the second to go. I explained that being the second made me feel a little nervous, so she held my hand. She asked, “Where was McDonalds again?” I told her to go North.
As we flew over again, without a goodbye, I found myself jumping into the window of room 1205 at the 162 N State Residences (college dorm that I stayed at during my first year at SAIC). Is it possible that I had time traveled through Astral Projection? I knew the dream was coming to an end; I was in a rush for no good reason and things were becoming lucid. My roommate, Ceyda was not yet home. I flew over to the door to see anyone was out in the hallway, the lights were dim but everything seemed to be so normal. I think it was about dawn, and definitely felt so good to be back. I then flew over and decided to sleep right by Ceyda who was now tucked in her bed. She woke up in surprise and I told her I had just gotten back from the Philippines. I think she had also just gotten back from a drunk night; she told me how much Jared had pissed her off while watching a football game on his little TV (it really was the tiniest little TV screen I had ever seen). She seemed really upset so I responded, “Aw, Ceyda!” But it felt too good to be back in reality (which of course I wasn’t yet,) so I laughed out in relief. Ceyda then looked over to her window and tried to shut it, but it was stuck. She closed the curtain, but was in shock: “How did these oil pastel colors get on my curtain oh my gosh!” I knew it was my fault but I kept shut. I must have been flying around leaving colors behind as a trace? Who knows, but I somehow knew it was mine. Then I climbed out of the window as she got up to get a towel. As I was climbing out, I saw my toes smearing even more oil pastel colors on her curtain! Sorry Ceyda, hahahahahaha!
I’m glad I found my way back to my body safely. It was such a beautiful dream…. I want to fly again, and remember that great feeling, fighting gravity and communicating with the illusion of distance. I woke up at around 1AM, laid on my bed for about an hour trying to ingest all of what had just happened carefully. Every little body movement I made, made me forget or feel unclear of some details. I tried my best to keep my spiritual sensitivity as clear as possible until I was able to lay out a storyboard in my head, and quickly jotted down as much as I can in my dream book. What a great dream.

Although I almost got fired from my job, work today was just fine! It didn’t even feel like I was at work, my co-worker and I just sat for most of the time reading about the Mayan Calendar on Wikipedia. I have great news to post on my Spoon today – I believe my Spring semester 09 is going to be kind of awesome!
Believe it or not, I am actually satisfied more than I am a little upset that I have a 9AM class on Saturdays. I am aware that this means I must be tucked in bed by 10 on Friday nights while most of my friends are out getting crazy. I’ll be missing out on all the fun weekend starters! But I guess I am willing to sacrifice the many future incidents that may occur and elongate my long list of drunk embarrassing moments. I get smarter, with less shame. This Saturday class, Abnormal Psychology is going to be really interesting and it is being taught by one of my favorite teachers. I will also be having my happy Mondays; Painting the Dream class in the morning with Anthony Philips. This is such a sappy, merry-go-round blog post but again, I am already enjoying the class; Anthony seems awesome. A little strict on attendance which could be a problem if my bad habit gets back into my system but as of now with my new lifestyle which I have adapted to unknowingly and quite smoothly, I think I will be fine.. After skipping ZERO classes during the winter, I’ve sort of learned to love going to class no matter what. Or maybe it’s just that I really loved the class and I couldn’t dare miss any of James’ lectures. After my painting class, I will have.. Beginners’ CZECH!!!! Obviously, I won’t even have to explain how amazing this class is although there are only about 5 of us in the class. I’ve only taken French in the past but I am remembering how fun it is to learn new languages, I really do enjoy it.. It’s unbelievable, I have become a complete NERD – I listen to my Czech tape to sleep. Please.
Today I had Philosophy of Art. Half of the people disappeared during the break, but… I really liked it….
PS. My friend’s Facebook status: “Hey art kids, go on Google today!”

This week was ugly. 1) I almost got fired. 2) My favorite winter course is done forever, and I also found out that there is going to be no class this semester nor the summer term which James Yood will be teaching. 3) I spent over 300$ these past two days.
About 1)… I really don’t want to elaborate on what excuse I had but I was really late for a very legitimate and serious case. But this almost got me to leave with no more future income. Dangerous, way too risky for where I am right now. I cannot be like this at work just like how I am in class! Jobs don’t end by semester, this is annually and until I have a reason to end the contract. I must keep a lasting good impression. Why do I do this to myself? And yes, 2) James Yood is no longer teaching in the near future. I really do hope I will find his class for Fall 2010 but I am in doubt. He told us during his last class that he was busy writing his new book. Why won’t he just stop writing so that he can continue teaching and enjoying the fact that he’s awesome already, instead of hiding in his little cave with his hair growing on the sides of his head? (Although, that too is awesome.. but not awesome enough!) Ahhh I wish I could attend his classes again, it is so hard to find an art history class that I truly enjoy! Guilty: 3) is true. I was so stressed from almost getting fired yesterday that I went crazy money splashing all over State Street. Of course I came home feeling GOOD and exhausted. I organized my closet and felt relieved. But now, I am now unable to find relief in any sense for the next two weeks or so, I may have to starve to death temporarily, truly. Uff, why is my life so out of control right now? I know I am being dramatic but for some reason (this is not the time of the month) I am extremely sensitive and I am worried about every little thing around me. Please. Stop! Fine, I do have some good news too. It is really good. I’m content. My favorite psychology teacher will be my teacher again this spring semester. So I guess my day isn’t all too bad – I still have something to look forward to!

