The Late Mr. F in My Dream

The early morning of Friday, I had another dream. In it, I was working quite happily though I don’t know what kind of job I was performing. Among my colleagues was N, my young friend in real life. Suddenly a TV crew came into this office or a lab and started making innocent mischief covering my eyes with a white plastic patch that had openings so that I could still see. Later on, I found myself on a floor of a building in the Orchard area, where there were a few restaurants. I was there to find the one where a meeting would take place. At the meeting, I was talking to a few men, all executive style, and one of them was A, a game developer. It was a formal business meeting at this restaurant, where I was feeling only a little uncomfortable because of its Japanese formality. I, probably wearing a business suit, with or without a tie, I’m now sure, was talking to them politely. After the meeting, we went out to the restaurant’s garden, where some people were gathering for a light meal and drinks. Immediately I found Mr. F. Yes, the late Mr. F! I gave a hug to him, exclaiming “Mr. F!!” But it was not him. He said he was his younger brother. He looked very much like him but still different though he was wearing casually just like Mr. F when he came to CC. His face looked somewhat bloated, but the feature was distinctly Mr. F’s. He said, “Ladies (their wives) have a different plan (to go to someplace else to enjoy themselves).”

I see dreams often these days. Maybe I can make a dream diary.

Apartment Rent Increasing Again

Coming back from the bank this late afternoon, I found a notice, telling me of a rent increase of more than 17%. It was almost 26% last year. They are easier on me this time. Ha ha ha!! This sadistic attitude is asking me, “Can you still take the pain?” It seems to me that renters have all the advantages. Foreigners like me are getting the adverse consequences, and the local people are blaming foreigners for almost all the problems that have been happening these days, though again foreigners like me are big tax payers here. (I’m sure I’m paying more income tax than the average citizen.)  No doubt, this is happening because of the government policy of “developing” the country further with new hotels, shopping malls and super high-end condominiums. In a few years, all this property bubble may burst, sinking the country down into the hole

Last Friday at CC + Occipital Neuralgia

Last Friday, as planned, I had a drinking session with A at CC. I really enjoyed it though my speech was slurred at the end, but it is yet another proof that friends do not have to be fellows from the same country.

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I’ve been having this strange momentary dull shock behind my left ear. “Dull shock,” but I don’t have a better word to describe it. I checked the internet and it should be considered “occipital neuralgia.”

Wednesday Night at CC

Last night (Wednesday), I got so frustrated with the amount of work I had to finish. Something inside me snapped again, and though it was almost 9:00 pm, I decided to go to CC. An SMS from A about a possible get-together on Friday that I had received enticed me to drinking at CC. According to someone working there, I look like a civil engineer or a musician, which I consider a big compliment. I was drinking until 1:30 am. Talks with the staff were quite nice. And it was peaceful without HIM.

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It seems that I see at least a dream every early morning. And I try to see more of them staying in bed. A scene that recurs is of the entrance gates at a train station. And the man working at the gate always seems to be the same. He is the man who said to me when I was still a high school boy, “That’s the way it works” in a rather rude way as if teaching me how everything works in this world, with me buying a ticket to go to another station where I would get a commuter’s pass and to get refund for the ticket.

HE Wants to Be Alone with Me

Last Wednesday, I finally went out for small business talk and drinks at CC, my first time in three weeks. As soon as I arrived, I saw HIM talking with a friend, who is originally from the same country as HIS and whom I had had talked with many times over these years, and his girlfriend. I almost turned back. But I decided to stay for the small talk with the CC boss. After a short while, this friend found me and stood up from his seat to give big hand waves at me. I waved back at him. I also saw HIM smiling.

Back on February 21, I was drinking at CC’s outside table with my client. The floor manager, L, told me that HE was inside and also let HIM know about my presence. L later came to me again to tell me that HE was saying “I don’t want to bother him.”

So my thinking was not to bother HIM when he was with his friend. And of course, “You shouldn’t bother me. Enjoy your time with your friend.”

Probably at around 10.00 pm, after HIS friend and his girlfriend left CC, HE joined me… HE doesn’t want to do so when I’m with another man. Now HE came to me to be alone with me.

To hide my annoyance, I kept talking. HE was still jobless. This man is not without talent. HE is rather intelligent. As someone who is a worst case in terms of finding a job, I think I’ve given HIM sensible advices. It seems HE never followed any of them. And when he landed a job last time in April, I was there with HIM and others. HE quit it last August or September. Since then, HE has been unsuccessful of finding a new position.

At midnight, we decided to leave CC, me quite annoyed, frustrated and bored being with HIM. I went on to Y for more drinks and for unnecessary spending to conclude the night.