The stupidest PS: I bought a CD from an Amazon Seller last week and obviously was not paying any attention.. I was looking for Interstate, an electronic, lounge, house type of musician. What I received today however from this stupid Amazon Seller who is definitely not going to get a great feedback, (he has been asking me to leave feedback like 5 times already since I placed my order..) I got a crazy rock jam emo horrible drummer singer band Interstate. WRONG. WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My winter course, Chicago Arts and Architecture with James Yood is by far, the most interesting class I have ever taken at SAIC! Normally, the instant I arrive home after a 4PM class I’d take a nice long nap, and never dare to touch my notes and toolboxes for at least maybe a day. Cases were worse when I used to come home from a 9PM class. I didn’t take naps, but instead, I always liked to decide on curling in my bed with my dvd player or sketchbook until dawn and being the most comfortable slob. Then finally get maybe about a 4hour sleep for class the next day. It was terrible. I can never fight temptation after class, it’s all about being lazy after a ‘hard working’ day. (Although, going to class is really just all about getting through the day without failing) Anyway, so this amazing guy James Yood: where do I begin! I look forward to buying cookies at Au Bon Pain and writing a blog just about this man when he dismisses class. That is how intelligent this guy is. He is just so passionate about what he talks about, I am now truly convinced to read leisurely on Chicago Architecture! I really AM. I’ve never seen anyone talk about something so so so rapidly that students have to stop him when he unknowingly stutters and skips words in between sentences. This is my favorite line of his from today’s class, “I love looking at this picture. It’s just so fun! The arched windows, and the horizontal tiles that keep the building horizontally well balanced but at the same time, well, it’s really just so fun! At least for me it’s really fun! You know.. So at the same time, the verti-CAH-lity of this building is connected through a…”
I would look up my thesaurus for a better word to describe him if only my thesaurus weren’t tucked in so neatly in my new storage box. That’s my problem, I clean up like a Stepford’s Wife, but never be able to touch the organized area again. Because then it will mean having to re-organize everything in a new way. And the cycle continues..

New Year’s Resolution!
- Quit the chimney life
- Come home with less embarrassments
I try not to set too many, but I make sure that they are still challenging!



Break so far has been really good! My mom came to visit me in Chicago from the Philippines, and got to see my new place for the first time. She really loves it here in the city. Chicago weather has been a crazy one this winter. From -20celcius (-4F) weather, it suddenly switched to a 30F overnight. The snow disappeared all at once, quicker than it did over spring last year. No soggy socks and crazy wind. The sun’s been up almost all day and setting really nicely, unlike last year when it was the most depressing weather I had ever experienced. My mom cooked really amazing food for Christmas and New Year’s, and I’m definitely going to miss her when she’s gone! I’ve updated my art portfolio again, take a look when you’re bored! Saic.edu/~kikeda

Recently, I’ve been experiencing way too many astral traveling dreams, that I can’t even take a short nap on the ground. Just this morning when I tried to stay in bed for an hour longer before work, I dreamed that I was on a buoy, swimming through a late night landscape in Hokkaido, Japan. The town looked darker than how I remember it. I looked for my grandparents house but I ended up at in front of my childhood friend’s house. I bounced off their house and landed on my cousin’s rooftop. I felt completely out of control but it was nice just relaxing on this watery sky/surface. No one was outside and I was all by myself in this weird night space. I soon got bored realizing there really is nothing to do, so I tried to get back into my physical world. I jumped out of the buoy, and saw a huge splash of water in the sky. Then I landed back on my bed in a blink, waking up and feeling as if I had wet hair. But of course, it wasn’t wet..
Another astral dream that I had was a strange one where I met a friend and had a very short conversation. I’m almost curious if that friend even remembers seeing me in that astral dimension, or is even aware of it. I came back into my body feeling like it was the most magical astral traveling I’ve ever dreamed of! When my guide told us I had to go, my friend held my hand and said, “hope you visit me again soon.” I’ll try my best to keep this promise until you remember that your mind has been traveling while you’re asleep!